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Archives: April 2009
COLOMBIA: STOP THE CANADA-COLUMBIA FTA
Dear friends:
The Canadian Parliament is about to consider ratification of a “free trade” agreement with Colombia. The text of the agreement is nearly identical to the US-Colombia trade agreement and would have the same kinds of disastrous consequences for millions of Colombians.
We in the Mingas collective are in the midst of a campaign to convince the Canadian Parliament to reject the agreement. The Mingas collective is a group of individuals from across the United States, Canada and Colombia who are concerned with promoting sovereignty and economic development, strengthening democracy and improving labor conditions in Colombia. We are integrated within the Hemispheric Social Alliance and are active in North America, where we work in coordination with the Washington-based Alliance for Responsible Trade.
We are united in our support for social movements and our rejection of terrorism, kidnappings, extortion and all acts of violence that have plagued Colombia. We are also unanimous in our rejection of the Canadian-Colombia free trade agreement and the entire neoliberal model of economic (mis)development.
We are especially concerned that the Colombian government is trying to pull off this deal with Canada as a form of moral and political blessing for the Uribe administration, so as to improve its chances of getting the US-Colombia FTA approved.
HUNDREDS CALL ON CANADIAN LIBERALS TO REJECT COLOMBIA TRADE DEAL IN ADVANCE OF PARTY CONVENTION IN VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER, April 27, 2009 – Civil society organizations and individuals from across the Americas and Europe are calling on Canadian parliamentarians to halt the ratification of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. MINGAS-FTA, a transnational coalition of individuals, academics and organizations opposed to agreements like the Canada-Colombia FTA, faxed today a letter with over 400 signatures to the offices of more than a dozen Liberal Members of Parliament in advance of the Liberal Party Convention to be held in Vancouver later this week. The letter arrives as groups from diverse sectors plan demonstrations for the May 1 convention.
“The idea is to apply pressure on the Liberal Party in particular,” says Micheál Ó Tuathail, a member of MINGAS-FTA based in Vancouver. “Liberal politicians have flip-flopped between supporting and condemning the Colombian regime, one of the most brutal violators of human rights in the world. What the Liberals do on this issue will define their new leader’s vision for Canada, whether they will meaningfully stand by the Canadian values they once helped to promote and project in the world.”
The MINGAS-FTA letter states that the Colombian government is attempting to use Canada’s international reputation as political leverage in its failed attempts to influence US Congressional members to pass the US-Colombia FTA, stalled primarily due to human rights concerns.
It also urges politicians to stand by the recommendations of the Canadian Parliament’s Standing Committee on International Trade, which last year called for an independent human rights assessment and recommended that Canada not sign the agreement with Colombia.
In Colombia, human rights defenders and labour activists are persecuted and murdered with impunity. As US Congressional representatives have noted in a recent written statement to US President Barack Obama, “More than 460 unionists have been murdered in Colombia since President Álvaro Uribe took office in August 2002, including 49 in 2008 alone. This is a twenty-five percent increase from 2007, even as Colombia faced high levels of scrutiny related to the FTA."
On March 26, 2009, Canada’s Conservative government tabled legislation that would ratify the free trade agreement. The MINGAS-FTA argues that the Canada-Colombia FTA is not intended to benefit the average Canadian; rather, the Harper government is attempting to push the agreement silently through Parliament in order to provide President Uribe with the moral and political blessing he needs to address a backlog of numerous stalled agreements with other countries.
“We are joining with labour, indigenous and ethnic organizations, social movements, and literally thousands of average people from across North America, Europe and Colombia calling for an end to these so-called agreements made entirely behind closed doors,” says Ó Tuathail. “How is it that Canada is now running to the defense of the criminal regime in Colombia? Does this reflect the views and interests of average Canadians?”
To date, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have fiercely opposed the Canada-Colombia FTA.
To see the MINGAS-FTA letter and signatories, please see: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-way-canada-colombia-fta/index.html
For more information, please contact:
Micheál Ó Tuathail, Mingas-FTA
778.990.2602
maidc.otuathail@gmail.com
Vancouver, BC
Angelica Quesada, Mingas-FTA
780.952.2668
mangeliques@gmail.com
Edmonton, AB
Raul Fernandez,
Social Sciences Professor, Mingas-FTA
University of California, Irvine
949.824.5272
rafernan@uci.edu
Irvine, CA
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About MINGAS-FTA
MINGAS-FTA (www.mingas.info) is a group of individuals from across the United States, Canada and Colombia who are concerned with promoting sovereignty and economic development, strengthening democracy and improving labour conditions in Colombia. The organization is integrated within the Hemispheric Social Alliance, a coalition of social movement organizations across the Americas, and is active in North America, where it works in coordination with the Washington-based Alliance for Responsible Trade.
Members of MINGAS-FTA are united in their support for social movements and rejection of terrorism, kidnappings, extortion and all acts of violence that have plagued Colombia. They are also unanimous in their rejection of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement and similar agreements and the neoliberal model of economic development.
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Across the Americas
P.O. Box 268733 <-- new
Chicago, IL 60626-8733
773-938-1036 (phone and fax)
http://www.acrosstheamericas.org
info@acrosstheamericas.org
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A NON-VIOLENT RESPONSE TO TERRORISM
Responses by:
Michael Braeuninger, American Red Cross (International Services)
Tarah Demant, Amnesty International USA (Missouri Area Coordinator)
Kristin Bulin, Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma
How do we relate with individuals and countries that believe differently that we do? How do we deal with our so-called enemies? Is torture morally acceptable? How do we respond to terrorism?
Fr. Louie will explore alternatives to our current policies of killing and torturing terrorists, thereby inciting others to join terrorist organizations. He discusses how nonviolence can be used as a much more effective response to terrorism. He will also make connections to torture and the movement to stop torture training at Ft. Huachuca and the SOA/WHINSEC.
Read an article about Fr. Louie: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-protest-priest9-2009apr09,0,3156274.story
Media Alert - 23 Arrested 4.13 http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2009/RELEASEntsARREST.pdf
Media Alert - 14 Arrested 4.10 http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2009/CREECHafbARRESTS.pdf
Fr. Louis Vitale, ofm - LVRJ http://www.lvrj.com/news/42869327.html
Vigil at Creech AFB http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2009/ground_the_drones.htm
Predators & Reapers http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2009/predators_reapers.htm
Sacred Peace Walk April 6-13 2009 http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/programs/2009/peacewalk.htm
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IMMERSION EXPERIENCES THIS SPRING AND SUMMER
Travel to Latin America with Witness for Peace in 2009
Open doors to education and empowerment. At this dynamic time for Latin America and the United States, travel with Witness for Peace in 2009. Your "witness" - the true stories about the people you meet on a Witness for Peace delegation - will have the power to touch others and transform policy.
Read about the following exciting upcoming delegations. These are just a sampling of our 2009 travel opportunities. Join us!
COLOMBIA
July 13 - 23, 2009 Colombia: Meet Colombian Communities Resisting Repression
This delegation takes participants into Colombia's rainforest to meet with peace communities whose traditional small-scale farming is being threatened by agribusiness. During this trip you will meet with farmers resisting palm plantations, learn about the hidden story behind bio-diesel, stand with peace communities threatened by violence and hear about the role of U.S. policy and the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement.
August 10 - 20, 2009 Colombia: Bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Human Rights and Military Repression
Travel to Colombia's Pacific coast, home to large Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations as well as Colombia's largest port, to understand the impact of Colombia's war on the civilian population, the role of U.S. military aid and the potential impact of the pending U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement. On this delegation you will learn about Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities struggle for territory, culture and environment; meet with communities organizing in resistance to current military and free trade policies; speak with a wide range of Colombians including community leaders, displaced persons, and human rights defenders all while learning how to educate and advocate to U.S. citizens and policymakers.
CUBA
Be part of WFP's successful return to Cuba.
Witness for Peace is consulting with Marazul Charters, Inc., a licensed travel service provider, on a number of research trips that allow U.S. citizens to legally travel to Cuba. The first trip in March for full-time healthcare professionals was an outstanding success. You can read a press report on the trip here.
June 28, 2009 - July 07, 2009 Cuba: Research Delegation-Professional Organizers
Travel to Cuba to learn how the country engages its citizens in civic participation. Most Cubans belong to some sort of organization: the popular councils, committees in defense of the revolution (CDRs), unions, the national federation of women, youth organizations, community gardens, agricultural cooperatives, etc. Each participant must be able to qualify under a general license; we will facilitate this process with you. To qualify for the professional organizers trip, you must be working as a full-time organizer. Only you can determine if the work you do constitutes full-time work (paid or unpaid). Please make sure that your resume reflects the work you do.
July 18, 2009 - July 28, 2009 Cuba: Research Delegation-Professional Educators
Witness for Peace invites full-time professional educators to travel to Cuba to research the country's urban and rural education system. Participants will meet with students, teachers, education officials and others to learn about the Cuban educational system. To qualify for the professional educators trip, you must be working as a full-time education professional. Only you can determine if the work you do constitutes full-time work (paid or unpaid). Please make sure that your resume reflects the work you do.
MEXICO
May 20, 2009 - May 31, 2009 Mexico: Migrant Trail Walk
Since NAFTA was passed in 1994, two million Mexican corn farmers have been put out of work by this free trade agreement. At the same time, over one third of the new jobs that were created by NAFTA in Mexico have disappeared. Immigration to the U.S. has almost doubled since the passage of NAFTA. On this delegation, participants will trace the migrant journey from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca to the desert and borderland of northern Mexico and southern Arizona. Delegates will examine the economic factors behind migration in Oaxaca, and then travel to northern Mexico to meet with migrants who are preparing to cross into the U.S. and to learn about U.S. border enforcement policy.
Beth Poteet
Organizer, Witness for Peace Northwest
503.287.7847
wfpnw@witnessforpeace.org
NICARAGUA
June 27-July 7, 2009 - The Children: Casualties of the War Against the Poor
Free Trade Agreements are part of the neoliberal model that encourages countries to produce for export rather than for their own consumption. Under this model, impoverished countries like Nicaragua are forced to use their "comparative advantage" to compete against large economies like the United States, leading to further exploitation of the poor majority, increased migration, and food insecurity. On this delegations, participants will explore how U.S. economic policies contribute to poverty in the hemisphere's second poorest country, experience the daily joys and fears with a family during the home stay in a country struggling to survive and compete in the global economy, dialogue with a wide range of rural and urban activists & experts working for social justice, learn about alternative sustainable development and fair trade practices, discover what it means to a child to work in the "informal sector", and develop grassroots strategies for change.
July 13, 2009 - July 27, 2009 Inter-Cultural Teen Delegation to Nicaragua
Here is an opportunity to experience the reality of Central American rural living, work on a community project, live with a Nicaraguan family and receive training in how to be a teenager for social change. You will share the life of a Nicaraguan family, living and working side by side with their Nicaraguan families, a moving experience. You will have a unique opportunity to meet with community leaders, visit schools and health centers and celebrate with local communities. We will also visit the beautiful beaches, lakes and mountains of Nicaragua.
COLOMBIA
Colombia: Failed U.S. Drug Policy in Colombia
August 09, 2009 - August 19, 2009
Total Cost: $1,450 plus air to Colombia
Total due: July 01, 2009
Deposit: $150
Deposit due: June 20, 2009
Click here to apply for this trip.
Colombia has endured four decades of brutal armed conflict between leftist guerrilla movements, right-wing paramilitary death squads, and the national army, all of whom violate human rights. The U.S. government has provided Colombia with over $5 billion in mostly military and police aid since 2000 for the “War on Drugs” and the “War on Terrorism.” During that time the violence has increased - with more than four million people displaced from their homes and thousands of civilians killed every year. Meanwhile, drug production in the Andean region has remained steady.
Participate in this delegation:
· Meet with a wide range of experts to gain a better understanding of the impact of U.S. policy in Colombia.
· Meet with Colombian community leaders, peasant farmers, human rights workers, and government officials from the U.S. and Colombia.
· Visit civilian communities affected by U.S. military aid and counter-narcotics efforts.
· Gather knowledge and skills needed to educate U.S. policymakers
For more information about this delegation, please contact:
Delegation Coordinator
Sanho Tree
202-234-9382
stree@igc.org
Delegation Coordinator
Travis Wheeler
202-546-7010
twheeler@lawg.org
Witness for Peace
3628 12th Street NE. 1st Fl.,
Washington, DC 20017
202.547.6112 - 202.536.4708
witness@witnessforpeace.org
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IMMIGRATION: Reform in the 111th Congress - Immigration Policy Updates
As you are probably aware, the DREAM ACT (H.R. 1751/ S. 729) was re-introduced on March 26 this year. In the Senate, there are 20 sponsors. Senator McCaskill is not one of them! Please contact her today and urge her to show that she really does support education for all our children as she so claims.
For more information, including easy to use links to contacting your legislators, go to:
http://www.immigrationforum.org/policy/legislation/the-dream-act-in-the-111th-congress
There is a link at the bottom of the page for emailing your legislators about the DREAM ACT.
You well know that passage of the DREAM ACT at the national level means that Missouri will not be able to ban undocumented immigrant students from Missouri from receiving their higher education.
It will only take two minutes to act today!
The Dream Act is a small step toward immigration reform. On March 26, 2009, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act), S.729. A nearly identical bill (H.R. 1751) was introduced in the House by Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). The DREAM Act permits certain immigrant students who have grown up in the United States to adjust to temporary legal status and eventually obtain permanent resident status provided that they attend college or enter the U.S. military. This bill would apply to students in public and private schools, including Catholic schools. The premise of DREAM is that immigrant youth should not be hindered from working towards a more promising future solely because they were brought to the United States by their parents at a young age without legal status. DREAM seeks to provide these students a fair chance to earn citizenship and to contribute to the country they call home.
IMMIGRATION REFORM IN THE 111TH CONGRESS
Principles of Immigration Reform
As the Administration and Congress prepare to begin debating immigration reform, we urge that the following principles guide our policymakers:
Immigration reform must promote economic opportunity. We must renew our commitment to helping all low-income Americans improve their job prospects and move up the economic ladder towards the American Dream. Opponents of reform try to pit the needs of native-born workers against immigrants, but our vision of reform is that a rising tide lifts all boats. Immigrants and citizens working shoulder to shoulder, with the same labor protections, access to programs and services, due process, and faith in a system that works for them and their families, is our vision for a stronger America.
Immigration reform must be comprehensive. Comprehensive immigration reform would recommit our country to being both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. Unless we reform the broken immigration system as a whole, we will fail to solve the problems at hand. The necessary components of reform include: (1) improving the economic situation of all workers in the United States;
(2) legalizing the status of undocumented immigrants working and living in the United States; (3) reforming visa programs to keep families together, protecting
workers’ rights, and ensuring that future immigration is regulated and controlled rather than illegal and chaotic; (4) implementing smart, effective enforcement measures targeted at the worst violators of immigration and labor laws; (5) prioritizing immigrant integration into our communities and country; and (6) respecting the due process rights of all in the United States.
Long-term reform requires long term solutions. We acknowledge that the factors shaping immigration are not just domestic, and that the issue transcends our borders. As such, how we as a country approach our relationships with other nations matters. We must deal with the domestic aspect of this issue, and work in partnership with other countries over time to develop long-term strategies that improve the economic conditions in regions that supply large numbers of economic migrants. Responsible and accountable approaches in this regard, coupled with improving skills and opportunities for our domestic workforce, will improve the economic outlook for all our communities. A reform package that works for all communities and families in America should include the following:
A rational and humane approach to the undocumented population. We must address the more than twelve million undocumented immigrants living in this country by creating a rigorous registration process that leads to lawful permanent resident status and eventual citizenship. Undocumented immigrants working and living in the United States must be counted through a registration program that includes reasonable submission to background checks, paying an appropriate fine, paying taxes, and studying English. Undocumented immigrants who satisfy
those requirements must be permitted to apply for lawful permanent status leading to citizenship.
Protect U.S. and immigrant workers. Immigration reform is a component of building real economic security, contributing to a shared prosperity agenda that maintains and improves wages and working conditions in the United States and in other countries. Specifically, we must protect all workers’ right to organize and bargain collectively, and provide occupational safety and health and anti-discrimination protections to workers regardless of whether they were born in the United States or abroad. This will ensure that immigration policies do not depress wages and working conditions or create incentives for unscrupulous employers to operate outside the legal system. Additionally, any employment verification system should determine employment authorization accurately and efficiently while protecting workers and good-faith employers. The system should minimize workplace disruptions, prevent discrimination and contain sufficient due process and privacy protections.
Allocate sufficient visas to close unlawful migration channels. One of the great failures of our current employment-based immigration system is that the level of legal immigration is set arbitrarily by Congress—as a product of political compromise—without regard to real labor market needs. This failure has contributed to the development of an unregulated, but highly integrated North American labor market. The resulting extra-legal migration channels have
created a shadow economy that has allowed unscrupulous employers to manipulate the system to the detriment of workers and reputable employers alike. In order to close these unlawful migration channels, the allocation of employment visas to such workers should be depoliticized and placed in the hands of an independent commission that can assess labor shortages and determine the number and characteristics of foreign workers to be admitted, with Congress'
approval.
Enhance our nation's security and safety. A sensible enforcement strategy will keep America safe, protect due process and human rights, make the most effective use of the tools and policies already available in a fair and reasonable manner, and be fiscally responsible. Such a strategy would prioritize enforcement actions to target genuine threats, including the prosecution and removal of violent individuals who pose a threat to public safety; the prosecution of unscrupulous employers who are exploiting vulnerable workers to enhance their competitive advantage; the elimination of trafficking and drug smuggling operations that profit from human exploitation; and the prevention of exploitation of the immigration system by those who seek to do the country harm. This strategy, however, must be coupled with vigorous enforcement of civil rights and labor and employment laws. While the use of detention may be necessary in some cases, it should be used as a last resort, and Congress and the Administration must ensure that all detainees are treated safely and humanely by mandating the creation of enforceable detention standards. An effective and sensible immigration enforcement strategy should not include continued use of local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law, indiscriminate worksite and neighborhood immigration raids, and blanket detention policies.
Establish a strategic border enforcement policy that reflects American values. A border strategy that prioritizes the safety and security of border communities, and consults with these communities in the process, is the best way to ensure that our border policies protect our national security. We must create comprehensive border solutions that balance enforcement with
economic development and human and civil rights along the border. Border enforcement requires clear accountability mechanisms, such as a Border Enforcement Review Commission to ensure that the rights of border residents and immigrants are protected and that enforcement measures are fiscally responsible.
Keep American families together. Our outdated family immigration channels, which keep close family members separated for decades, must be reformed to restore our commitment to promoting family unity. Those stuck in endless “backlogs” should have their admission expedited, and those admitted on work visas should be able to keep their nuclear families intact.
Promote immigrant integration. The federal government must help new immigrants learn our language and laws, ensure equal opportunity for immigrants to participate in programs and services, and support state and local governments’ efforts to help integrate these new Americans. The continued decline in funding for English and civics classes undermines the important goal of immigrant integration.
Protect fundamental rights for all. The Constitution guarantees due process for all people in this country. Our government, however, has not fulfilled that guarantee in its treatment of immigrants. Congress must restore basic civil liberties for all individuals in this country and renew our commitment to core American values of fairness and justice.
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COMING EVENTS and CREATIVE ACTION IDEAS
MAY 1-2, 2009 Human Rights Conference at Webster University
ST. LOUIS, April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A conference on "American Exceptionalism" and human rights will feature U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (OH, 10th Dist.) and International Criminal Court Judge Hans Peter Kaul, among other distinguished leaders in international human rights, May 1 and 2, at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.
The topic is timely since recently the Obama administration released four Bush-era memos regarding interrogation techniques of torture of suspected al Qaeda members. As a result, the ongoing discussion heats up over the diminished U.S. ideal of itself as the global beacon for democracy and human rights while at the same time condoning the use of torture.
"This conference will specifically addresses the topic of American leadership, past and future, with respect to international human rights," said David Carl Wilson, dean, Webster University College of Arts and Sciences. "We are focusing on the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council because the US currently does not participate in either of these international bodies. I am looking forward to a lively discussion and am excited about the incredible level of participation we have, including Congressman Kucinich, the Hon. Hans Peter Kaul and several accomplished human rights scholars and lawyers from prestigious institutions across the U.S. and around the world."
The two-day conference will explore the American influence on -- and resistance -- to the International Criminal Court and United Nations' Human Rights Council, as well as other issues of global leadership in human rights.
It will be held Friday, May 1 in Webster University's Emerson Library Conference Room at 101 Edgar Road, Webster Groves, Mo., from noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, May 2 in Eden Seminary's Schroer Commons (adjacent to the University) at 475 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, Mo., from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The conference is free except for a $10 fee for lunch on Saturday. RSVP by calling 314-968-6997 or logging on to: www.webster.edu/depts/artsci/news/Exceptionalism.htm
The conference will feature formal remarks by Kucinich and Kaul, as well as Bruna Molina, former UN secretary of the Commission on Human Rights and secretary of the War Crimes Commission on Rwanda; and Rashida Manjoo, South African human rights lawyer, an Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow at Harvard Law School and Webster University's current E. Desmond Lee Professor of Global Awareness, among others.
The conference is the culminating event for Webster's 2008-2009 "Year of International Human Rights," which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a series of community events and academic study focusing on human rights. The conference is sponsored by Webster University, the College of Arts & Sciences, the E. Desmond Lee Professorship in Global Awareness and the United Nations Association of St. Louis.
SOURCE Webster University -- Saint Louis Campus
Thursday, May 14
4:00-5:30 p.m.
Ritenour Central Office 2420 Woodson Road (63114)
Regional Forum for English Language Learner (ELL) Professionals and Community Resources
Have a resource to offer? Looking for help with an immigrant student you are working with? Have students from many different countries in your school?
Work with a program that serves immigrant youth and families? Join this new roundtable designed to bring together community resources to support the education of immigrant students.
RSVP to Nikki Weinstein at 314-622-1250 x102 Or nikkiw@focus-stl.org
Refreshments provided
Human rights Institute for High School Seniors June 8-19, 2009
www.webster.edu/hrep
Creation Story May 16
Creation Story:
Forming a New Ecological Consciousness
Presenter: Sharon Zayac, OP
Sharon has a master’s degree in Earth Literacy and is the director of Jubilee Farm, her congregation’s sustainable center for ecology and spirituality outside Springfield, Illinois. In 2001, Sharon was one of 10 women recognized by Lifetime Television for making a difference in their communities – in her case, for work on ecological issues.
Saturday, May 16
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Maria Center
320 East Ripa Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63125
Cost: $8 ($10 at the door)
Checks payable to School Sisters of Notre Dame.
Send to Paulette Zimmerman, SSND,at above address by May 9.
For information or directions: 314.633.7009 or
pzimmerman@ssnd-sl.org
Drinks provided. Please bring a bag lunch and mug
or reusable water container.
My Heart is Always Shaking: Afghan Women Refugees in St. Louis will be produced at St. Louis University Theater beginning May 22, 2009. We are producing this play because we feel that St. Louisans should know more about the plight of women in Afghanistan. Nearly 1500 immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan live in our community.
The situation in Afghanistan has been extremely oppressive for women, it seems attacks, and atrocities are escalating. By way of information, I am sending you two recent articles that reflect "life as usual" in Afghanistan and demonstrate the level of disrespect there is for human life by the Taliban.
By reading these articles, one begins to appreciate the trauma and courage women from Afghanistan must have to flee and come to an entirely different and unfamiliar place to gain freedom. Please read these articles and share with others who have interest in women’s rights.
Uprising of Hope May 30
Calling all dreamers, creators, builders, survivors, strivers, protectors, risk-takers, peacemakers, justice-shapers, earth healers. Come to a feast for your spirit. Come to AN UPRISING OF HOPE: A concert featuring a choir of approximately 100 women from the St. Louis area singing songs of inspiration, commitment and celebration by Carolyn McDade and under her direction.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
7-9 p.m.
St. Louis University Busch Student Center
Grand & Laclede
St. Louis, MO
(parking in garage on Laclede, west of Grand Blvd)
No charge, but free will offerings will be donated to Marian Middle School.
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GUATEMALA: UPDATE
JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
1. Wave of Violence Hits Guatemala
The past two weeks have witnessed an unusual level of violence in Guatemala, including a spate of murders of bus drivers. President Colom has attributed the rise in insecurity to a plot to destabilize the government, while some speculate that recent activity in the struggle against clandestine structures may be producing a backlash among those who wish to avoid justice. An overview of factors affecting Guatemala's security crisis is available here. http://www.nisgua.org/news_analysis/index.asp?id=3368
Particularly disturbing is the kidnapping of the wife of the Human Rights Ombudsman. Gladys Monterroso, a lawyer, was kidnapped and reportedly abused while held for 13 hours. The day before, the Human Rights Ombudsman had released evidence uncovered in the police archives linking officials to wartime human rights violations. Click here to take action in Ms. Monterroso's kidnapping case. http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/Gladys
2.Declassified U.S. and Guatemalan Government Documents to Bolster Cases of Genocide, Forced Disappearances
Recently declassified U.S. government documents received by the National Security Archive are promising to bolster ground-breaking human rights cases. Key files have been submitted to the Spanish court system to be used as evidence in the Guatemala genocide case. Meanwhile,both U.S. and Guatemalan archives recently facilitated the arrest of police officers in a long-dormant case of forced disappearance.
One illuminating element is that these documents demonstrate that the U.S. government knew that U.S.-backed Guatemalan security forces were behind the disappearances of student and labor leaders.
TRADE AND GLOBALIZATION
1. Members of Maya Youth Movement Die in Tragic Accident
Francisco Vásquez Sambrano and Leonardo Lux Hernández, members of the Maya Youth Movement"MOJOMAYAS" from the community of Santa Avelina, died after being struck by a truck transporting cement for the Palo Viejo Hydro-electric Company. Santa Avelina and neighboring communities decided to block the road and demand that the Palo Viejo Hydro-electric Company immediately depart from the Ixil Maya territory. Read on here. http://www.nisgua.org/themes_campaigns/index.asp?id=3349 The government's response has been to militarize the area by sending police and army combined forces. This act is part of a pattern of militarization in rural areas, notably in areas where there is organized opposition to large-scale dams and other mega-projects.
2. BBC Reports on Health Issues and Human Rights Concerns at the Marlin Mine
Two recent BBC reports detail health, social, and environmental concerns related to Goldcorp's Marlin Mine. The first article, available here, describes the outbreak of skin infections among the local population. In a follow-up piece, "Canada gold mine worries grow," reporter Bill Law reports on the withdrawal of a major player from the mine's Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA). In pulling out of the process, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, one of Canada's biggest unions, declared, "We have been especially concerned about the lack of free and informed prior consent of the communities in regards to the HRIA, and that the interests of Goldcorp are being put before the interests of the local people." Read on here. http://www.nisgua.org/themes_campaigns/index.asp?id=3366
NISGUA SEEKS HUMAN RIGHTSOBSERVERS
Support Guatemalans organizing in defense of their rights! Accompaniers work as human rights observers, providing an international presence to community groups and leaders ina variety of contexts, including precedent-setting genocide cases and local opposition to mega-projects. Our next training will be held in July 2009 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The application deadline is May 29,2009. For more information and an application, please visit www.nisgua.org/get_involved/join_gap
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President Obama Visits Mexico
From Witness for Peace:
We know from our experience in Colombia that military solutions to drug-related violence do not work, yet the U.S. government recently doubled funding for the Mexican military's war on drugs. (see article below)
This Thursday President Obama will make his first state visit to Mexico. The escalating violence in Mexico is being used as an excuse for further U.S. military aid, and our partners in Mexico are worried about the increasing human rights violations committed by Mexican military and special police forces in the name of the war on drugs.
The media coverage of his Mexico visit provides us with an important opportunity to set the record straight on what Mexico really needs to reduce drug-related violence.
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IMMIGRATION IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
Yesterday (4/9/09), the New York Times reported that the Obama Administration intends to "begin addressing" our nation's broken immigration system this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html?_r=1
Yet only a day later, the White House appears to be stepping back, (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/09/obama.immigration/index.html)promising only to look at immigration reform sometime during President Obama's first term.
We know this is a thorny issue. However, with migrant deaths on the rise, (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/991081.html) countless families divided, organized crime exploiting vulnerable undocumented migrants journeying north, and 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. living in the shadows, President Obama needs to be encouraged to stand firm and act NOW.
Call or email President Obama today! Tell the President to support comprehensive immigration reform, humane border policy, and a new approach to Mexico that recognizes our country's "shared responsibility" for violence plaguing Mexico.
We must seize this moment when we truly have the power to shape policies that are just and humane for all. Take a moment to forward this e-mail to friends and colleagues.
Thanks for all that you do to bring justice to Mexico and the Borderlands.
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To call the White House comment line, dial 202-456-1111
(note: Don't be surprised if this line is busy. If so, just try again in a few minutes! You're bound to get through.)
To email the White House , http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
Sample email or phone script:
Hi, my name is ___ and I'm from ____. I'm calling (or writing) to encourage President Obama to stand firm in his commitment to move immigration reform forward during his first year in office. Mr. Obama can count on me and millions like me to support efforts to fix our broken immigration system, reunite long-divided families and bring millions of our undocumented neighbors out of the shadows. In the long-term, I urge Mr. Obama to work collaboratively with sending countries, like Mexico, to promote development and create jobs so that migrants don't have to uproot themselves, but can remain in their home communities and support their families. Thank you.
Of course - feel free to personalize!
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COLOMBIA: DAYS OF PRAYER AND ACTION APRIL 19-20 http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/625/t/8560/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26923
Here's what you and your community can do:
--Ask your church/congregation/community to pray for peace in Colombia on Sunday, April 19th. Witness for Peace, a longtime LAWG (Latin America Working Group) partner, has put together a Faith Community Action Packet that has all the resources you'll need to hold a meaningful prayer service. If your faith leader agrees to set aside time for Colombia, send Travis an email at twheeler@lawg.org with the name and location of your church so he can post it to the list on www.peaceincolombia.org
--Host a doll-making party in March. On April 20th, people in a half-dozen cities will creatively and publicly present 4,000 paper cut-out dolls to their congressional reps. Each doll represents 1,000 of Colombia's four million internally displaced persons. Check out an easy-to-follow guide for hosting a doll-making party. If there's an action planned in your city, your dolls should be used there; if not, you can send them to Travis and he'll make sure they are presented to State Department officials in Washington, DC.
--Send the "Change Colombia Can Believe In" postcard to President Obama. The postcards can be used either for the Day of Prayer or the Day of Action. It's a quick and easy way to get our message of change through to President Obama. Email Travis at twheeler@lawg.org to request postcards for your church, doll-making party, or action on April 20th.
--Participate in the Day of Action on Monday, April 20th. Find out if there's an action planned in your city and get involved; if there isn't, it's not too late to start planning. Contact Travis at twheeler@lawg.org to find out how to get the ball rolling.
Last year, more than 300 churches and thousands of activists across the United States showed their solidarity with Colombia by participating in Days of Prayer and Action. This year, with Colombia's churches and victims of violence still under threat, we must stand by them again as they call for peace, justice, and basic human rights.
Now is also a good time to schedule a meeting with your congressional reps. while their home on recess April 6th through 17th. You can find your representative's contact information at www.house.gov and your senators' at www.senate.gov If you're participating in Days of Prayer and Action, this would also be the perfect time to present the dolls representing Colombia's displaced to your congressional reps.
Don't miss these opportunities to educate your communities, congressional reps, and President Obama and together we will achieve change Colombia can believe in!
Fore more information on Days of Prayer and Action, please visit our website or www.peaceincolombia.org
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LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Jim McGovern of MA will reintroduce the bill (HR1707 in last session) calling for an a suspension of operations at the SOA/ WHINSEC, an investigation of the school, and an assessment of U.S. foreign military training at the WHINSEC/School of the Americas. Three of our local Representative have co-sponsored in the past.
Please take the time to call the D.C. office of your Representative by calling the Capitol Hill Switchboard (202-224-3121). Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant and here is a suggested message for you to convey:
"As a constituent living in _________, I am calling Congressman/woman ________ to urge him/her to contact Rep. McGovern and ask to be an original cosponsor of the Latin America Military Training Review act of 2009, formerly HR 1707 in the 110th Congress. This legislation will be introduced in early March. The bill is identical to HR 1707and would suspend operations at the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, and investigate the history of human rights abuses and failed policies of the institution.
New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two more countries that have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Despite demands by Congress to have oversight over the curriculum and promote human rights, the Pentagon is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.
I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that your boss be added as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I hope you will represent my views and support this bill."
Background
SOA: soaw.org
About the School of the Americas / Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
The US Army School of Americas (SOA), based in Fort Benning, Georgia, trains Latin American security personnel in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. SOA graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians. (See Grads in the News).
In an attempt to deflect public criticism and disassociate the school from its dubious reputation, the SOA was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001. The name change was a result of a Department of Defense proposal included in the Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal 2001, at a time when SOA opponents were poised to win a congressional vote on legislation that would have dismantled the school. The name-change measure passed when the House of Representatives defeated a bi-partisan amendment to close the SOA and conduct a congressional investigation by a narrow ten-vote margin. (See Talking Points, Critique of New School, Vote Roll Call.)
In a media interview, Georgia Senator and SOA supporter the late Paul Coverdell characterized the DOD proposal as a "cosmetic" change that would ensure that the SOA could continue its mission and operation. Critics of the SOA concur.
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President Obama at V Summit of the Americas: A New Course for the U.S. and the Americas
President Obama is getting ready to travel to the Summit of the Americas this coming weekend, where we hope he will send the message that the United States is ready to be a better neighbor. But a change in tone, while important and truly needed, just isn't enough.
We need you to make your voice heard today!
Send an email to President Obama encouraging him to back up positive words with positive actions and new policies that represent our values and unite us with our neighbors (yes, we're talking about ending the Cuba travel ban).
If you'd prefer to leave the President a voicemail, you can reach the White House Comment Line at 202-456-1111. Here's a sample message, just in case you get "stage fright" (it happens to the best of us):
Mr. President, I am calling to ask you to use your speech at the Summit of the Americas to signal that a new day in U.S.-Latin American relations has dawned. It's important for you to commit the United States to immigration reform, reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion, and standing with human rights defenders when they're threatened. It would also be heartening to hear you own up to our "shared responsibility" for drug-related violence in Latin America, just as your secretary of state did in Mexico--and back that with funding for drug treatment here in the United States and aid for justice, not war, in Latin America. But right now, I also want to hear that you are ready to end the ban on travel to Cuba and restore the constitutional right to travel for ALL Americans. It's time, Mr. President, to unite us with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean, but to do that we must leave behind the failed policies of the past. Thanks and I'm looking forward to hearing your speech.
This letter was signed by many organizations and individuals:
Dear President Obama,
At the upcoming Summit of the Americas, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate how the change you promise can translate into new policies towards the hemisphere. The history of relations between the United States and Latin America is a painful one, based on domination and military intervention to assure compliance with U.S. agendas.
Progressive governments have been democratically elected in many Latin American countries. These governments are promoting agendas that meet the needs of their impoverished majorities. The prevailing economic model has not worked for most people in Latin America or the earth. For this reason, many governments, spurred by their social movements, are implementing dramatic new policies. These policies reverse the concentration of resources so that the wealth of their countries is not controlled by a few, or stolen by transnational companies, but is used to serve the common good. Four countries in Latin America have made significant improvement between 2002 and 2007 in narrowing the gap between people at extreme ends of the income spectrum; Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil and Nicaragua.
The upcoming Summit of the Americas will offer an opportunity for you to set a new course in U.S. relations with the hemisphere. The people of Latin America need the same things you have said people in the United States need: good jobs, education, healthcare, food, and a decent home. The United States must respect each country’s autonomy and not interfere in its sovereign right to seek the well-being of its people. New relations between the United States and the rest of the continent must be based on total respect for sovereignty, mutuality, and cooperation without conditions or impositions.
For the Summit of the Americas the people of the continent are not hoping for ‘generous offers’ from your government; they hope for horizontal relations between equals, so that together we can find solutions to the current crisis which was generated by the ambitions of a few. The people of Latin America should not be made to pay for a crisis they have not created.
To confront the global crisis and reestablish relations between the United States and the rest of the hemisphere, we need agreement on the following points:
Debt: In this moment of economic crisis, your own Administration has thrown away the rule book, articulating the need for unprecedented spending to create jobs and stimulate the economy with additional spending on education, health care, and greening the economy. Latin American countries have also been severely impacted by the crisis, yet they have no stimulus and fewer policy options available. Many countries are crippled with massive external debt which must be paid before responding to the desperate needs of their people.
The situation demands more radical debt cancellation programs, and elimination of the conditionalities imposed by International Financial Institutions which severely limit the ability of Latin American countries to respond to the crisis. We welcome your initiatives to make additional resources available, but these are only viable if they come without conditionalities which have forced privatization of public resources, leading to the further impoverishment of people in these countries. You must accept the re-nationalization of resources and services when governments determine that they belong in the public domain.
Militarization: We ask the United States to cooperate with efforts to de-militarize the countries of the hemisphere. Money spent on weapons or the military is money which is not available for food, education or health care. Latin American democracies and citizens have been brutalized by military solutions to social problems and troops trained in torture at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, previously known as the School of the Americas. Their police and military should not be trained in U.S. schools to oppress and torture. It is time to shutter these programs. The United States must also recall the Fourth Fleet from the hemisphere and close our military bases in the region.
Increased funding for the Merida Initiative and Plan Colombia will only increase violence and human suffering. Funds should be spent on meeting basic human needs. It is time for a new, non-military approach to solving drug problems. It is also time for the United States to cease manufacturing and exporting weapons which only increase levels of violence in all of our countries. At the same time the anti-democratic, corporate-driven Security and Prosperity Partnership, which has resulted in intensified military intervention in Mexico and Canada, must be halted, and not extended to the rest of the hemisphere, given its failure to resolve the problems of these countries.
Democracy building: It is clear that countries in Latin America are engaged in profound democratic change. The U.S. role has often been to undermine these governments because they don’t defend the interests of our corporations. U.S. funds supplied through the National Endowment for Democracy and similar institutions are routinely used to subvert popular governments, promote instability, political turmoil, and violence. Ironically, these NED ‘democracy building’ programs are often used to undermine democracy. These institutions need to be dismantled and funds redirected to governments for use in meeting vital human needs. USAID programs which promote similar objectives must also be eliminated.
Trade: We believe that trade between our countries can, under proper conditions, bring mutual benefits. However, there are fundamental flaws in the current model which was designed exclusively to promote the interests of corporations rather than people. A comprehensive re-visiting of existing agreements must be the first step, and movement on all pending FTAs must be postponed. Our concerns are articulated in the comprehensive Alternatives for the Americas document, written by members of the Hemispheric Social Alliance. Two areas which demand urgent rethinking are investment and agriculture. Investment provisions must focus on empowering governments to raise standards of living. As currently written, investment provisions do nearly the opposite and function as a straitjacket, limiting governments’ abilities to control transnational corporations and capital. Current rules inhibit governments from protecting food security and sovereignty. The economic crisis brings into serious question the benefits that were promised under the ‘Free Trade’ model.
We propose three immediate actions you could take before the Summit begins, which could signal a change of spirit. These actions would demonstrate that you recognize that the world has changed in dramatic ways, and that a new relationship with the hemisphere is imperative. They are:
1st- Normalize relations with Cuba and end the economic blockade: Recognize that the world has changed in the last 50 years; an embargo on Cuba serves no purpose. To jump start the new relationship, we challenge you to invite Cuban President Raul Castro to attend the Summit with full status.
2nd- Normalize relations with Bolivia: The expulsion of Ambassador Goldberg was a consequence of unacceptable U.S. intervention. We challenge you to normalize diplomatic relations with Bolivia and immediately restore ATPDEA preferences which were revoked as a form of revenge by the Bush Administration and against the will of the U.S. Congress.
3rd- Normalize relations with Venezuela: The United States should not penalize President Chavez, whose rule has been legitimized by more electoral processes than any other leader in the hemisphere. We insist that you extend your hand to the people of Venezuela, who have a profound connection to the United States. Venezuela is also one of our most important trading partners in the hemisphere. Secretary Clinton needs to stop the ‘war of words’ with Mr. Chavez.
These actions would send strong signals of good will, and demonstrate a concrete commitment to the change so urgently needed at this moment and for the future.
Sincerely,
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The Latin America Working Group sends the following message:
Once you've taken action, please forward this email to your friends, family, and colleagues and join our Facebook Cause. (http://apps.facebook.com/causes/267493?m=c23b5141) You can also check out our Summit campaign page,(http://www.lawg.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=394&Itemid=141) where we'll continue posting resources like a letter to President Obama from faith-based groups and other non-profits. http://www.lawg.org/storage/lawg/summit%20letter%20to%20president%20obama.pdf
Finally, LAWG staffer Travis Wheeler wrote a heartfelt "dream speech" for President Obama. So now we're curious: what would your dream speech look like? Email it to Travis at twheeler@lawg.org and we'll post the most inspiring ideas on the LAWG Blog next week.
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PERU: La Oroya (Doe Run) mine update
This is not just the second extension Doe Run Peru has received. They received several before 2006. This is the second one since 2006 when compliance was originally scheduled to be completed.
PERU: Bailout of Mining Co. Eclipses Environmental Disaster
By Milagros Salazar
LIMA, Apr 8 (IPS) - The Peruvian government refused to bail out the U.S. mining and metallurgical company Doe Run, which has caused severe pollution in the highlands city of La Oroya, from its severe financial troubles.
But it did grant the company a second extension of the deadline for environmental cleanup projects. And local banks as well as mining companies that depend on the Doe Run Peru smelter took care of the bail-out.
An economic solution thus prevailed over the urgent need to protect the health of residents of La Oroya, who have no choice but to continue breathing the toxic fumes of the company’s large multi-metal smelter, several sources told IPS.
"Protection of the living space of the local population is a permanent state obligation that arises from the fundamental right of people to enjoy a balanced environment that is fit for sustaining life," says a statement on Doe Run released by the ombudsperson’s office Monday.
A letter sent by national ombudswoman Beatriz Merino to Prime Minister Yehude Simon, to which IPS had access, urges the government to adopt effective measures to improve environmental standards in La Oroya, located at 3,300 metres above sea level in the Andes mountains in the central province of Junín.
The letter was in response t o the Apr. 3 announcement by Environment Minister Antonio Brack that the Missouri-based Doe Run was given another three months to comply with the Environmental Improvement and Management Programme (PAMA) to which it committed itself in 1997, when it obtained the concession for the smelter in La Oroya.
The 35,000 people of the town breathe air polluted with sulphur dioxide, lead and cadmium emissions from the Doe Run smokestacks.
The Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based non-governmental organisation dedicated to supporting pollution-related environmental projects in developing countries, included La Oroya on its list of the world's 10 most polluted places in 2006 and 2007.
Brack made the announcement of the deadline extension after the government reported that a group of Peruvian companies and banks would guarantee two new credit lines for Doe Run totaling 175 million dollars, after the company nearly halted work in March when banks cut off its financing.
According to the authorities, a closure of the smelter would lead to the loss of 3,500 jobs in mining companies throughout the central part of the country.
The plant was facing an October deadline for carrying out an environmental clean-u p programme, which is to include the construction of treatment plants to lower toxic emissions. But Brack argued that because the company would stop operating for a few months until the financing came through, "the PAMA plan will have to be briefly postponed."
Experts say the move is against the law, because the first extension of the deadline for the clean-up stated that any further extension would not be valid.
"Any decision must treat the health of the local population as the priority," Iván Lanegra, environmental affairs official in the ombudsperson’s office, told IPS. "Furthermore, environmental standards and instruments aren’t designed to resolve problems faced by a company, but must establish general guidelines that address the needs of the public."
In 1997, Peru’s environmental authority, CONAM, concluded that the smelter was the source of 99.7 percent of the toxic emissions in and around La Oroya.
Measurements carried out at different monitoring stations in the city so far this year show that the air quality standard of 0.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air set by Peruvian law has not been met.
Doe Run Peru’s financial crisis broke out in late=2 0February, when the BNP Paribas, Banco de Crédito del Perú and Standard Bank cut off a 75 million dollar credit line. The company also has unpaid bills to suppliers of nearly 100 million dollars.
But how could the firm be facing such a critical situation after several years of soaring mining prices?
The company operated with a revolving credit line, with which it purchased zinc, copper and lead concentrates from mining companies in central Peru, to which it then sold the material processed in the smelter.
But it owed nearly 140 million dollars to Renco Group, the New York City-based holding company controlled by Ira Rennert, of which it is a subsidiary.
However, between 2005 and 2008, Doe Run posted net profits of 400 million dollars, economist José de Echave of CooperAcción, a local social development organisation, pointed out to IPS.
"This is a good opportunity to carry out an exhaustive analysis of the financial situation of Doe Run and its operations in Peru," said de Echave. "The contract that it signed with the state should be reviewed in detail."
When the state privatised the La Oroya smelter in 1997, it failed to create an adequate regulatory framework.
"It should also be checked whether the bond letter and trust agreed with the state as protection for compliance with the PAMA clean-up plan, in case the company had any financial problems, have been executed," José Luis Capella with the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law told IPS.
The bailout by the Peruvian banks and mining companies involves guarantees for 75 million dollars in revolving credit and supplies of 100 million dollars in mineral concentrates.
"The problem is that they have not published the agreements, because they signed a confidentiality clause. But what is needed is transparency, because when public health is at stake, the issue is no longer a private matter," former deputy minister of mines María Chappuis told IPS.
Capella argued that "no financial crisis faced by the company should make people forget that the residents of La Oroya come first."
In May 2006, the Constitutional Court urged all concerned authorities and Doe Run to take urgent steps to protect the people of La Oroya.
In 2007, the Inter-American=2 0Commission on Human Rights issued a precautionary measure on behalf of 65 residents of La Oroya affected by the air pollution, who had taken legal action.
Studies carried out by a team of scientists from the St. Louis University School of Public Health in Missouri in 2005 found that a majority of children under six in La Oroya have toxic levels of over 40 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood (mcg/dl) – four times the maximum safe limit of 10 mcg/dl set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Many also had high levels of cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, caesium and thallium.
And an epidemiological study conducted by the Health Ministry in 2004 and 2005 found that 50 percent of minors in the province of Junín had asthma.
"We want the company to be honest with us and with the state," the head of the Movement for the Health of La Oroya, Rosa Amaro, told IPS.
Peru is the world's second leading producer of silver, fifth of gold, and third of copper and zinc. (END/2009)
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Renco Group Inject $165 million Into Mining Companies
April 6th, 2009
Once the Renco Group injects $165 million into Doe Run Peru, El Brocal Mining Company, Buenaventura Mining Company, Glencore and, among others, Volcan are to supply Doe Run with copper, zinc and lead concentrates worth an estimated $100 million and $75 million in credit. This will allow Doe Run to quickly resume its operations.
Ending weeks of speculation of a government bailout, fifteen mining companies dependent on Doe Run Peru’s smelter have extended the U.S.-owned mining company a $175 million credit line, reported daily El Comercio on Friday.
An affiliate of the Renco Group, Doe Run issued a statement last Wednesday, confirming that its operations were only a hair shy of a complete halt. When a consortium of banks led by PNP Paribas withdrew a $75 million revolving line of credit, Doe Run became unable to buy the concentrates it needs for its smelter.
The metallurgical complex of La Oroya is comprised of smelters and refineries to process copper, lead, zinc and silver, as well as several sub-products. It is one of the few complexes that processes so-called bulk concentrate. Approximately 30 mining companies operating in central Peru sell copper, zinc, gold and silver concentrates to the U.S.-owned smelter.
According to Finance Minister Luis Carranza, Doe Run – which has been given yet another extension – has offered all its shares in its poly-metallic smelter to guarantee it will complete an environmental clean-up program at La Oroya, a city which has been dubbed “Slow Chernobyl” for the appalling environmental impact of contamination generated by the U.S.-run smelter.
The new tentative date by which Doe Run must meet the terms of its environmental cleanup plan is 2010.
In La Oroya, located 180 kilometers east of Lima and 3,300 meters above sea level, a poly-metallic smelter and refinery complex has been spitting out clouds of toxic lead, copper, zinc and sulphur dioxide-filled smoke for more than 80 years. In the valley, where the surrounding limestone mountains have been stained black and burned bare of vegetation by acid rain, 99 percent of children have dangerously high blood lead levels.
According to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based environmental organization and U.S. think-tank that listed La Oroya as one of the world’s most polluted places in 2007. Lung ailments are widespread, and high numbers of premature deaths have been linked to the smelter’s 1.5 tons of lead and 810 tons of sulphur dioxide daily emissions.
In August 1997, soon after Peru passed its first national environmental laws, Doe Run purchased the Empresa Minera Metal Oroya S.A. for $125 million, plus $120 million in upgrades. Industrias Peñoles, Mexico, pulled out three months after winning the privatization bid for the refinery, held in April that year by the Peruvian government.
At the time, the government recognized the complicated aspects of the privatization due to environmental and social concerns – the environmental damage in La Oroya was so severe that Rio Tinto, a large British mining company, decided it was not worth buying. The privatization package required that the new owners would have to invest at least $132 million over the first five years and up to $330 million over ten years to bring the refinery complex up to environmental standards required by law.
As part of the purchase agreement, Doe Run agreed to comply with a 10-year environmental cleanup plan, known locally as the Environmental Suitableness and Management Program, or PAMA.
But in 2004, after an environmental study and government inspection records indicated that since Doe Run began running the plant concentrations of lead, sulfur dioxide, and arsenic in La Oroya’s air increased, the corporation asked the Peruvian government for a four-year extension to the smelter’s environmental management plan.
On Aug. 13, 2008, as residents covered their mouths with handkerchiefs to be able to breathe, the El Sindicato monitoring station — located nearest the smelter — registered a sulfur dioxide concentration of 27,000 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The sulfur dioxide levels rose from the former record benchmark of 22,000 parts per cubic meter registered by the El Sindicato monitoring station on Aug. 4, 2008 and 17,000 parts on July 21, 2008 according to the Peruvian environmental Web page Eco Portal.Net.
Peruvian law stipulates sulfur dioxide levels within a set legal limit of 364 micrograms or less per cubic meter of air.
Sulfur dioxide emissions from the U.S.-run Doe Run smelter sometimes reach 10 times the amount considered acceptable by the World Health Organization, or WHO, and the annual mean concentration exceeds this level by a factor of two or three.
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Financial Crisis averted and Hopeful signs for improved conditions at the mine
Commentary:
Private investors from the mining industry stepped up and offered two lines of credit to DRP in the amount of $175 million. Operations should be up and running within a couple of days.
Also, the Ministry of Economy and Finance who helped facilitate this deal, arranged the deal such that DRP MUST complete the PAMA. (Program to Administer and Maintain the Ambient (Environment)),
This is a small victory in the grand scheme of things... but a victory worth celebrating. And, it is important for you to know that the voices from the U.S. were heard. It is no small thing for the state to recognize that folks from all parts of the world can quickly be mobilized to take action and speak out. Your shower of letters was significant in this effort.
From my perspective down here, there is a subtle change in the climate of actors involved in La Oroya. Now that the rest of the private mining sector is involved, Doe Run Peru MAY be held more accountable for its actions and its responsibility to at least complete the PAMA... as few others in the industry have gotten away with what DRP has. Also, we can notice a change in the attitude of the workers of La Oroya towards the company; no longer do they appear quite as steadfast in their support of the management - in the very least there is some division among them. Lastly, the completion of the PAMA is back on the table as an apparent "priority" for the state.
As we move forward, our strategies will have to take into acount this subtle change of climate around the issue of La Oroya. In the end, our goal is the health and welfare of the people of La Oroya. While the financial situation of Doe Run Peru grabbed our attention, it was ultimately for the purpose of securing the welfare of the people. This continues to be our cause.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssPreciousMetalsMinerals/idUSN0228924620090402
By Teresa Cespedes
LIMA, April 2 (Reuters) - Doe Run Peru edged away from the brink of collapse on Thursday, receiving two new credit lines totaling $175 million that were guaranteed by a group of miners, company and government officials said.
Doe Run Peru, a unit of the U.S.-based Renco Group, halted nearly all work last month at its sprawling La Oroya smelter - one of the largest smelters in the Americas -- after banks cut its financing, strangling its ability to buy concentrates.
Low prices and debt payments have squeezed the company, which also must make millions of dollars in investments under an environmental agreement.
Doe Run Peru has offered the government a 100 percent stake to guarantee it will complete a clean-up program at La Oroya, a factory town often ranked one of the world's 10 most polluted places, said Peru's Finance Minister Luis Carranza.
Companies across the metals sector are struggling as prices have plunged on the global economic crisis. The near collapse of Doe Run Peru shows how fast a company's fortunes can turn.
"This private aid is made up of two credit lines -- one worth $75 million ... which will allow the company to continue operating and one, valued at $100 million, which will provide La Oroya with the concentrates it needs," said Ysaac Cruz, head of El Brocal, a Peruvian miner that sells to Doe Run Peru.
Doe Run Peru had lost credit lines of at least $75 million and has unpaid bills to suppliers of $100 million.
In addition to the credit facility, the Peruvian unit of Doe Run will not have to repay, but rather reinvest, $156 million it owed its parent company.
Among the miners that said they are backing the credit are El Brocal, Buenaventura (BUEv.LM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Peru's largest precious metals producer, and Volcan (VOL_pb.LM: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), one of the country's largest zinc miners.
Thursday's announcement ended speculation that Doe Run Peru would be bailed out by the government.
"This was a rescue from the private sector," said Cruz. "It shows the mining sector is continuing to thrive and bet on Peru."
SMELTER OPERATIONS TO RESTART
La Oroya is a hub for dozens for Peruvian mining companies, and 3,500 people rely on it for work.
The company, which buys concentrates from about 30 different mining firms in Peru, said it would restart work at its smelter soon.
"Operations will restart as soon as possible, in the next few days," Doe Run Peru President, Juan Carlos Huyhua, told reporters.
La Oroya is located in the mountains, about 108 miles (174 km) east of Lima, Peru's capital.
The mining ministry says Doe Run Peru produced 53,831 tonnes of copper, 114,259 tonnes of lead, 43,440 tonnes of zinc and 1.07 million kilograms of fine silver last year.
Peru, a major metals exporter, is the world's top producer of silver. Minerals account for more than half of total exports and are the government's largest source of revenue. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Writing by Dana Ford; Editing by David Gregorio, Gary Hill)
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Minera Doe Run Perú logra crédito y evita un colapso jueves 2 de abril de 2009 17:34 GYT Por Teresa Céspedes LIMA (Reuters) - La minera Doe Run Perú consiguió un rescate financiero avalado por un grupo de productores mineros que permitió dos líneas de crédito por 175 millones de dólares, un salvavidas que puede poner en marcha las operaciones de la compañía en los próximos días, dijeron el jueves ejecutivos. En la operación, el Gobierno peruano logró también obtener como garantía el 100 por ciento de las acciones de Doe Run Perú, que opera el mayor complejo metalúrgico del país, para que la firma cumpla con su plan ambiental pendiente. "Esto es una demostración de que el sector minero sigue pujante y apostando por el Perú. Este fue un rescate del sector privado por el sector privado", dijo el gerente general de la minera El Brocal, Ysaac Cruz, uno de los proveedores de Doe Run, durante una conferencia de prensa. Entre el grupo de proveedores de Doe Run que participaron en el salvataje figuran Buenaventura, el mayor productor de metales preciosos de Perú, y Volcan, uno de los mayores de productores de zinc del país. Doe Run, unidad peruana del Grupo Renco, que tiene su sede en Estados Unidos, quedó ahorcada luego de que un sindicato de bancos suspendió un crédito de 75 millones de dólares, que estaba destinado a la compra de concentrados de minerales para su fundición y refinación en su complejo metalúrgico. Sin los concentrados necesarios por falta de pago a sus proveedores mineros, a los que debe unos 100 millones de dólares, Doe Run paralizó hasta el 95 por ciento de sus operaciones de fundición y refinería de zinc, plomo y cobre. "Las operaciones se restablecerán lo más pronto posible, va a ser lo más breve posible, en los próximos días", dijo el presidente y gerente general de Doe Run Perú, Juan Carlos Huyhua, a periodistas tras la conferencia de prensa. La compañía tenía pendiente ejecutar unos 73 millones de dólares en inversiones comprometidas con el Estado para completar en octubre su p lan de limpieza ambiental. Según la firma, ya invirtió 307 millones de dólares en ese programa. El ministro peruano de Economía y Finanzas, Luis Carranza, dijo en la misma conferencia de prensa que el Estado se aseguró el cumplimiento del programa ambiental con una garantía del 100 por ciento de las acciones de Doe Run. "El Estado no ha colocado ni un sol del Tesoro Público a la empresa", dijo Carranza a periodistas. Doe Run refina principalmente concentrados de cobre, zinc, plomo, oro y plata en su complejo metalúrgico en la región de Junín, unos 174 kilómetros al este de Lima y opera la mina de cobre Cobriza, en la región andina de Huancavelica. La minería es uno de los principales ejes de la economía de Perú. Las exportaciones mineras representan casi el 60 por ciento de todos los envíos del país. (Reporte de Teresa Céspedes, Escrito por Marco Aquino. Editado por Javier López de Lérida)
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SOA: Nicaragua and Costa Rica: Sign Petitions
Sign petition asking Nicaragua to withdraw from the School of the Americas!
The US grassroots movement to close the Army School of the Americas (now called Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) is mobilizing for victory this summer under a new administration and a new Congress. Last year the vote to close the SOA would have succeeded had we changed only six votes. Five Latin American countries have already announced their withdrawal from the SOA. Please sign the petition below, co-sponsored by the Nicaragua Network and SOA Watch, asking Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to withdraw Nicaragua from the SOA.
El movimiento de base en los Estados Unidos para cerrar la Escuela de las Américas (que ahora se llama el Instituto del Hemisferio Occidental para la Cooperación en Seguridad) está movilizando para la victoria este verano bajo una nueva administración y un nuevo congreso. El año pasado, el voto para cerrar la Escuela perdió por solamente seis votos. Cinco países latinoamericanos ya han anunciado el retiro de sus soldados y oficiales de la Escuela. Por favor firme la petición, co-patrocinada por la Red de Solidaridad con Nicaragua y SOA Watch, pidiendo al Presidente Daniel Ortega de Nicaragua que ponga fin a la participación de su país en la Escuela de las Américas.
Click here to sign the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/NicaraguaCloseSOA/
(Para la carta en español, ver abajo.)
TO: The Honorable President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega
FROM: The Undersigned Progressive People of the United States and Friends of Peace Around the World
Dear President Ortega,
As you are aware, since 1990 progressive people in the United States have struggled to close the Army School of the Americas (now named the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.) This year we are close to victory and we appeal to you to give your solidarity support to our efforts by pulling Nicaragua out of the SOA.
As you know, prior to the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution, no army sent more troops to be trained at the SOA than Somoza's National Guard. In 1996 the Pentagon was forced to admit that torture was taught at the SOA when the training manuals were revealed to the public. Withdrawal from the SOA is a way of honoring the thousands of lives lost in Nicaragua at the hands of National Guard who trained at this institute and who led the contra attacks against the Nicaraguan people.
For 20 years after the Triumph Nicaragua did not send troops to the SOA. We were disappointed when, under the Bolaños government, Nicaragua's military officers again began attending SOA training at Ft. Benning, GA. In 2008 Nicaragua sent 78 officers to the SOA.
Five countries have announced their withdrawal from the SOA: Venezuela (2004), Argentina (2006), Uruguay (2006), Costa Rica (2007) and Bolivia (2008).
The announcement of Nicaragua´s withdrawal could be the final step to close the doors of the SOA. In 2007 a vote in Congress to close the school lost by only 6 votes. Another congressional vote to de-fund the school will take place this year, with a new line-up of members. Our hope is that the withdrawal of a 6th country will give the necessary momentum to close the school.
During the 1980s Nicaraguans often told North Americans that what they could best do to support the Revolution was to change the US government. With respect for Nicaragua's sovereignty and right to self- determination, we appeal to you to help us accomplish that task by publically ending Nicaragua's involvement in the SOA.
Click here to sign the petition http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/NicaraguaCloseSOA/
Versión en español:
A: Su Excelencia Daniel Ortega, Presidente de Nicaragua
De: Los abajo firmantes individuos y organizaciones progresistas de los Estados Unidos y amigos de la paz de todo el mundo
Estimado Presidente Ortega:
Como Ud. sin duda sabe, desde 1990, personas progresistas en los Estados Unidos han luchado para cerrar la Escuela de las Américas del Ejercito de los Estados Unidos (llamada ahora el Instituto del Hemisferio Occidental para la Cooperación en Seguridad-WHINSEC). Este año estamos cerca a la victoria y apelamos a Ud. para que nos dé apoyo solidario a nuestros esfuerzos sacando los soldados y oficiales de Nicaragua de la Escuela.
Como Ud. sabe, antes del triunfo de la Revolución Popular Sandinista, ningún ejército envió más tropas a entrenarse en la Escuela de las Américas que la Guardia Nacional de Anastasio Somoza. En 1996, el Pentágono tuvo que admitir que se enseñaba tortura en la Escuela cuando se reveló al público los manuales de entrenamiento. Salir de la Escuela es una manera de honrar a los miles que perdieron sus vidas en Nicaragua en manos de los Guardias que recibieron entrenamiento en esa Escuela. Esos soldados también encabezaron los ataques de los contrarrevolucionarios contra el pueblo de Nicaragua.
Durante veinte años después del Triunfo, Nicaragua no mandaba soldados a la Escuela. Nos sentimos entristecidos cuando, bajo la administración del Presidente Enrique Bolaños, los oficiales del Ejército de Nicaragua empezaron de nuevo a recibir entrenamiento en Fuerte Benning, Georgia. En 2008, Nicaragua envió a 78 oficiales a la Escuela.
Cinco países han anunciado el retiro de sus oficiales de la Escuela: Venezuela (2004), Argentina (2006), Uruguay (2006), Costa Rica (2007) y Bolivia (2008).
El anuncio del retiro de Nicaragua podría ser el paso final para cerrar las puertas de la Escuela de las Américas. En 2007, un voto en el Congreso EE.UU. para cerrar la Escuela perdió por solamente seis votos. Otra votación en el Congreso para cancelar los fondos para la Escuela tomará lugar este año, con nuevos miembros en la legislatura. Nuestra esperanza es que el retiro de un sexto país nos dará el ímpetu necesario para cerrar la Escuela.
Durante los años 1980, los nicaragüenses a menudo dijeron a los norteamericanos que lo que podríamos hacer para ayudar más a la revolución era cambiar a nuestro propio gobierno. Con pleno respeto a la soberanía y al derecho a la auto-determinación de Nicaragua, apelamos a Ud. para que nos ayude a lograr ese propósito, anunciando públicamente el fin de la participación de Nicaragua en la Escuela de las Américas.
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