South America

Ecuador Moves to Shut Down Free Speech NGO

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador — The Ecuadorian government has passed a resolution which would initiate the legal procedures to dissolve the NGO, Fundamedios. The organization, which monitors and defends freedom of the press, has been critical of Correra and his government.

Fundamedios Directors Mauricio Alarcón-Salvador and César Ricaurte. (Photo courtesy of PanAm Post)

Fundamedios, or the Andean Foundation for the Observation and Study of the Media, was founded in 2007. Ecuador’s National Communications Secretariat (Secom) informed the organization that the dissolution was due to engagement in “partisan political activities.”

Secom cited two tweets including links to political blogs as the rationale behind the dissolution, saying that the organization had violated a statute which prohibited the organization from engaging in political activities.

Funamedios’ Executive Director César Ricuarte called the allegations “absurd,” saying: “it seems that for Secom political journalism equals to partisan politics.”

The Freedom House program director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Ponce, has also called the charges “politically motivated and glaring examples of the government’s lack of respect for freedom of speech.”

Other international observers, including the United States State Department, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch have expressed concern regarding the move.

Human Rights Watch said that the Ecuadorian government should “close the administrative process against Fundamedios and repeal those norms to comply with its obligation to protect the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

Fundamedios has had issues with the Ecuadorian government in the past. It went before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission to make a case against the government in 2011. The government refuted the claim, and has kept a close eye on Fundamedios ever since.

In January of 2014, Fundamedios received notice that Secom had taken over supervisory control of the organization, and also received a request for the organization’s financial information.

This past June, Secom ordered the organization to stop issuing alerts. At the time, Executive Director Ricuarte said that Fundamedios would “continue issuing alerts whether Secom likes them or not.”

President Correra is well known for his enmity towards the press. According to Fundamedios, there have been 1305 instances of aggression against freedom of expression since 2008.

Article 16 of the American Convention of Human Rights, to which Ecuador is a signatory, states that freedom of association “shall be subject only to such restrictions established by law as may be necessary in a democratic society, in the interest of national security, public safety or public order, or to protect public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others.”

 

For more information, please see:

Organization of American States – American Convention on Human Rights – 22 November 1968

Guardian – NGO alert: Ecuadorian government orders press freedom group to disband – 9 September 2015

Human Rights Watch – Ecuador: Media Freedom Group Facing Shutdown – 9 September 2015

Journalism in the Americas Blog – Ecuadorian government starts a process to shut down Fundamedios, a freedom of expression advocate NGO – 9 September 2015

PanAm Post – Ecuadorian Regime to Dissolve Free-Speech Watchdog Fudamedios – 9 September 2015

U.S. Department of State – Ecuador: Restrictions on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Association – 10 September 2015

 

Chile to take in Syrian Refugees

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile will take in refugees, President Michelle Bachelet announced Monday. Speaking at a religious ceremony, she said, “Throughout our history, we have always had our doors open to those, sometimes coming from far away places, bringing their history and cultural to the construction of our nation.”

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. (Photo courtesy of the Latin Post)

The foreign ministry confirmed the statement on Tuesday, saying that the refugees would come from Syria. A statement released by Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz stated that “it will happen as soon as possible,” and that the country could initially take in 100 families.

The plan, reportedly presented to the government by a former minister of Syrian descent, would provide shelter for 50 to 100 families, and has the support of the Chilean Arab population.

Chile is expediting the visa process for those Syrians that have requested them.

Many world leaders, including spiritual figures like Pope Francis, have called on countries and communities around the world to take in refugees.

A number of other South American countries have also agreed to take in Syrian refugees, including Argentina and Venezuela. Argentina eased entrance requirements last year, but according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, less than 100 Syrians have arrived in Argentina so far. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced that the country is prepared to grant asylum to 20,000 escaping the Syrian conflict.

Brazil has taken in 2,000 Syrian refugees so far, with over 1,400 granted asylum in 2014 alone.

However, not all resettlement schemes have been successful. Uruguay, who accepted a number of refugees last year as part of a resettlement program, is facing criticism from the refugees themselves. The resettled families, who have been living in Uruguay since October, have been protesting outside of the presidential offices, saying, “this is not a place for refugees.” The families say that they are “isolated and struggling,” which may be due to Uruguay’s minute Arab population and high costs of living.

 

For more information, please see:

US News & World Report – Argentina cabinet chief says the country’s doors are open to Syrian refugees fleeing war – 4 September 2015

Reuters – Chile mulls plan to take in Syrian refugees: newspaper – 6 September 2015

Latin Post – Syrian Refugee Crisis: Chile to welcome undisclosed number of refugees – 8 September 2015

Reuters – Chile government says it will take in Syrian refugees – 8 September 2015

Voice of America – Venezuela offers to take in 20,000 Syrian refugees – 8 September 2015

Yahoo News – Bachelet says Chile will welcome Syrian refugees – 8 September 2015

Yahoo News – Latin American nations offer to take in Syrian refugees – 8 September 2015

 

Brazil indigenous population ‘under attack’

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil — The Guarani-Kaiowa indigenous group of Mato Grasso de Sul reported being attacked by a group of men this week. About 30 armed men drove into the group’s territory and began shooting. The Guarani-Kaiowa fled into the woods to hide, and said that the men came back to shoot again in the evening.

Members of the Guarani-Kaiowa protest following the death of Semião Vilhalva in Brasilia. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

 

Tensions between the indigenous group and local ranchers began after about 1,000 members of the Guarani-Kaiowa occupied five ranches on August 22, in an offensive to take back their ancestral lands. A number of hostages were taken, but were later released.

Last week, the ranchers launched their own offensive to take back the land, killing indigenous leader Semião Vilhalva. The offensive pushed the Guarani-Kaiowa out of the ranches and cornered them back into a small area of land. Rancher-hired gunmen are reported to be patrolling the area.

They group has appealed to the Brazilian government for assistance, saying that the gunmen are preventing them from burying Vilhalva on their ancestral land.

Indigenous persons led protests in Brasilia following Vilhalva’s death.

Brazilian Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo condemned the killing. He has travelled to the region with a high-level delegation. Members include the director-general of the Federal Police and the president of government’s Indian agency. Federal troops have also been sent to the area.

There is a long standing history of fighting between the indigenous populations of the area and the ranchers. According to the Indigenous Missionary Council, there were 138 murders of indigenous persons in 2014 alone.

The ranches were located in an area which had been designated as indigenous territory, but the ranchers recently obtained an injunction suspending the process. The Brazilian Constitution required that all indigenous territory be mapped out and returned by 1993, but that promise has gone largely unfulfilled.

The United Nation’s expert on indigenous populations, Victoria Tauli-Corpez, called for a stop to the violence and for protection for the Guarani-Kaiowa.

For more information, please see:

Intercontinental Cry – Indigenous Brazilian Broadcasts Urgent Plea for Help – 2 September 2015

The Ecologist – Brazil: Guarani man murdered by ranchers’ gunmen – 2 September 2015

Yahoo News – Tensions mount over death of Brazil indigenous leader – 2 September 2015

BBC – Brazil indigenous leader’s killing raises tension – 3 September 2015

BBC – Brazil indigenous group Guarani-Kaiowa ‘attacked’ – 6 September 2015

Argentinian Abuelas work to find “Stolen Children”

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The Argentinian organization Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo (Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo) have found their 117th grandchild. DNA testing confirmed the identification of the daughter of Walter Dominguez and Gladys Castro, who was born in police custody in 1978. The couple had been arrested in the dead of night when Gladys was six months pregnant.

Grandmothers hold pictures of their “disappeared” children, the parents of Grandchild #117. (Photo courtesy of UPI)

The child was given to civilians with close ties to the military. There were reports of a child “mysteriously appearing” in the home of the couple at the height of the dictatorship.

The woman is one of the “stolen children”, who were taken from their parents (usually communists and other dissidents) during Argentina’s “Dirty War.” During the period from 1976 to 1983, as many as 30,000 people were “disappeared” by the military dictatorship.

Many of the children taken were born to parents while they were imprisoned or disappeared. A number of the children were born after their mothers were raped in prison.

After the children were taken, they were adopted by military families, members of the police forces and wealthy families that supported the dictatorship. The policy was part of the official “Process of National Reorganization.”

It is thought that over 400 children were taken from their parents during the implementation of the policy.

The Abuelas were founded in 1977 by a group of grandmothers searching for their stolen grandchildren and they are well respected for their work and determination in Argentina. They work to identify children by combing through adoption records and tracking families who suddenly adopted a child during the dictatorship. Much of their success is due to their work with Mary-Claire King, an American geneticist. King uses mitochondrial DNA, which is passed on by the mother, to match missing children to maternal grandmothers in situations where the mother is no longer living.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Argentina ‘stolen child’ abducted in 1978 found – 1 September 2015

TeleSur – Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo Identify Grandchild Number 117 – 1 September 2015

UPI – Child stolen during Argentina’s military dictatorship found – 1 September 2015

Smithsonian – Argentina Grandmothers are using DNA to track down stolen children – 3 September 2015

Colombians Flee Venezuela

By Kaitlyn Degnan
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia — A border dispute between Venezuela and Colombia has forced hundreds of Colombians living in Venezuela out of their homes, and over the border into Colombia. Civilians living in the border region have reported that Venezuela National Guard forces have thrown people out of their homes, and in some cases have demolished houses belonging to Colombian migrants.

Colombians flee Venezuela during border crackdown. (Photo courtesy of Reuters).

A firefight between Venezuelan forces and smugglers injured a number of forces, and caused President Nicolas Maduro to order the closing of several border crossings to Colombia. He also declared a state of emergency in six western cities along the border, suspending a number of constitutional rights. The suspension allows the National Guard to search homes and businesses without a warrant.

Maduro cited concerns of increased instances of smuggling and paramilitary activity in Colombia for the closures.  Since the closing over 6,000 Colombians have left Venezuela – 1,000 were deported and another 5,000 left voluntarily.

Talks between the foreign ministers of the two nations failed to produce any results. Maduro said that he would not open the border until the Colombian government “regained its sanity” and did more to protect the border.

Some have accused Maduro of prolonging the dispute to detract attention from the country’s economic issues.

Civilians have been using the Tachira River, which divides Venezuela from Colombia, to flee the country.  The Colombian government has mobilized disaster relief resources to provide aid to those coming into the country.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has recalled the ambassador to Venezuela after his request to send an ombudsman to observe the human rights situation in the border city of San Antonio del Tachira order was denied. He also called for an emergency meeting of the Union of South American Nations and the Organization of American States.

Santos’s handling of the border crisis has been heavily criticized by opposition leader Alvaro Uribe, saying that Santos has done nothing to counter Maduro’s aggression.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the two countries to work to resolve the crises, reminding them of their obligations under international law. “We urge the Venezuelan authorities to ensure that the human rights of all affected individuals are fully respected, particularly in the context of any deportations,” said Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the Commissioner.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Colombians leave Venezuela in droves over border crisis – 26 August 2015

Business Insider – ‘I lost everything overnight’: Colombians are fleeing Venezuela with all of their possessions amid border crackdown – 26 August 2015

Reuters – Distraught Colombians flee Venezuela as border dispute intensifies – 26 August 2015

The Guardian – Colombia and Venezuela recall ambassadors amid border crisis – 28 August 2015

The Washington Post – Venezuelans to rally in support of closing Colombian border – 28 August 2015