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XAMUPPA member attacked Piura, Peru - North An AMUPPA member was attacked by some employees of the mining company when she collected her child from school.
XHome raided, attempted eviction Cajamarca, Peru - North Maxima Chaupe Acuna reported DINOES circling her land, looking for the Ronderos. Sixty DINOES entered her property and attempted to evict her and her family without any documentation. They demanded to know where the Ronderos had gone. When Maxima Chaupe Acuna explained that they had left at 6am to attend a conference in Celendin, the DINOES proceeded to destroy the Ronderos campsite, burning the materials used. They also killed several of Maxima Chaupe Acuna's animals, including her dog. Whilst detaining her husband and son, Maxima Chaupe Acuna was beaten. The family was physically detained for two hours, and once released they feared to leave their home as the DINOES were still circling their land.
XMurder of leader of landless movement Campos, Brazil Leader of the landless movement in Brazil Cicero Guedes was killed in Rio de Janeiro state. He was shot dead as he was cycling home._x000d_ _x000d_ He was killed near a former sugar plant which members of the landless movement MST have occupied._x000d_ _x000d_ The sugar plant has been at the centre of a long-running legal battle between the landless and the heirs of its deceased owner.
XApproximately 60 armed people prevent the return to their places of origin of about 70 members Tlali Tiyat Council. Totonaca, Mexico Approximately 60 armed people prevent the return to their places of origin of about 70 people members of the Tlali Tiyat Council._x000d_ _x000d_ These people had previously participated in a briefing convened by the mayor and construction company, owned by Grupo Mexico, which aims to build two hydroelectric dams in the region.
XReporter receives death threat from mining entrepreneur Madre de Dios, Peru - South Peruvian journalist Manuel Flores asked Calloquispe personal guarantees in the jungle region of Madre de Dios, after receiving death threats from an entrepreneur dedicated allegedly illegal mining, reported the National Association of Journalists (ANP)._x000d_ _x000d_ Callquispe Manuel Flores is director of the television program 'Face the People' that, in January, the entrepreneur Lino denounced Aquino for asking a concession to extract 'water hole', a popular fruit in the jungle, the Mother of God but in allegedly engaged actually illegal mining._x000d_ _x000d_ An alert issued by the ANP said the reporter received a phone call from Lino Aquino and other communications that say, 'you will die'._x000d_ _x000d_ Also, Manuel Flores inform'o Callosquipe the ANP that mining entrepreneur has offered money to be hit._x000d_ _x000d_ Last year, the journalist was also harassed by Lino Aquino after issuing a report in which a group of people from the town of Aguas Negras denounced the damage arising from illegal mining in their community._x000d_ _x000d_ On these facts, the communicator last February requested personal guarantees to the Ministry of the Interior n the province of Tambopata, Madre de Dios region.
XPrevented from taking photos, insulted and intimidated Cajamarca, Peru - North Maxima Chaupe Acuna was taking photographs with the Laguna as a background, when DINOES (Special Operations Division of the Peruvian National Police) stopped her and forced her to leave the area, stating that 'the Laguna was private property'. Maxima shouted at them, and they told her to 'stop crying'.
XShot by security forces Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West State security forces shot Carmen’s son Franklin Fernandez. The incident occurred when he was travelling to his mother’s house. Two soldiers of ‘del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Defensa’ who were not in uniform tried to arrest Franklin. One of the soldiers tried to grab him and Franklin pushed him away, as he tried to leave the other soldier shot him in the back
XAMUPPA members denounced for usurpation Piura, Peru - North An AMUPPA member was denounced for terrorism and usurpation by Chinese mining company Zijin.
Paola Aquino Gutierrez’ 12 year old daughter was severely beaten by the police. “My 12 year old daughter was beaten Friday – she is still sore physically but more so psychologically,â€
Two women and a girl required medical attention after being sprayed with tear gas and four resistance leaders were arrested.'
XAttack on community Trujillo, Honduras 'On December 7th at 6am, anti-riot police arrived at the roablock in San Jose del Golfo and began tearing down the banners and other installations. They also arrested at least 5 people for supposedly obstructing the road, though the protesters were only blocking the entrance of mining equipment, not other traffic.
Police shot tear gas at the protesters, which included children and men and women of all ages. Several people, including two young girls, were treated for tear gas exposure.'
XDeath threat received by e-mail Honduras, Honduras Juana Dolores Valenzuela received a death threat by email. The subject was titled ''Big Mouth''(barbara lengona) and the message read “because of your big mouth we’re going to kill you one of these days, when are you going to learn some respect…old woman who never learned…you reached old age, bitch with that big mouth your coffin won’t be big enough for your tongue†(por la lengua te vamos a matar un dia de estos, cuando vas a aprender a respetar .... vieja que nunca aprendiste ..llegaste a vieja, hija de la gran puta con la lengua que no te va a ajustar el ataud para tu lengua). The email was sent at 2.30pm, and opened at 4pm._x000d_ _x000d_ That morning Juana had appeared on a state TV program of channel 8 talking with the president of mining commission of the congress about open pit mining, illegal logging exploitation and hydroelectricity dams. On the program she mentioned names of people who are responsible for environmental destruction.
... We will show that we are people who are not swayed by those damn, that we are not afraid, and that their cameras and we are not afraid bullshit .... He was approaching the journalists who were covering and documenting activity, threatened them and rebuked them:
'... We respect human rights, but we find these damn insulting us with their cameras ... Part of queers, hollow ...'
('…vamos a demostrar que somos gente que no se deja arrastrar por esos malditos, que no les tenemos miedo, y que sus cámaras y sus pendejadas no les tenemos miedo….
Se fue acercando a los comunicadores que cubrÃan y documentaban la actividad, les amenazó y les increpó:
'…respetamos los derechos humanos pero nos encontramos a estos malditos insultándonos con sus cámaras … Partida de maricones, huecos…')
He continued to insult both the women and men protesters with offensive remarks.He then confronted one female protester shouting at her in a threatening manner. '
XExcellon Resources, Inc. and members of the company-supported Frente Union use force to destroy and burn temporary housing of protestors outside the La Platosa mine La Sierrita, Mexico ' On October 24, 2012. At 6:30 am, around 180 members of the Mining Union Don Napoleón Gómez Sada (Gómez Sada Union) forcefully destroyed the camp which landowners of the Ejido La Sierrita and workers from the Local 309 of the National Mining Union have maintained outside the La Platosa mine for the last three months. The mine is operated by Canadian mining company Excellon Resources, Inc. The camp is located on private property of a third party with the explicit consent of the third-party landowners. No part of the camp is located on Excellon or Ejido property.
Protestors and local press present at the camp this morning report that members of the Gómez Sada Union arrived in six buses, including a bus adorned with the logo of Excellon Resources, Inc. They were armed with sticks and rocks. The majority of Gómez Sada Union members arrived from the neighboring state Zacatecas. Protestors report that Robert Moore, Chief Operating Officer of Excellon Resources, Inc., directly participated in the action against the landowners, pulling down the fence that the landowners had set up to protect their camp. The Gómez Sada Union then moved in with heavy machinery and immediately began to destroy and burn down the protesters’ temporary housing. Several members of this group threatened the landowners stating, “We have orders to remove you, even if there is violence or death, just as happened in Coahuila.†The protestors made repeated requests to federal and state officials to stop the aggressors but federal and local officials present took no action to stop the intervention.'
XTwo people shot and killed Chihuahua, Mexico Ismael Solorio Urrutia and Manuela SolÃs Contreras were shot and killed
XAttacked and beaten Chihuahua, Mexico The husband and son of Manuela SolÃs Contreras were attacked and beaten.
XSeveral threats Sand Creek community, Honduras On 27th September 2012, Karla Yadira Zelaya received several threatening messages warning her to keep her mouth shut.
XDetained and beaten by the police Sand Creek community, Honduras On the 21st Sept 2012 Karla Yadira Zelaya was among the 28 farmers detained, beaten and had their photos taken by the Police.
XAMUPPA members attacked with stones Piura, Peru - North On the 16 September 2012, two AMUPPA members were chased and had stones thrown at them as they were walking on the road to attend a community meeting.
XPROTESTORS THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE La Sierrita, Mexico According to the protesters, members of the Mexican army arrived at the protest camp outside La Platosa mine in La Sierrita, Durango state in northwest Mexico on 7 September, and threatened to violently remove them. An officer reportedly said: “Dismantle your encampment or you will get seriously beaten, we have orders from above to get you out of here, you have a few days only, if not we will come back with all full force†(“Levanten su campamento si no les vamos a madrear, traemos ordenes de arriba para sacarlos, tienen unos dÃas si no vamos a regresar con todoâ€). Many of the protestors at the encampment, are women and children
XMexican army and police use force to break up community's protest La Sierrita, Mexico 'On August 29, 2012, around 100 elements of federal and state police and the Mexican army used force to break through the peaceful protest taking place in front of the La Platosa mine, owned by a subsidiary of Excellon Resources, Inc. The protest consists of 100 men, women and children who are members of the community (Ejido) La Sierrita and workers of the Local 309 of the National Mining Union. Authorities took action in order to re-open the road to the mine and permit workers to enter the facilities.
Agents of the Federal and State Prosecutor’s Offices, without any documentation, insisted that the incursion was due to the express request of the Federal Department of Labor to retake the mine facilities.'
XLandowners threatened by Excellon Resources La Sierrita, Mexico 'On July 11, 2012, Excellon Resources, Inc., a Canadian mining company, threatened landowners of the Ejido ''La Sierrita'' (Ejido) and their adviser, Project on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ProDESC), with criminal proceedings and judicial action in response to the landowners' peaceful blockade of the company's La Platosa mine. On July 8, 2012, more than seventy landowners of the Ejido located in the municipality of Tlahualilo, Durango, decided to carry out a peaceful blockade of the La Platosa mine.
XMurder and assault by unidentified assailants Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West On June 23rd 2012, men wearing balaclavas took Carmen’s two sons Alexander Fernandez and Jose Luis Fernandez at gunpoint from their home in the middle of the night. The gunmen tried to take Alexander’s wife, but after pleading that she was pregnant and had children in the house, they left her. The sons were led one kilometre away. Alexander had his eye gouged out with a wire and then they were both shot. No arrests were made.
XStaff member of Peruvian Ombudsman beaten Cajamarca, Peru - North In the evening of June 21st Amparo Abanto alongside Genoveva Gómez went to the police station to inquire about seven persons who were detained during a protest in one of Cajamarca’s central squares. The lawyers were taken to a room in the back of the station. When they heard that the detained persons were being beaten inside this room, Gómez and Abanto, together with a representative from Cajamarca’s Association of Lawyers, tried to stop the police. Both lawyers were immediately grabbed by their hair and beaten and harassed by a dozen police officers inside the station, until they were thrown out of the building.
XAMUPPA member beaten Piura, Peru - North An AMUPPA member was beaten and received a death as a result of her continued opposition against the mine.
XMayor detained Espinar, Ecuador Espinar's mayor, Oscar Mollohuanca, was detained on 30 May inside the municipal building by at least 30 police officers, who showed no arrest warrant and gave no reason for detaining him. They took him to a police station at the Tintaya Marquiri mining camp for a few hours and then took him by helicopter to the provincial capital, Cuzco. The next evening, he was transferred to the northern region of Ica, where his case will now be heard, after a change of jurisdiction.
XHome raided by police at 5am Luluncoto, Ecuador Two months following the arrests, police special groups raided the family houses at 5am of the detainees.
XThreatened by a message to her daughter's friend Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West Carmen’s daughter, Ana, was told by a friend “you’ve been sent a message. Carmen must take care. She is next.â€
XTwo dead in protest against Savia company Sechura, Peru - North Some 3,000 people protested for a second day against the project company Punta Lagunas Savia, blocking the bridge. Clashes in the city of Sechura very early began yesterday between villagers and police, which records two people dead ._x000d_ _x000d_ Christian Alvarado is FrÃas (25) died after being hit by a bullet in the back and exit to the height of the abdomen, leaving two children orphaned. The death of this person was confirmed by the head of the Health Center, Lourdes Espinoza, according to some witnesses stated that the victim became unconscious and severe state, ceasing to exist in that establishment._x000d_ _x000d_ The second serious Luis Garcia Guerrero died 21 years of Lambayeque Jayanca natural Parachique recently committed leaves a one month old who died in hospital in the city of Piura.
XCharges without evidence Luluncoto, Ecuador The interior minister and then the prosecution charged them as being part of a subversive group 'Groupo de Combatientes Populares' and claims that they have been preparing a serious violent acts, they arerelated to the explosions of bomb pamphleteering in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, which had occurred between 17 and 22 November 2011, and speaks of 'threatening state security'.
XDetained by police during a meeting and accused of 'terrorism' Luluncoto, Ecuador 'On the 3rd March 2012 10 young activists were arrested accused of terrorism. Prior to the March 'Plurinational for Water, Lifer and the Dignity of the People.' A meeting was held, The meeting was to address issues of social and political situation relating to the demonstration that the next day would be called Plurinational Run for Water Life and Dignity of the People, organized by indigenous groups against Government and in which these leaders also participate.The Minstry of Interior of Ecuador mounted an operation to capture those who 'planned to destabilize the government,' For two hours, according to the testimony of Fadua Tapia they were forced to lie face down. After she was taken to a women's prison where she was held for 9 months.
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XDetained by police for no good reason Cajamarca, Peru - North 'Dr. Mirtha Vasquez was intercepted by the Police when driving in Cajarmarca. It was alleged that her car plates (BGZ-108) were involved in an armed robbery in Lima on March 27th 2006. Her car was taken to a police station and she had to travel to Lima (over 800km away) to clarify the facts. As she has never taken the car to Lima, it is likely to be a case of duplicated plates. Dr Mirtha Vasquez was held for over 6 hours. Dr. Mirtha Vasquez had made previous allegations against the now former National Director of the Police, Raul Salazar, and several police chiefs regarding abuse of authority, misuse of force and torture in the conflict of the Yanacocha and Conga mining projects. In addition Dr Mirtha Vasquez had just returned from a hearing at the Comission on Human Rights in Washington DC, where she denounced the agreement between mining companies and the national police.
XArrested without warrant Oaxaca, Mexico On 22 February 2012, at approximately 3:30 pm, Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez was arrested by officials of the Attorney General's office in the municipality of Santa MarÃá Xadani, Istmo de Tehuantepec in Oaxaca. At the time of her arrest she was with lawyer Ms Maribel González Pedro, who is also a member of the Assembly as they were leaving a meeting with the Comisión Federal de Electricidad – CFF (Federal Electricity Commission). The police officials reportedly did not have an arrest warrant nor did they inform her of the reason for her arrest. She was held incommunicado for four hours before being taken to Tehuantepec prison to face charges of illegally detaining CFF staff. On 23 February Lucila Bettina Cruz Velázquez appeared before a judge who ordered her release on bail. She was not, however, released until after midnight.
XFour threats Sand Creek community, Honduras On the 21st October 2012 Karla Yadira Zelaya received four messages. The first stated that ´you are tiring me, does it not fear you to die bitch I´m going to kill you´. The second message warned ´look, don’t get into what does not concern you because you already know what happens to people who get involved, bitch with your bratly lids they are going to find you´ “Ya me estas cansando no te miedo morir perra te voy a matarâ€, “ mira no te metas en lo que no te importa porque ya sabes le pasa ala gente metida perra con las tapas moscosas te van a allarâ€
XRepeated surveillance Sand Creek community, Honduras Florinda Rodriguez continues to be watched by those suspected of kidnapping her.
XName on a death list Honduras, Honduras On February 13, an anonymous source told Esly Banega, that she and Vitalino Alvarez were on a death list that includes 25 leaders in the region.
XA series of death threats La Toma, Colombia A series of death threats because of opposition to a mining project
XSeveral death threats Honduras, Honduras During December Berta Caceres and her family received several messages containing death threats.
XShot and wounded Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West In December 2011, Carmen’s son Joseph was shot and wounded, which has led him to live with a colostomy bag attached to his body.
XArrested without good cause Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West In 2009 Carmen’s son Alexander Fernandez was arrested and imprisoned alongside Yukpa leader Sabino Romero for the alleged killing of three Yukpa. After eighteen months, both men were released after the prosecutors failed to provide any evidence to their accusations.
All the events related to human rights in those areas of Latin America where we have contacts are recorded here, with emphasis on women, mining and indigenous peoples.
Hover the cursor over the incident to view more detail; or click on the Lambda symbol to open a corresponding web article.
Description
Link
Assault (Piura, Peru - North; 11:2:2013)
AMUPPA member attacked
Serious assault (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 30:1:2013)
Home raided, attempted eviction
Murder (Campos, Brazil; 26:1:2013)
Murder of leader of landless movement
Intimidation (Totonaca, Mexico; 26:1:2013)
Approximately 60 armed people prevent the return to their places of origin of about 70 members Tlali Tiyat Council.
Intimidation (Curvaradó, Colombia; 22:1:2013)
Two men on motorbikes were looking for a woman activist
Non-specific threat (Madre de Dios, Peru - South; 12:1:2013)
Reporter receives death threat from mining entrepreneur
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 30:12:2012)
Prevented from taking photos, insulted and intimidated
Serious assault (Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela - West; 28:12:2012)
Shot by security forces
False allegation (Piura, Peru - North; 14:12:2012)
Excellon Resources, Inc. and members of the company-supported Frente Union use force to destroy and burn temporary housing of protestors outside the La Platosa mine
Murder (Chihuahua, Mexico; 22:10:2012)
Two people shot and killed
Assault (Chihuahua, Mexico; 13:10:2012)
Attacked and beaten
Non-specific threat (Sand Creek community, Honduras; 27:9:2012)
Several threats
Detention (Sand Creek community, Honduras; 21:9:2012)
Detained and beaten by the police
Assault (Piura, Peru - North; 16:9:2012)
AMUPPA members attacked with stones
Specific threat (La Sierrita, Mexico; 7:9:2012)
PROTESTORS THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE
Eviction (La Sierrita, Mexico; 29:8:2012)
Mexican army and police use force to break up community's protest
