[Peace-discuss] Fwd: don't reinstate military aid to Guatemala

[pfmueth at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu]

for those of you head south particularly

>Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 11:40:33 -0400
>From: InterReligious Task Force on Central America <irtf at igc.org>
>X-Accept-Language: en
>Subject: don't reinstate military aid to Guatemala
>Bcc:
>
>www.nisgua.org
>DON'T LIFT BAN ON MILILTARY AID TO GUATEMALA
>
>The U.S. cannot justify lifting the ban
>on military aid, in the form of international military training (IMET) and
>foreign military financing (FMF), until the Guatemalan government ensures
>the safety of its human rights defenders and implements key
>components of the Peace Accords.
>
>YOUR ACTION REQUESTED:
>For any federal legislator, contact them via the Capitol Switchboard:
>202.224.3121
>
>IMET: International Military Education and Training
>FMF: Foreign Military Financing
>
>Dear Friend,
>NISGUA would like to thank all of you who have emailed, called, written, or
>faxed their Senator regarding the ban on IMET (International Military
>Education and Training) to Guatemala.   We
>thought a decision would be made on IMET in June, but now it looks like it
>may not be up on the schedule until July.  Please keep contacting your
>Senator!!
>
>You may have noticed a drastic and frightening increase in threats, attacks,
>and murders in Guatemala over the last few months.  These intimidations
>against human rights defenders have occurred despite conditions placed on
>international aid to move forward with the Peace Accords process. 
>NISGUA (Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala)  is
>extremely concerned that the situation could worsen if the ban on military
>aid is lifted.  Your support is more critical than ever!
>
>While it is still very important to contact all Congressional members, the
>Senate Foreign Operations Sub-Committee will actually be making the 
>decision and so should be the target of our lobbying.  I have 
>attached the contact list for those members on the Sub-Committee.
>
>Below is the newly updated Urgent Action to Maintain the Ban on IMET to
>Guatemala.  NISGUA will continue to release this action every Monday until a
>decision is made.  For those of you who have participated—keep it going! For
>those of you who haven’t had the chance—there is still time!
>
>If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at 202-518-7638 or
>nisgua at igc.org
>www.nisgua.org
>
>Thank you so much!
>Carrie Ferrence
>National Organizer
>
>
>------------------
>
>URGENT ACTION:
>Say NO! to IMET for Guatemala
>
>In February 2002, the United States government pledged up to $110 million in
>financial support for the implementation of the Peace Accords, with the
>stipulation that Guatemala improve its human rights record, among other
>demands.  Since then Guatemalan civil society has witnessed a frightening
>increase in human rights abuses, reminiscent of the 1980’s.
>
>In a statement after the February Consultative Group meeting, the United
>States government expressed concern that “progress on substantive Accords
>has been uneven and that the pace of implementation on many fronts has
>fallen short of plans and expectations
In fact, the role of the military in
>domestic affairs has continued to grow, as has the defense budget, in direct
>violation of the Peace Accords.  We are disappointed the Presidential
>Military Guard (EMP) has not begun to demobilize and continues to receive a
>substantial budget and wield significant influence within the Presidency
We
>are dismayed at the steady rise in intimidating threats and attacks
>perpetrated on human rights activists, journalists, judges and prosecutors,
>which are directly undermining Peace.”
>
>The recent attacks, threats, intimidations, and murders have made a mockery
>of the conditions placed on international aid by the United States and other
>countries.  Organizations in Guatemala and abroad are deeply concerned that
>if the ban on military aid, in the form of extended IMET (International
>Military Education and Training) and FMF (Foreign Military Financing), is
>lifted, the human rights situation will deteriorate even more rapidly, which
>would effectively put an end to the Peace Accords process.
>
>Recent Attacks
>A clandestine organization with apparent links to the army high command
>faxed a death threat to several of Guatemala’s most prominent human rights
>organizations on June 7th.  The letter listed 11 human rights activists and
>journalists as enemigos a la patria (enemies of the state) and said they
>would soon be killed. Those listed include: Clara Arenas, Miguel Angel
>Albizurez, Miguel Angel Sandoval, Nery Rodenas, Frank La Rue, Mario Polanco,
>Helen Mack, Abner Guoz, Marielos Monzon, Ronaldo Robles, and Rosa Maria
>Bolanos.  These are activists and journalists who have played a critical
>role in efforts to prosecute former military leaders for human rights
>abuses, including ‘disappearances’ and massacres of Guatemala’s indigenous
>people, during Guatemala’s civil war.
>
>The June 7 fax was signed ‘Guatemaltecos de Verdad’ (True Guatemalans) and
>described those named above as enemigos a la patria (enemies of the state),
>and said they would soon be killed. It accused those named, and the
>organizations they work for, of damaging Guatemala’s image abroad through
>their work. It said that local human rights groups “are led by people who
>put their own ambitions before the interests of the country... This was
>clear with the visit to Guatemala of Hina Jilani (the UN Special
>Representative to the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders), whose
>feet they kissed and whom they let walk all over them”.
>
>The letter continued by saying that “the list of the country’s enemies is
>long and if the lies they told to that old lady Jilani have an effect on the
>country, the wankers will pay for it with their blood.” It said that those
>named above would be ‘los primeros en sentir el sabor del acero de nuestras
>balas’ (the first to experience the taste of the steel of our bullets). The
>message said that, until now, it had been possible to restrain someone
>within the Military Chiefs of Staff, referred to as ‘Captain Nova’, from
>acting against them but “these bastards have not learned their lesson and so
>he (Captain Nova) and his men should take action”.
>
>There have been many other threats and attacks in recent months, including
>the murder of Guillermo Ovalle, of the Rigoberta Menchu Foundation; the
>persecution of several members of forensic anthropology teams, which have
>provided invaluable scientific research in regards to studying remains and
>locating clandestine cemeteries; the religious attacks in Nebaj, Quiché; the
>threats against bishop Álvaro Ramazzini, father Rigoberto Pérez and other
>priests working in areas affected by the past internal armed conflict and
>the current agriculture crisis; break-ins into offices of organizations
>promoting human rights, in which equipment and information have been stolen;
>the abduction of a member of CONAVIGUA; and the threats against members of
>the ADIVIMA, two of whom are also key witnesses in the genocide cases
>against ex-dictators Efraín Rios Montt and Romeo Lucas Garcia.
>
>Background
>Guatemala has not yet made the substantive reforms necessary to justify a
>removal of the ban on US military aid in the form of international military
>training (IMET) and foreign military financing (FMF).  This ban has been in
>place since 1990 following the assassination of US innkeeper Michael Devine.
>It was modified after the 1996 signing of the Guatemalan Peace Accords to
>permit the Guatemalan military to attend expanded-IMET courses, which cover
>subjects such as civil-military relations, military justice, defense
>resource management, and democracy.   The ban remains a useful source of
>leverage to advance military reforms agreed upon by the Guatemalan state in
>the Peace Accords.
>
>Guatemala’s President Portillo initially made promising statements regarding
>military reforms and human rights, but has not fulfilled his promises. The
>best way to urge him to match deeds to words is to show him that Guatemala
>matters to the international community.
>Status of Military Reforms
>According to a recent report by MINUGUA, the UN mission established in
>Guatemala to verify the Peace Accords, central elements of the Peace Accords
>regarding the armed forces have not yet been fully implemented. Key
>commitments of the Peace Accords and the Clarification Commission’s
>recommendations regarding the armed forces that remain unfulfilled are:
>
>·       De-militarize: While the military budget for 2001 met Peace Accords
>standards, additional alterations resulted in an 85% increase by the end of
>the year.  The Guatemalan government must keep its 2002 budget within
>approved limits.
>·       Disband the Presidential General Staff (EMP), which was to 
>be dismantled
>immediately, continues to operate and to be implicated in serious human
>rights abuses
>·       Comply with the Clarification Commission’s recommendations: MINUGUA
>reports document the army’s lack of cooperation in civilian attempts to
>investigate and prosecute human rights cases, such as the ‘secret military
>archive’ death list; the illegal involvement of military intelligence in
>criminal investigations
>·       Install civilian Minister of Defense
>
>Who to Contact:
>Your member of Congress, especially if they are on the Foreign Operations
>Sub-Committee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee! You can 
>visit <http://thomas.loc.gov>http://thomas.loc.gov or call 
>202-224-3121 to
>find your Senator contact information.
>
>Foreign Operations Sub-Committee: Leahy (VT), Inouye (HI), Harkin (IA),
>Mikulski (MD), Durbin (IL), Johnson (SD),  Landrieu (LA), Reed (RI),
>McConnell (KY), Specter (PA), Gregg (NH), Shelby (AL), Bennett (UT),
>Campbell (CO), Bond (MO)
>
>Talking Points:
>Despite stipulations placed on U.S. financial assistance for the
>implementation of the Peace Accords, the human rights situation has
>deteriorated drastically.  There has been a startling increase in attacks,
>threats, intimidations and murders.  The U.S. cannot justify lifting the ban
>on military aid, in the form of international military training (IMET) and
>foreign military financing (FMF), until the Guatemalan government ensures
>the safety of its human rights defenders and implements the following key
>components of the Peace Accords:
>
>·       De-militarization
>·       Disbanding the Presidential General Staff (EMP)
>·       Cooperation with judicial investigations
>·       Compliance with the Clarification Commission’s recommendations
>·       Installation of civilian Minister of Defense
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