South America

Favela Poor Forced Out Of Homes For World Cup and Olympics in Brazil

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil– Preparations for hosting the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics are in full swing.  As the Brazilian government works hard to improve the infrastructures of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro thousands are being forced out of their homes.

Berenice Maria das Neves evicted from her home
Berenice Maria das Neves evicted from her home. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

The communities that are bearing the brunt of these “urbanization” projects are Brazil’s poorest, the favelas.  In Rio de Janeiro, those living in the favelas in the Zona Norte (North Zone) and Zona Oueste (West Zone) are being relocated to make way for new roadways and new buildings.

Berenice Maria das Neves, a resident of one of the favelas leveled in Rio de Janeiro was forced out in late May.  She received a summons in the mail to appear at City Hall and once there was told her house had been condemned.  She was given a check for 8,000 reais (US $5000) as compensation and her home was a pile of rubble before she even returned from City Hall. 

She now faces the challenge of finding a new home, which will be quite the challenge as, “[w]hat use is 8,000 reais?  I’d need at least four times as much to find a house to buy” she says.

Carlos Nuzman, the chairman for the Rio Olympics organizing committee, points to the rehousing programs to justify these forced evictions.  The three programs; “Vila Nova Chocolatão,” “Growth Acceleration Program” and “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” center on the development of housing projects for low income families in the suburbs of the cities but the projects are far from the city center.  Those who do take up residence are forced to live 30 miles or more from where they work.

Human rights groups, monitoring the forced evictions in the favelas, are concerned.  Many express worries that this process is simply a ruse; that Brazil is using the World Cup and Olympics as an excuse to push the poor out of the city centers and free-up land for developers to make profits off of. 

A local councilor, Eliomar Coelho, said, “[t]his is a clear example of how the government treats the poor.  A big opportunity has been missed.  Instead of being better off as a result of the boom, these people will end up worse off.  It’s a complete violation of their human rights.”

Also disturbing, is the growing number of reports that the militia has taken advantage of the relocation situation.  These reports indicate that the militia is forcing newly relocated families out of their low-income houses and then putting the houses up for sale.

 

For more information, please see;

Global Issues –Brazil: More Community Input Needed In Relocation of Favelas – 5 July 2011

Prospect Journal of International Affairs at UCSD – Human Rights Abuses in Brazil’s Favelas in Preparation for World Cup and Olympics: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – July 2011

BBC News – Rio Olympics: Favela Poor Evicted as City Spruced Up – 30 June 2011

The Rio Times – Minha Casa, Minha Vida Phase Two – 21 June 2011

The Rio Times – Favelas Moved for World Cup and Olympics – 10 May 2011

“False Positive” Scandal Leads to Sentencing of Colombian Colonel

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTÁ, Colombia –   The Colombian government has faced public international outcry since 2008 when what has been termed, the “false positives” scandal, first surfaced.  A false positive occurs when the army kills innocent civilians and passes them off as enemy guerilla combatants in order to falsely inflate their kill counts.  A number of recent convictions and indictments of army officials and soldiers are the most recent developments in the “false positives” scandal.

Colombian soldiers lining up bodies of rebel combatants.  (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)
Colombian soldiers lining up bodies of rebel combatants. (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)

On June 29, 2011, eight Colombian soldiers were sentenced for killing four innocent men in the province of Antioquia back in June of 2006.  The four farmers were pulled out of their homes by the soldiers, shot in the back and then the soldiers disguised the bodies by placing guerilla uniforms on them.   All eight soldiers were given 60 years in prison, the maximum sentence, for their participation in the “false positives” slayings.

Major Orlando Arturo Cespedes Escalona was indicted just a week later on July 5, 2011 for the murder of 11 innocent civilians in Sucre.  Back in the summer of 2007, the 11 farmers were offered $426 in order to do some work on a farm but when they showed up they were murdered.  The 11 deaths were falsely reported months later as guerilla fighters who were killed in a skirmish.

Escalona’s commander Colonel Luis Fernando Borja was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the 11 murders in Sucre.  Borja admitted that in 2007 two men were enticed by soldiers from his unit offering paid work opportunities and then killed.  Borja is the most senior official sentenced so far in this scandal which has been linked to almost 1,500 members of the military.

The “false positives” scandal evolved out the body bag culture of the Colombian army where soldiers are rewarded with extra pay, days off and promotions when they kill a high number of rebel combatants.  Currently, there are over 1,400 cases of “false positive” murders being investigated in Colombia. 

For more information please see:

BBC News – Colombian Colonel Sentenced for Faking Civilian Murders – 14 July 2011

BBC News – Colombians Soldiers Jailed for “False Positive” Killings – 6 July 2011

Colombia Reports – 8 Soldiers Convicted of “False Positive” Murders Receive Maximum Sentence – 6 July 2011

Colombia Reports – Army Major Indicted for “False Positive” Killings – 5 July 2011

Colombia Reports – Seven Colombian Military Members Sentenced for “False Positives” – 30 June 2011

Second Brazilian official resigns this month after accusations of corruption

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The transportation minister of Brazil, Alfredo Nascimento, resigned on Wednesday after corruption allegations appeared in the Brazilian news magazine, Veja, earlier that week. According to Veja, Nascimento used his position of power to solicit bribes and transfer payments from federal infrastructure contracts to his own political party.

Alfredo Nascimento denies any wrongdoing. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News).
Alfredo Nascimento denies any wrongdoing. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News).

O Globo, another Brazilian newspaper, also accused Nascimento of using his ties to enrich his son’s construction company which suspiciously grew in wealth from $38,500 to $32 million in only five years. O Globo attributed the rapid growth to contracts the company had reached with public entities, including a contract in particular which was directly tied to his father’s Transportation Ministry.

Nascimento, however, denies the accusations and remains that he has not done anything illegal. Nascimento stated that he hopes to clarify everything on Tuesday when he appears in front of the Senate.  In the meantime, he states that he will remain cooperative with the Attorney General’s investigation, allowing investigators access to all his personal financial data.

Nascimento is the second minister of President Dilma Rousseff’s cabinet to quit this month.  Antonio Palocci, Rousseff’s chief of staff, resigned earlier this month after questions arose over his rapidly increasing wealth.  Palocci also denied any wrongdoing.

President Rousseff’s reaction to these recent scandals has taken both criticism and praise from the public.  Some people are beginning to question her ability to handle her own coalition. Others, however, are praising her willingness to question her own ministers’ spending and believe the departure of the corrupt officials will give her administration a much needed fresh start.

Reports show that both Nascimento and Palocci served in the same post under Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva. Lula’s administration, albeit successful in stimulating the Brazilian economy, was constantly under scrutiny for apparent corruption within the administration.

David Fleischer, a political science professor at Brasilia University, is satisfied with Rousseff’s stance against corruption. “She is gradually reducing the number of Lulalistas that he imposed on her,” he says. “She is branding her own government rather than making this a third term for Lula.”

For more information, please see:

NY Times – 2nd Brazilian Official Quits in Graft Case, Giving New Leader a Chance to Clean House – 9 July 2011

BBC News – Brazil’s transport minister quits in corruption scandal – 7 July 2011

International Business Times – Brazil’s Transport Minister Quits Amidst Corruption Probe – 7 July 2011

National Turk – Brazilian President Aims Fire at Corruption – 4 July 2011

Four Colombian Teachers Murdered

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Four teachers have been murdered in Colombia over the past two months.  On May 15, Dionis Alfredo Sierra Vergara was killed; on May 26 Carlos Julio Gómez was shot.  Freddy Antonio Cuadrado Núñez was murdered on May 27 and Alejandro José Peñata López on June 20.

Protesters hold the bleeding flag of Colombia.  (Photo Courtesy of International Trade Union Confederation)
Protesters hold the bleeding flag of Colombia. (Photo Courtesy of International Trade Union Confederation)

Vergara was shot three times outside of the school at which he taught.  Witnesses said that he was attacked as he stepped outside to take a phone call.  Gómez was injured by gunmen early in the morning on May 26.  He was later taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away three days later on May 29.

Núñez was shot in the head by a hired gunman as he was celebrating his 46th birthday.  López disappeared after leaving the school he taught at.  His body was hung with barbed wire and found days later; it also showed signs of being tortured.

The four teachers were members of the teachers’ unions ADEMACOR (Asociación de Maestros de Córdoba) and SUTEV (Sindicato Único de Trabajadores de la Educación del Valle).  Their murders are the most recent in a long line of trade unionist slayings.  Since December of 2008 there have been 20 teachers murdered in the Department of Córdoba alone.

After the killing of Vergara in early May, Domingo Ayala, president of ADEMACOR,   declared that he was going to make a complaint to the International Criminal Court.  For Ayala, the continuing pattern of unionist killings shows that no deterrent has been provided by Colombia.

The International Trade Union Confederation (“ITUC”) called for immediate government action saying, “[t]he context of almost total impunity for these murders has led to an alarming humanitarian crisis in the education sector and has put teaching and trade union actions at risk, [it] clearly refutes the Colombian governments’ statements in international forums about human rights’ improvements.”

The United Steelworkers also condemned the Colombian government’s lack of action in bringing those responsible to justice.  They expressed outrage that U.S.  representatives are considering passing the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries when the Colombian government is unable to address the brutality against unionists in its own country.

For more information, please see;

Colombia Reports – 17 Murdered Unionists a Grim Record for Colombia: US Union – 30 June 2011

Teacher Solidarity – Two More Teachers Murdered in Colombia – 27 June 2011

Education International – EI Condemns the Murders of More Teachers in Colombia – 26 June 2011

CNN World – Union Group Slams Colombia Over Recent Killings of 2 Teachers – 24 June 2011

Colombia Reports – Teacher’s Murder in North Colombia Sparks Complaint to ICC – 17 May 2011

Students and teachers demand education reform in Chile through organized protests

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile –The Chilean government’s efforts to improve Chile’s deteriorating education system have proved ineffective for some. In response, the Chilean Students Federation and the Teacher’s Association took to the streets once again on Thursday to demand public education.

Student movement rejects government proposal. (Photo Courtesy of National Turk)

Over the past month, more than 200,000 people have participated in organized protests held on the streets of Santiago. Protest organizers claim that such mass protests are necessary to grab the government’s attention and put education reform high up on their agenda.

Education Minister Joaquin Lavin responded to the strike earlier this week by drafting the 75 million USD “Public University Education Revitalizing Fund;” an act which some believe to be a superficial solution to the education crisis. Additionally, Lavin has moved up winter break by 12 days, claiming that the shorter winter break will allow students to make up the class time they have missed while being on strike.

Some protestors, however, are not satisfied with Lavin’s response, claiming that the government’s recent action reflects its inability to solve conflicts. Many are demanding an end to for-profit education fueled by the unstable market. Jaime Gajardo, president of the College of Professors, believes educational policies must be redesigned. “We cannot continue on this path of privatization,” he tells CNN Chile.

Other groups in support of public education include: The Center Labor Federation (“CUT”), the Communist Party, and the Allende Party of Socialism (PSA).

CUT president, Arturo Martinez, defended his position to join the mobilization based on the fact that the high cost of education is being funded by working families.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press — Chile moves up school vacations as protests rage —29 June 2011

Inside Costa Rica — Chile: New National Strike against For-Profit Education — 28 June 2011

Escambray – Deeper Reforms Are Needed, Chilean Students  – 27 June 2011

El Universal — Protestan en Chile 20 mil estudiantes —24 June 2011

CNN — Chileans rally in capital to demand better education policies — 16 June 2011