By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela  — Mexico’s ambassador to Venezuela, Carlos Pujalte, and his wife were kidnapped by armed men on Sunday night and then released four hours later. Pujalte’s abduction is a troublesome trend in the recent string of high-profile kidnappings in Venezuela, a country now considered one of the most dangerous in Latin America.

Pujalte’s and his wife were leaving a reception in a wealthy Caracas neighborhood on Sunday night when four armed men seized them in their car and held them for four hours before safely releasing them in a slum before dawn on Monday. The kidnapping has been dubbed an “express kidnapping” because of it’s short duration. In express kidnappings, abductors hold their victims for a short period of time for lower ransom demands or simply to rob the victims.

The details surrounding the kidnapping and if any ransom was paid remain unsealed by Venezuelan authorities. According to the Venezuela’s government, security forces launched an operation which forced the armed men to free the Pujaltes. The vehicle used for the kidnapping was found in another part of the city.

Pujalte’s kidnapping highlights a troublesome trend in Venezuela where violent crime is routinely named a top concern for Venezuelans. Leaked government reports have shown that since President Hugo Chavez first took office 13 years ago, crime has surged with the number of murders per year doubling since 1999. According to Venezuelan Violence Observatory, a non-profit organization, at least 19,336 people were killed in Venezuela last year.

Pujalte is the seventh foreign officer who has been held hostage in less than one-year term. Last November, Chilean consul, Juan Carlos Fernandez, was kidnapped in Caracas and severely injured by his abductors before being released. Within the same week, Major League Baseball player, Wilson Ramos was kidnapped during his visit home and released two days later with the help of Venezuelan security forces.

Chavez, who is seeking his third six-year term, denies that crime in Venezuela has increased since he first took office, and instead, blames high crime rates on historical roots of lawlessness dating back to the administration of former President Carlos Andres Perez in the late 1980s.

Despite souring crime rates and violent crime being a top issue for Venezuelans, a recent poll by the local Hinterlaces company shows that Chavez’s approval rating remains high. As of recently, Chavez has a 64 percent approval rating, with 50 percent of those surveyed saying they would vote for him again in the up-coming presidential elections.

“Chavez supporters have a strong emotional attachment to him and this has led some of them to fail to assess the situation objectively despite the statistics and the growing evidence of the government’s responsibility (for the crime problem),” says Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Venezuelan analyst of the IHS Global Insight thinktank.

 

For further information, please see:

El Universal – Seven Kidnapped Diplomats in One Year in Venezuela – 31 January 2012

CNN – Officials: Mexico’s Ambassador to Venezuela Kidnapped, Freed – 30 January 2011

CBS News – Mexican Ambassador in Venezuela Kidnap Drama – 30 January 2012

Reuters – Mexican Envoy Kidnapped, Freed in Venezuela – 30 January 2012

The Wall Street Journal  – Mexico Envoy to Venezuela Free After Kidnapping – 30 January 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASÍLIA, Brazil – This past Sunday, January 22, at 6 am, residents of the Pinheirinho slum were awakened by the police and forcibly evicted from their homes.  The police used rubber bullets, tear gas and were in full riot gear.  They were backed up by armored vehicles and two helicopters. 

Following the physical actions by the police, the government cut electricity, gas and telephone lines for the area.  The area was also blocked off and residents were unable to return.  The slum, which is located about 60 miles east of São Paulo, had roughly 5,500 residents.

Small battles between police and residents also occurred.  Residents threw rocks and sticks at the troops, set up make-shift barricades and set cars on fire.  About 30 arrests were made, multiple minor injuries were reported and at least one serious injury resulted from a rubber bullet shot.

The Pinheirinho slum was established in 2004, when people began to occupy the land that a bankrupt company had owned.  Residents of the settlement built homes, churches, schools and stores on the land over the past eight years. 

Recently, legal negotiations were underway to ensure that this type of eviction did not occur.  There was a proposal that the land be purchased by the federal government and kept as a low-income housing area so as to legalize the established settlement. 

Amnesty International states that the police action violates a previous agreement that no evictions would occur while a peaceful solution was sought.  Brazilian officials claim that the action was legal as the slum was established by illegal squatters who have no land rights.

The residents of Pinheirinho have been forced into a variety of emergency housing situations.  Some are staying with family and friends.  Another 350 families have been forced to take shelter in a school gymnasium with inadequate sanitation. 

Since Sunday, a few residents have been permitted back onto the land to gather small belongings.  The police have also been cataloguing and removing furniture to return it to its rightful owners. 

Disputes over the legality of this action have emerged.  Amnesty International and other land movement groups in Brazil like Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) protest the eviction and its effects, noting that now thousands of families are homeless. 

“What is happening in Pinheirinho is part of an unfortunate pattern of forced evictions in Brazil. As the country booms, tens of thousands of poor families are being removed to make way for infrastructure and private development projects, without receiving adequate protection and alternative housing. The Brazilian authorities… must actively engage with the residents to find a long-term solution that suits their needs — not temporary spaces in shelters which split up families,” said Atila Roque, director of Amnesty International, Brazil.

Brazilian authorities claim that they are going to move all residents to a tract of land, roughly 0.4 square miles large, to “re-integrate” them into society.  They also claim to be in the process of allocating them new homes and helping with food and transportation needs.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Criticism Grows of Brazil Slum Clearance by Police – 25 Jan 2012

International Business Times – Brazil: Activists Condemn Forced Eviction of São Paulo Squatters – 25 Jan 2012

Aljazeera – Clashes in Brazil Eviction Raid – 24 Jan 2012

Amnesty International – Brazil Must Address Needs of Thousands Left Homeless Following Eviction – 24 Jan 2012

Rio Times – Police Retake Favela in SP State – 23 Jan 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador – Chevron has released statements that they will appeal an Ecuadorian court ruling, sustaining an earlier decision, that they pay $18 billion in damages to the indigenous and rural residents in the northern Amazonian region that was destroyed in the early 1990s by the company’s negligent business practices.

In a case that first entered litigation in 1993, Chevron has fought aggressively to eradicate any of their liability for the environmental destruction in the Amazonian rainforest.  Chevron is making a variety of claims to fight the recent decision handed down by an Ecuadoran appeals court on January 4.

“Today’s decision is another glaring example of the politicization and corruption of Ecuador’s judiciary that has plagued this fraudulent case from the start…Chevron does not believe that the Ecuador ruling is enforceable in any court that observes the rule of law,” was Chevron’s official statement.

The appeal is being made to Ecuador’s national court and asserts that reports and evidence made against Chevron were fabricated and that bribes were offered by plaintiffs and accepted by the judges.  Additionally, Chevron is claiming that a law was retroactively applied to the case and that blatant disregard has been shown towards their proof that releases of liability were signed by the government of Ecuador early in the 1990s.

In the original decision, released over a year ago, Chevron was told that to make a public apology to Ecuador and if they did not, then the payment required of them would be increased to $18 billion.  To this date, no apology has been issued by the company.

The case centers around the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest that occurred in the early 1990s, the effects of which are still felt to this day.  Chevron’s operations allegedly used substandard products, dumped more than 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon river, abandoned almost a thousand waste pits and spilled millions of gallons of oil into the environment due to pipeline ruptures.

The roughly 30,000 indigenous and rural individuals, who make up the plaintiffs in the case, continue to be deeply affected in their day-to-day lives.  They are forced to drink contaminated water from the still-polluted river.  They have difficulties subsisting as wildlife has been almost eradicated and the land has been degraded.

There is also an ongoing health crisis.  Those living in the area suffer from respiratory conditions, skin diseases, reproductive problems and higher cancer rates than average.  The plaintiff’s attorney, Pablo Fajardo, stressed that these acts by Chevron are poorly disguised racist attempts to deny the right of access to justice to the indigenous people.

Beyond the appeal, this case might soon be heard on the international level.  The Hague, last February, also began investigations into this case.  A decision by the tribunal is expected to be released soon as to whether or not they have jurisdiction to hear the case.

 

For more information, please see;

Insurance Journal – Chevron Appeals$18 Billion Judgment Ruling in Ecuador Lawsuit – 23 Jan 2012

CNN – Chevron Appeals $8.6 Billion Ruling – 21 Jan 2012

Indian Country – Indigenous Ecuadorians Take Their Struggle Against Chevron to International Courts – 18 Jan 2012

Oxfam America – Chevron’s Last Gasps in its Fight Against the Amazon? – 17 Jan 2012

The New Yorker – Reversal of Fortune – 9 Jan 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

SANTIAGO, Chile – Throughout much of the Bio Bio region and Araucania region deadly forest fires have raged for the past few weeks.  The area, roughly 500 miles south of the capital of Santiago, has been destroyed by the fires that have burned down hundreds of homes and caused thousands of evacuations.

 

Until recently, the only casualty in the deadly fires was that of an elderly manwho refused to evacuate his home, despite repeated appeals to leave.  On Thursday January 5, 2012 seven firefighters were killed in the line of duty.  The men were working in a mountain forest near Carahue in the Araucania region.  They were trapped by the fire when the high wind unexpectedly changed direction.

Ten men in total were placed in danger that day.  Two of the men were rescued by helicopters and suffered intense burns.  A single man, Hector Herrera managed to escape on his own. 

“When I wanted to leave, I was unable to do so, I went back and there was fire everywhere. My only option was to go to the canteen and soak myself in water and then go through the flames,” said Herrera to local media.

The men were private contractors for a forestry company, Mininco.  Reports have surfaced that none of the men were experienced in fire-fighting.  The forestry worker’s union blames Mininco for the seven deaths; citing inexperience, poor training and failure to properly supervise workers in dangerous conditions.

Early in the investigation, authorities blamed arsonists for starting the fires.  Several fires began almost simultaneously in multiple areas; a clear indication that some type of foul play was involved.  Following confirmation of the seven firefighter’s deaths, Chilean president Sebastián Piñera was quick to note the “criminal intent” present and that the fires were under consideration as having a “terrorist nature.”

Interior Minister, Rodrigo Hinzpeter, followed this with accusations that the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM) group was responsible.  CAM is a Mapuche Indian activist group.  The group forcibly advocates for reinstatement of ancient tribal lands.  Allegedly, the disputed land, in the Araucania region, was illegally taken from the Mapuche people both in the early 19^th century pacification campaign and by the Pinochet dictatorship of the 1970s. 

Hinzpeter based his conclusion on the acknowledgement by CAM that activists had burned a Mininco helicopter and other forestry vehicles on December 30, right before the fires began. 

CAM leaders have denied any role in the fires at all.  They do admit to the burning of the Mininco helicopter, which they viewed as operating illegally on Indian lands.  It appears to have been a strategic move in the enduring dispute between the forestry company and the activists. 

“In the face of accusations issued by persons from the current government and right-wing members of Parliament, we say — emphatically — that the CAM had nothing to do with events that occurred at the House of Stone estate in Carahue,” was the statement released by the group.

A Mapuche spokesman, Natividad Llanquileo, also expressed the grief felt by the tribe not only for the seven deaths but also for the destruction of “mothe earth” by the deadly fires.

Locals in the area have theorized that the fires were started accidentally in the process of burning wood to make charcoal.  Hector Rebolledo, a fire chief, stated that people were seen making charcoal in the area right before the fires broke out. 

In the aftermath of this, President Piñera has invoked strong anti-terrorist laws to punish those responsible.  These anti-terror laws stem from the Pinochet era and are frighteningly restrictive on justice.  They allow for steeper punishments, indefinite imprisonment without being charged and testimony from anonymous witnesses. 

Prosecutors are permitted to keep their evidence secret, are more readily granted the power to monitor suspect’s activities (tapping phones, placing wires and intercepting communications) and can detain suspects for up to 10 days without bringing any charges.      

“The law will continue to be applied whenever necessary to fight this small group of people who, without respect for life or property, seek to impose their views through terror,” said Piñera in support of the laws. 

One of CAM’s leaders, currently serving time in jail for assaulting a prosecutor, said the whole situation was simply a set-up to allow for implementation of the anti-terror laws.  The statement notes that these laws are a valuable tool being used by the government to dismantle not just the Mapuche people’s movement but Chilean social movements in general.

In fact, just days after the anti- terror laws were enacted; a fire was started at a local Mapuche chief’s home, destroying it.  Then, a Mapuche woman and her daughter were cruelly beaten by police officers during their arrest for disturbing the peace. 

As reported by the Latin American Herald Tribune, a cell phone video shows an officer striking one of the women with the butt of his gun as she holds a child in her arms.  He then points his gun at her head and pulls the trigger back before walking away.  The other woman was “roughed up” by the other officers. 

Both women were released from jail and an investigation into the events of their arrest has been initiated.  As well, Hinzpeter is now denying making direct statements blaming the Mapuche Indians for the fires.  His sudden reversal comes after much criticism and an order from the Court of Appeals to clarify the statements he made earlier this month. 

 

For more information, please see:

Latin American Herald Tribune – Chilean Cops Under Scrutiny for Beating of Indian Women – 19 Jan 2012

Latin American Herald Tribune – Indian Activists Deny Setting Deadly Blaze in Chile – 19 Jan 2012

Santiago Times – Chilean Minister Backs Down on Indigenous Arsonist Claims – 19 Jan 2012

Indian Country – Chile Invokes Chilling Anti-Terrorist Law Against Indigenous Mapuche – 11 Jan 2012

Asia One News – Chile Invokes Terror Law After “Deadly Criminal” Wildfire – 6 Jan 2012

BBC – Chile Blames Mapuche Indians for Deadly Forest Fires – 6 Jan 2012

Google  – Chile’s Mapuche Denies Role in Deadly Arson – 6 Jan 2012

Times Union – Chile Blames Deadly Fires on Mapuche Indian Terror – 6 Jan 2012