Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA

CONGCOOP MEMBER RECEIVES THREATS

July 19, 2005

RENE MUÑOZ, a member of the NGO and Cooperatives Coordinating Committee (CONGCOOP), has received a series of threats. According to CONGCOOP, Muñoz has received threatening phone calls since July 1, 2005. He has received these calls at his office, his home, and his relatives’ homes.

In the first of these calls, on July 1, a man called identifying himself as a member of the Chamber of Agriculture, expressing his desire to comment on a paid advertisement published by CONGCOOP that day. He said, “You are shitty liars,” “You are the kind of person who shields himself with anonymity,” “If you were face to face with me, you would already know what is good for you,” “If this were a threat, you would already be dead.”

On July 4, at 10:00 A.M., Muñoz’s wife received a telephone call at their house in which the caller asked, “Is this Mr. Muñoz’s house?” “Is that son of a whore there?” “I’m not joking around, whore.” His wife hung up immediately.

Later that day, Muñoz’s wife received two calls in a row. In the first one, she only heard labored breathing, as of someone who is out of breath after running; and in the second one, there was no response when she answered the phone, but the person stayed on the line.

On July 5, the CONGCOOP office filed a formal complaint to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office (PDH). The PDH offered to present the complaint to the Public Ministry requesting extra security measures, namely police guards around their house and around the CONGCOOP office.

That night, when Muñoz and his family arrived at their house, they found underneath the door sheets of medium-sized paper, some lined and some blank.

On July 6, Muñoz’s family stayed at his in-laws’ home and he went to the office. At 8:30 P.M., they returned home and found that the key did not fit the lock, so they had to climb over the service door to get to the backyard and enter through the backdoor. They examined the front door lock and saw that it had been hit with a pointed instrument that did not allow the key to fit. They closed the door from the inside and added reinforcements to both doors.

On July 11, Muñoz’s in-laws’ house received a call in which a man asked for Muñoz’s wife. When she answered, they told her, “We want that son of a whore dead!”

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

According to CONGCOOP, these events are not isolated. They form part of a climate of insecurity, threats, and actions against social activists. Rene Muñoz, as part of the CONGCOOP team, has actively supported campesino organizations in their fight for access to land and rural development. He also participates in the Intersectoral Committee for Dialogue and Participation for the Formulation of Integral Rural Development Public Policy; the Alliance for Rural Development; and the Indigenous Campesino, Union Leaders, and Popular Movement (MICSP).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or English: Express grave concern at the July threats against Rene Muñoz ;

Call for an immediate and thorough investigation of these threats and acts of intimidation, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice;

Urge the authorities to take immediate measures to ensure the security of Rene Muñoz and his family, in accordance with his own wishes;

Urge the authorities to guarantee the safety of all members of CONGCOOP;

Remind the Guatemalan government that under the Peace Accords, it has the specific responsibility to protect human rights workers. In signing the Peace Accords the government agreed to the following: “The Government of the Republic of Guatemala shall take special measures to protect those persons or entities working in the field of human rights. Furthermore it shall investigate, in a timely and exhuastive manner, any complaint it may receive relating to acts or threats that may be directed at them. The Government of the Republic of Guatemala reiterates the commitment to safeguard and protect effectively the work of individuals and entities engaged in upholding human rights.”

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY TO:

Presidente de la República de Guatemala

Licenciado Óscar Berger Perdomo

Casa Presidencial, 6a. Avenida 4-18, Zona 1

Ciudad de Guatemala

GUATEMALA

Email: presidente@scspr.gob.gt

Salutation: Excelentísimo Sr. Presidente/Dear President

Fax: (502) 2-239-0090

Attorney General

Juan Luis Florido

Fiscal General Fiscalía General del Ministerio Público

8a. Avenida 10-67, Zona 1

Ciudad Guatemala

GUATEMALA

Fax: (502) 2-221-2718

Salutation: Estimado Fiscal General/Dear Sir

Minister of the Interior

Ministro de Gobernación

Carlos Vielman

6a. Avenida 4-64, Zona 4, Nivel 3

Ciudad de Guatemala

GUATEMALA

Fax: (502) 2-362-0239

Email: ministro@mingob.gob.gt

Salutation: Señor Ministro/ Dear Minister

Copy to: Ambassador José Guillermo Castillo

Embassy of Guatemala

2220 R St. NW

Washington DC 20008 Fax: 1 202 745 1908

Tel: 202-745-4952

email: ambassador@guatemala-embassy.org

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