Co-Madres is an organization formed in 1978 to help mothers locate their children and other family members who were disappeared before and during the war, which began at the end of 1979 and ended in 1992 with the signing of the Peace Accords. It was Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador, who advised and encouraged the women to form a committee to look for the disappeared. At first they met in churches because at that time meetings were not allowed.
We met with Alicia, the sole surviving founder of Co-Madres. Alicia's 12 year old son and 2 of her brothers were disappeared in 1978. Her youngest son was killed in 1993-after the Peace Accords were signed-because he was documenting cases of the disappeared.
Co-Madres began by looking for clandestine cemeteries and digging up bodies and sending them to forensic labs for identification. However, that task was made difficult and sometimes impossible because of the condition of the bodies. Men with women's heads in their bellies and vice-versa were found. In some cases they found bones that were really white and others with some flesh still on the bones. It was evident that many people who were found hanging from bridges were actually killed elsewhere and hung from the bridge to make it appear as though they had committed suicide.
In 1983 the mothers began to wear black dresses and white scarves as they marched to demand that the government take responsibility for and stop the deaths and disappearances. Because of this and their continuing documentation of abuses, the women were arrested and tortured.
When Alicia began describing how someone was tortured, I thought she was talking about torture in general. She wasn't. She was telling what had actually happened to her. Though I've heard many stories like hers, I'm always amazed at how the tortured survive and are able to have optimism.
Alicia was tortured for 2 days. She was blindfolded during the entire interrogation. She heard the noises of several machines which sounded like bones were being cut and ground. "You're next," was what she was told. A plastic bag with lime in it was put over her head, and when she gasped for air the bag was removed and the process began again. She said she tried to pray the Lord's Prayer but couldn't. For hours she was placed on a bed with no mattress but with electrified metal coils. Her body was wrapped with an electrified metal chain. She was put in a pila with electrified water which caused her to bounce from wall to wall. She was deprived of sleep. The day she was released she was pushed from a moving car-naked and still blindfolded-onto the pavement. Fortunately she was found by some kind men who helped her get home in a taxi. Alicia said she has never lost faith and hope.
Although 80,000 people have been killed and 86,000 disappeared, no one has been punished for these crimes. El Salvador passed an amnesty law which gave impunity to the guilty. Co-Madres asked the Supreme Court to abolish the amnesty law, but it hasn't taken any action. This year the mothers will have a chance to present their case formally to the Court.
After 25 years of pressure the U.N. finally passed a convention to protect people from abduction. Thus far, 75 countries have signed the convention; El Salvador has not.
The Memorial to Truth is a wall in Cuscatlan Park in the center of San Salvador filled with the names of those killed or disappeared beginning in 1979. There are also blank plaques on which more names are added as they are identified. On March 15 at 2:00 p.m. new plaques will be unveiled by the committee.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Prosecution Appeals Definitive Liberty of Suchitoto 13
The following report comes from U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities.
Prosecution Appeals Definitive Liberty of Suchitoto 13; Seeks to Resume Trial for Public Disorder and Aggravated Damages
March 6, 2008
The Prosecuting Attorney's have appealed the decision by a court in Suchitoto to grant definitive liberty to the 13 people captured on the 2nd of July 2007 in Suchitoto. Last Tuesday February 27th the Prosecution presented an appeal to the Suchitoto Court system, asking to re-open the trial for public disorder and aggravated damages against the Suchitoto 13. The Suchitoto 13 were cleared of all charges in a Suchitoto court on February 19th, in a decision that Salvadoran Human Rights Ombudsman Oscar Luna classified as "based on justice and ruled by principles of legality."
The seven page appeal document presented by the Prosecuting Attorneys argues that Suchitoto Judge José Mauricio Henriquez who oversaw the case misinterpreted the Penal Processing Law, and did not follow procedures established by that law when the Prosecution failed to arrive to the courthouse on time for the preliminary hearing of February 19th, 2008. According to the Prosecution, the hearing should have been rescheduled for a later date.
In addition, the appeal questions the observations made in a written resolution of February 26th by Judge Henriquez, and later reiterated by Ombudsman Luna, that the Prosecution did not act responsibly and thoroughly during the investigation of the Suchitoto 13 case. In his decision, Judge Henriquez detailed shortcomings in the investigation ranging from the Police's failure to preserve the scene of the alleged crime, inconsistent interview procedures of witnesses by the Prosecution, and the Prosecutions´ failure to present the proper documents to the court on time.
The Prosecutions´ appeal goes on to claim that the Suchitoto Judge violated the rights of the alleged victims of public disorder and aggravated damages by refusing to orally hear the Prosecutions´ case on the day of the preliminarily hearing. The Prosecution also alleges "subjectivity, partiality, lack of critical analysis, and lack of sane application of criteria" by the Judge, citing the 19 page document Judge Henriquez issued last week.
Yesterday, the Defense Lawyers for the Suchitoto 13 presented their own arguments in defense of the decision of the Suchitoto Court. The defense cited the resolutions´ respect for the rule of law and due process, its objectivity, impartiality, and the application of the right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
In addition, the Defense Lawyers dispute the Prosecution's right to appeal due to their claim that the Prosecution never presented charges, written or spoken, to the Court Suchitoto. Citing the arguments made by Judge Henriquez, the Defense claims that the appeal is invalid, because there were never any charges filed to merit an appeal. The Prosecution maintains that documents that they presented to the Special Tribunal for acts of terrorism in San Salvador should be applicable in the ordinary penal courts as well.
The Prosecutions´ appeal will be reviewed by two Judges in Cojutepeque, who must come to an agreement within 10 weekdays about whether or not to reopen the case. If they decide in favor of the decision by the Justice of the Peace in Suchitoto, the case will be closed. If they decide to approve the Prosecutions appeal, the case will be reopened, and a preliminary trial will again be held, this time in the second appeals court of Suchitoto. If the two Judges cannot reach consent, a third Judge will be asked intervene in the decision.
-- US-El Salvador Sister CitiesP.O. Box 2543Plattsburgh, NY 12901(800) 532-1993, ext.103http://us.f814.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=sistercities@gmail.comhttp://www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/
Prosecution Appeals Definitive Liberty of Suchitoto 13; Seeks to Resume Trial for Public Disorder and Aggravated Damages
March 6, 2008
The Prosecuting Attorney's have appealed the decision by a court in Suchitoto to grant definitive liberty to the 13 people captured on the 2nd of July 2007 in Suchitoto. Last Tuesday February 27th the Prosecution presented an appeal to the Suchitoto Court system, asking to re-open the trial for public disorder and aggravated damages against the Suchitoto 13. The Suchitoto 13 were cleared of all charges in a Suchitoto court on February 19th, in a decision that Salvadoran Human Rights Ombudsman Oscar Luna classified as "based on justice and ruled by principles of legality."
The seven page appeal document presented by the Prosecuting Attorneys argues that Suchitoto Judge José Mauricio Henriquez who oversaw the case misinterpreted the Penal Processing Law, and did not follow procedures established by that law when the Prosecution failed to arrive to the courthouse on time for the preliminary hearing of February 19th, 2008. According to the Prosecution, the hearing should have been rescheduled for a later date.
In addition, the appeal questions the observations made in a written resolution of February 26th by Judge Henriquez, and later reiterated by Ombudsman Luna, that the Prosecution did not act responsibly and thoroughly during the investigation of the Suchitoto 13 case. In his decision, Judge Henriquez detailed shortcomings in the investigation ranging from the Police's failure to preserve the scene of the alleged crime, inconsistent interview procedures of witnesses by the Prosecution, and the Prosecutions´ failure to present the proper documents to the court on time.
The Prosecutions´ appeal goes on to claim that the Suchitoto Judge violated the rights of the alleged victims of public disorder and aggravated damages by refusing to orally hear the Prosecutions´ case on the day of the preliminarily hearing. The Prosecution also alleges "subjectivity, partiality, lack of critical analysis, and lack of sane application of criteria" by the Judge, citing the 19 page document Judge Henriquez issued last week.
Yesterday, the Defense Lawyers for the Suchitoto 13 presented their own arguments in defense of the decision of the Suchitoto Court. The defense cited the resolutions´ respect for the rule of law and due process, its objectivity, impartiality, and the application of the right to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
In addition, the Defense Lawyers dispute the Prosecution's right to appeal due to their claim that the Prosecution never presented charges, written or spoken, to the Court Suchitoto. Citing the arguments made by Judge Henriquez, the Defense claims that the appeal is invalid, because there were never any charges filed to merit an appeal. The Prosecution maintains that documents that they presented to the Special Tribunal for acts of terrorism in San Salvador should be applicable in the ordinary penal courts as well.
The Prosecutions´ appeal will be reviewed by two Judges in Cojutepeque, who must come to an agreement within 10 weekdays about whether or not to reopen the case. If they decide in favor of the decision by the Justice of the Peace in Suchitoto, the case will be closed. If they decide to approve the Prosecutions appeal, the case will be reopened, and a preliminary trial will again be held, this time in the second appeals court of Suchitoto. If the two Judges cannot reach consent, a third Judge will be asked intervene in the decision.
-- US-El Salvador Sister CitiesP.O. Box 2543Plattsburgh, NY 12901(800) 532-1993, ext.103http://us.f814.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=sistercities@gmail.comhttp://www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org/
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Fair Trade Delegation
For the past week I have been part of a U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Fair Trade delegation. We visited our sister communities as well as the coffee processing plant for coffee grown in the department of Chaletenango and met with the leaders of CORDES (Association for the Cooperation and Communal Development of El Salvador).
Others taking part in the delegation were Karen Volkhausen of Bangor, Maine/Carasque; Joan Laurion of Madison, Wisconsin/Arcatao; and Libby Pappalardo of Crystal Lake, Illinois/Chilama. Although Meredith DeFrancesco, of Maine radio station WERU, wasn't an official part of this delegation, we did meet with the staff of Radio Sumpul which is sistered with WERU. The main goals of this delegation were to learn what the various cooperatives in our sister communities are doing and ways in which we might help them market their products.
Others taking part in the delegation were Karen Volkhausen of Bangor, Maine/Carasque; Joan Laurion of Madison, Wisconsin/Arcatao; and Libby Pappalardo of Crystal Lake, Illinois/Chilama. Although Meredith DeFrancesco, of Maine radio station WERU, wasn't an official part of this delegation, we did meet with the staff of Radio Sumpul which is sistered with WERU. The main goals of this delegation were to learn what the various cooperatives in our sister communities are doing and ways in which we might help them market their products.
In Carasque and in Arcatao we met with the community councils and representatives of various cooperatives in those communities. Most of the cooperatives make items for sale in the U.S., Spain, and other countries as well as in El Salvador. The cooperatives are formed around a particular interest or art form such as sewing and embroidery, crochet, jewelry, wood crafts and music. Both men and women are members of these coops.
One women's cooperative in Carasque is especially interesting. With the assistance of Oxfam, the women began a savings and loan group. Each person in the group of 12-20 saves $2.00 per month. This may seem like a small amount, but when you consider that the average wage in El Salvador is $150 per month and many earn much less, it is a considerable amount. The group meets monthly, and anyone who is late for a meeting must pay a fine. The group not only saves money; they also grant loans with 1% interest. The idea for this came from a desire to own a business but lacking money to start. The community decided it would be better to form their own bank than to go outside the community.
Chilama has been part of Sister Cities for a much shorter time than Carasque and Arcatao. As a result, they lack the infrasturcture of those two communities. However, they have cooperated in a seed/road building project. After receiving $2,000 to purchase seeds from their Sister City, Friends of Chilama, in McHenry County, Illinois, the community decided to give money for seeds and fertilizer to those who worked on building a road from the top of the mountain to their community by the river. Those who were unable to work on the road because of age or ill-health would be given a portion of the crop. The crops were planted and harvested, the road is almost completed, and everyone has beans and corn to eat this year.
Both Carasque and Arcatao have received considerable financial aid from the governments of Spain and Canada. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the United States funded development projects in these and other very rural communities rather than a highway across northern El Salvador which benefits only the maquillas, which treat their employees as slaves, and the mining companies, which destroy the environment?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
