by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Rep0rter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – Election changes have just been announced in Venezuela by Tibisay Lucena, the president of the National Electoral Council.  Presidential elections traditionally take place in December of election years.  In the upcoming 2012 election year, the Venezuelan Presidential election has been moved up to October 7.

President Chavez tweeted, “7 October 2012: your destiny is written! We will write another revolutionary victory on your page! We will live and we will conquer!” as a response to this announcement.

Chavez, who announced his intention to run for re-election earlier, will be up for a third term in office and a victory will place him in power of Venezuela for a consecutive 18 years.  In 2007, Chavez attempted to modify the Constitution, which he had drafted, to allow him to run for re-election for a  third term.  This move was unsuccessful. 

Again, in 2009, Chavez sought to strike down term limits and amend the Constitution.  This move was highly controversial as it was noted that Constitutional amendments are only permissible once per congressional term.  Despite the reservations of this being an unconstitutional act, Chavez was successful, paving the way for his upcoming 2012 campaign. 

Earlier this summer, in June, Chavez announced that he was battling cancer.  On June 20 he had a tumor removed in Cuba and since then has undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy.  He announced Tuesday that he will start a final round of chemotherapy soon.  He expects to be at full strength when he begins campaigning in December. 

Approval ratings for Chavez stood at 70% at his 2006 re-election.  Current polls place his ratings at roughly 50%.  Opposition parties point out that moving the election date forward makes it harder for other candidates to successfully challenge Chavez.  They note that this is a particularly opportune time for rival parties due to the President’s weakened position.

Instead of receiving a full year in which to campaign, the candidates will only get eight months to mount a successful opposition.  MercoPress reports that political analyst Luis Vicente Leon believes shortening the campaign period will favor Chavez because an effective opposition needs to spend extensive time traveling around the country, meeting people and gathering support.  Additionally, Chavez’s unlimited access to broadcast hours makes him the most recognizable politician in the Venezuelan arena.

The National Electoral Council is justifying their decision by citing a need to separate national from regional and local elections.  Regional and local elections of governors will still take place in December.  Tibisay Lucena claims this division is to benefit voters, so they can focus on each election, instead of having the Presidential race overshadow the others.

 

For more information, please see;

Americas Quarterly – Date Set for Venezuela’s 2012 Presidential Election – 14 September 2011

El Universal – Venezuelan Electoral Body Decides to Separate Elections – 14 September 2011

Latin American Herald Tribune – Venezuela Sets Presidential Elections for 7 October 2010 – 14 September 2011

MercoPress – Venezuelan Presidential Election Moved Forward to 7 October 2012 – 14 September 2011

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASÍLIA, Brazil – The Alemão slum complex in Rio de Janeiro is once again beset by violence.  On Sunday evening, a scuffle between residents and the assigned Peace Force in the community took place.  Reports of this incident show that three residents were arrested and that pepper spray and rubber bullets were used to disperse crowds.  There were no reported deaths, although one woman was hit by a rubber bullet and a police officer was hit in the head with a stone.  

The Peace Force has been present in the Alemão slum since November of last year.  At that time, security forces entered and gained control as part of a “pacification program”.  This program was an attempt to curb violence levels, in preparation for hosting the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.  Alemão had been the base for the Red Command, Rio’s largest drug gang.  The securing of the complex was viewed as a huge success as it severely inhibited drug trafficking and related violence.

Reports of how Sunday’s altercation began vary.  The Peace Force claims to have been assaulted by residents throwing stones and bottles as a foot patrol team arrested a man who had harassed them.  Residents say that it started with a request, from a Peace Force team, to lower the volume on a television set at a bar and escalated from there. 

Following Sunday’s scuffle, on Tuesday, a group of drug traffickers from a neighboring slum opened fire on the soldiers patrolling Alemão.  The Washington Post reports that television broadcasts show residents running to find cover from the bullets flying through the air.  Locals claim that a 15 year-old girl was killed in the fight and at least 16 others were wounded.  Authorities deny that any deaths occurred as a result of the struggle.

The aunt of the 15 year-old girl, allegedly killed from a stray bullet, was frustrated by the government’s response.  She stated, “I’m very angry because I was born and raised here and no one in my family has ever been killed in shootings. Now that (the slum) has been pacified, I’m seeing one of them killed. Where’s the state? Where are the authorities?”

Other residents voiced concerns that even with the Peace Force presence they do not feel any safer.  Also heard were complaints of overly aggressive policing in Alemão.  Authorities announced that police will now force occupations of the neighboring two slums as that is where the drug traffickers are believed to have originated from. 

 For more information, please see;

MercoPress – Brazilian Forces Try to Regain Control of Shantytown Again Lost to Criminal Gangs – 8 September 2011

BBC News – Extra Troops Sent to Rio Slum After Gunfight Erupts – 7 September 2011

The Washington Post – More Troops Flood Into Rio de Janeiro Slum After Fellow Soldiers Attacked by Gangs – 7 September 2011

The Rio Times – Confrontation in Complexo Alemão – 5 September 2011

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Several Uruguayan troops on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti are being investigated after a video captured on a cell phone revealed what appears to be a young local man being physically and possibly sexually assaulted by at least five Uruguayan troops.

The video, which lasts approximately one minute, shows a half-naked man of approximately 18 years of age being pinned down and physically assaulted on a mattress by several Uruguayan troops in camouflage. The video was filmed at a U.N. base in Port-Salut and was recently posted on the internet.

Kieran Dwyer, U.N. peacekeeping spokesman, in a statement said that the U.N. acted immediately after first hearing about the incident and has launched an urgent investigation.

Uruguayan Defense Minister, Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro, confirmed that the National Defense Ministry has also opened up an investigation and is ordering the return of the Armed Forces members from Haiti as well as the replacement of the Chief of the Naval Contingent. The navy commander in charge of the troops involved has also been recalled to Uruguay.

According to a statement made by Uruguayan Defense Ministry, if found guilty, those involved could face dishonorable discharge from the navy and lose their retirement rights.

Haitian President Michel Martelly, in a statement released late on Sunday, stated that: “The Presidency vigorously condemns this act which revolts the nation’s conscience and awaits a detailed report establishing the exact facts and circumstances.”

Martelly has urged that a meeting be set up between Haitian authorities and U.N. mission leaders to discuss ways to prevent any more acts of abuse.

U.N. began the peacekeeping mission in Haiti in 2004 after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced into exile.

Tensions between the locals and the U.N. peacekeepers, however, have been on the rise for the past couple of years. Last year, peacekeepers from Nepal were accused of causing the deadly cholera epidemic, which resulted in over 6,200 deaths and hospitalized more than 438,000.

Angry over the recent events, local residents have already begun demonstrations calling for the ousting of all U.N. peacekeepers.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera –  Uruguay recalls troops over Haiti ‘sex abuse’ – 05 September 2011

BBC News – Haiti anger over alleged Uruguay UN rape – 05 September 2011

CNN – Uruguayan peacekeepers in Haiti investigated for alleged assault – 05 September 2011

The Telegraph – Uruguayan peacekeepers investigated over Haiti sexual assault – 05 September 2011

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – A growing discontent has spread across Chile as citizens publicly demand reforms from a conservative government.  Last Tuesday, protestors called for a “paro nacional” (national strike) on Wednesday and Thursday.  Other administrations have confronted 24 hour strikes but this was the first 48 hour strike to occur in Chile since the days of Pinochet’s dictatorship.

Union leaders for Chile’s labor union, The Unitary Central for Workers (CUT), who organized and publicized the strike stated, “[t]his will be the biggest national strike of the last decade.”  What began a few months ago, as students’ calling for educational reform, has now segued into a much larger protest against President Sebastian Piñera’s government in general.  Demands for equal and quality education across the nation, government position transitions, pension reforms, healthcare reforms and better labor laws are being made.

The strike began on Wednesday morning with a traditional “caceroleo” or pot-banging in the streets.  Citizens throughout Santiago stood outside their homes, banging pots as a show of support for the protests.  Burning barricades of tires were erected in many of the streets to stop transportation.  Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to dispel crowds of protestors.  Wednesday and Thursday nights saw spikes in violence, bringing looting of stores and gas stations across the city. 

On Friday morning, 16 year old Manuel Gutierrez died from a gunshot wound in the chest that he received during the 48 hour protest.  His brother blames the police and the local news reports that he claims the police fired shots into a crowd of protestors Thursday night.  Chilean police deny that they used firearms at any point during the conflict.

Chilean government ministers estimated the crowds of protestors at 50,000 and stated only 14% of citizens participated by not working.  Union leaders disputed this, saying the government is minimizing the truth.  They place the number of protestors at 600,000 and claim 80% of workers refused to work for those two days.  The Associated Press placed the number of citizens arrested nationwide at 1,400 and injuries at 200, including both citizens and police officers. 

Other protestors have taken to hunger strikes.  About 40 students in schools around Chile are striking in this manner.  One of them, Gloria Negrete was hospitalized and near death after 37 days of hunger striking in an effort to pressure the government into recognizing demands for educational reform. 

Workers at copper mines in Chile are also striking.  At BHP Billiton’s Escondida, the top producing copper mine in the world, workers just ended a two week strike that kept tensions high about maintaining the global supply of copper.  Workers were asking for a more equitable distribution of the profits from the recent copper boom. 

Although Chile’s economy is projected as expanding at 6.6% this year the general populace feels that they are not sharing in the benefits of this prosperity.  The current administration’s maintenance of a policy of fiscal austerity and private sector benefits has spurred this sentiment.  The strong disparities between the wealthy and economically challenged; combined with a middle class that is not expanding or able to move upwards, make reforms appealing.

Piñera’s current approval rating stands at just 26%, the lowest of any Chilean president since the country returned to democracy in 1990.  Since his election, just eighteen months ago, two major reshuffles of his cabinet have occurred.  Both were failed attempts to quell the growing unrest in the nation.

On Friday, Piñera finally made a move towards conciliation, “[a]fter more than three months in which we’ve seen violence and conflict flourish, now is the time for peace, the time for unity, the time for dialogue, the time for agreements.”  In order to foster discussion Piñera reached out to students, teachers, parents and professors; asking them to participate in education reform talk both at Congress and the Presidential Palace. 

Prior to this, Piñera has avoided any direct communications with protestors.  The change in his approach and attitude coincides with his 21-point education reform proposal being sent to Congress.  However, simply considering education reforms might not be sufficient at this point.  Protestor demands have morphed into a call not only for reforms in education but also reforms in healthcare and employment sectors.  As well, a more general call has come out of this movement for a more accessible democracy in Chile and an end to the top-down power structure that currently exists.

No final decision has been made by student protest leaders or union leaders as to how they will respond to Piñera’s overtures.  The Chilean House President and Chilean Senate President, which represent the left and right wing political parties have offered to sponsor talks but both Piñera and protestors remain cautious and neither has formally agreed to this mediation.

For more information, please see;

The Associated Press – Chile Leader Wants Talks; 1 Dead, 1,400 Arrests – 27 August 2011

CNN – 210 Arrested in Chilean Protests, Government Says – 26 August 2011

San Francisco Chronicle – Thousands in Chile Take to Streets Demand Change – 26 August 2011

The Financial Times Limited – Teen Shot in Chile Anti-Piñera Protest Dies – 25 August 2011

Reuters – Looting, Unrest as Chileans Strike Against Piñera  – 25 August 2011

MercoPress – Two-Day Strike Takes Off in Chile with Piñera Increasingly Debilitated – 24 August 2011

MSNBC – Clashes, Disruptions as Strike Begins in Chile – 24 August 2011

The Economist – We Want the World: A Trial of Strength Between Students and the Government – 13 August 2011