Action Needed TODAY to Free Imprisoned Community Leaders in Guatemala

Action Needed TODAY to Free Imprisoned Community Leaders in Guatemala
Emails/Calls needed before hearing on Thursday, May 27

(Read the following background or skip to the bottom to take action)
May 26, 2010. Coban, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.
www.guatemalasolidarityproject.org
The rural community of Saquimo Setana in Coban, Guatemala is asking for actions in solidarity to free three community leaders who have spent the past month in prison on trumped-up charges.

Oscar Manuel Xol, Jesus Yat and Alvaro Barahona Xol Pop were arrested on charges of stealing land. They have lived on the land they allegedly stole for over 20 years, and even have legal documentation proving they purchased the land communally with other families in 1989.

The authorities are supporting the recent claim to the land by a wealthy land owner who owns at least seven large estates in the area. She has no legal documents supporting her claim. She does have money to pay off government officials, which she has been accused of doing. But it might not take much. The government is already supporting multinational corporations and local elite in a systematic campaign of repression against leaders of the Committee of Peasant Unity (CUC), which the community belongs to.

“We believe that these actions are part of the criminalization and persecution of communities that struggle in defense of their legitimate rights,” CUC announced in a recent statement.

The Judge who issued the arrest warrants, as well as an order to evict the community, was himself arrested two weeks later on suspicion of corruption. This occurred after he ordered the release of several members of the Zetas, the armed branch of a leading Mexican drug cartel with strong ties to the US Army School of the Americas (www.soaw.org) and the Mexican Army. The four Zetas had been arrested after a long, violent confrontation with police that left several dead. The Judge ordered that numerous charges be dropped against the group, and released them on a minimal 5,000 quetzal (approximately $620) fine. Meanwhile the three peasant leaders continue to be in prison without bail. The government’s prosecutor is asking for a multi-year prison sentence.

“The police were wearing plain clothes and were driving unmarked vehicles,” explained Jose Acte, a regional leader with CUC. “The comrades didn’t know if they were being kidnapped or arrested. Now they are being held without bail and without any easy way to get out.”


“My grandchildren want to eat, but their father is imprisoned,” said Rosario Pop, Mother of one of the three arrested leaders. “The government is never supporting us… they are helping the same rich people, and never supporting communities like ours.”

On Friday, May 14, Guatemalan State Prosecutor Sebastian Cucul solicited an investigation into the history of the land to determine the current legal status and owner. Despite this admission of being unsure of who the real owners of the land are, he is still demanding that community leaders be arrested for “stealing” the land. The community has a well established ownership of the land, besides having legal documents they have dozens of houses, communal areas, a church, soccer field, developed land for various crops, even an official school with a government teacher.

TAKE ACTION
Peasant leaders are asking for calls and emails to be made to several officials. The most important is the Judge who will be presiding Thursday’s hearing. The judge’s email address is esay@oj.gov.gt IMPORTANT: PLEASE ALSO CC: solidaridadguatemala@yahoo.com,stuand_wckr@yahoo.com,gobernadoraltaverapaz@gmail.org,fdaltaverapaz@mp.gob.gt,mpcoban@hotmail.com

Below is a sample letter in Spanish, or create your own message. If you do not read Spanish you can still copy and paste the below letter into your email. You need only replace where it says “???NAME???” with your name and where it says “???LOCATION???” with your location and it is ready to send. Below the Spanish letter is the English translation so that you know what you are sending. For more information or to take further action, visit www.guatemalasolidarityproject.com/actions.htm


**

Al Juez Primero de Primera Instancia Penal, Narcoactividad y Delitos Contra el Ambiente de Alta Verapaz, Cobán,

Mi nombre es ???NAME??? y soy de ???LOCATION???. Estoy escribiendo con mucha preocupación sobre el caso de la comunidad Saquimo Setana con No. de expediente 283/2009/938. Me he enterado que los señores Jesus Yat, Álvaro Barahona Xol Pop y Oscar Manuel Xol ya tienen más de un mes en la cárcel a pesar de que las pruebas no son suficientes para seguirlos en detención.

A estos señores se les están acusando de usurpación pero es de conocimiento público que la comunidad ya tiene más de 20 años de vivir en esa localidad y que ellos compraron la tierra con su propia dinero. Hasta que hay una escuela oficial rural mixta reconocida por el estado dentro de la comunidad. El mismo fiscal Sebastian Cucul que está pidiendo la encarcelación de los miembros de la comunidad también está solicitando un estudio para aclarar quienes son realmente los dueños de la comunidad. ¿Por qué no hicieron la investigación primero, antes de detener estos tres señores?

Parece que el fiscal está colaborando con la Sra. Senora Maria Elena Garcia Ical por motivos extrajudiciales. Ella no ha mostrado ningún título ni reclamo legitimo de ese terreno. Aún más, el juez quien ordenó las detenciones ahora está suspendido por varios delitos, incluso que él liberó a un grupo de Zetas quienes son narcotraficantes, terroristas y asesinos pero ordenó la captura injusta de los tres campesinos. Es claro que el juez anterior es parte de la corrupción que muchas veces ha debilitado el sistema judicial de Guatemala. La acción siguiente en el caso, la cual corresponde a Ud. Señor Juez, mostrará ante el mundo si Ud. es honorable o no.

Exijo la libertad inmediata a los tres señores, exijo que retiren los ordenes de captura existentes, exijo que retiren el orden de desalojo y que hagan estudios con base legal y no con base corrupto para aclarar la situación. Los señores no son criminales, son líderes comunitarios que sostienen sus familias y apoyan el desarrollo de su comunidad.

Gracias por su fina atención y espero su acción puntual.

**
My name is ???NAME??? and I am from ???LOCATION???. I am writing with much worry about the cae of the community Saquimo Setana and the expedient # 283/2009/938. I understand that Jesus Yat, Álvaro Barahona Xol Pop andOscar Manuel Xol have been in prison for over a month without sufficent evidence against them.

The men are being accused of having stolen land but the community has lived in their land for over 20 years and bought the land with their own money. There is even an official school recognized by the government in the community. The same prosecutor who is asking for the imprisonment of community members is also soliciting a study to clarify who are the real owners of the community. It’s good that they do an investigation, but why did the capture the men first and do the investigation after?

It appears to me that the prosecutor is colaborating with Mrs. Maria Elena Garcia Ical for reasons that are not legal. She has not demonstrated any land title with her name. Even the same judge who ordered the arrests is now suspended for various crimes. It is clear that the judge is corrupt. He freed a group of Zetas that are drug traffickers, terrorists and murderers but he ordered the capture of the three who are not criminals. Your action, Mr. Judge, will show us if you also are corrupt.

I demand that the three men be freed immidiately, that the arrest warrants be canceled, that the eviction order be cencalled and that legal studies and not corrupt studies be done to clarify the situation. The men are not criminals, they are comunity leaders that want to feed their children and support their neighbors.

Thank you for your attention.