Asunto: | [GAP] Help Stop Repression in Oaxaca & Other Updates | Fecha: | Jueves, 7 de Diciembre, 2006 16:23:21 (-0600) | Autor: | La Casa de la Red <lacasadelared @.....com>
|
From: School of the Americas Watch <media@...>
Date: 07-dic-2006 13:00
Subject: Help Stop Repression in Oaxaca & Other Updates
To: luxweb-owner@...
*SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS WATCH*
*www.SOAW.org<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=1&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/>|
202-234-3440 | Click
to Subscribe<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=2&url=http://soaw.live.radicaldesigns.org/modinput4.php?modin=52>
*
*SOA Watch Update
December 7, 2006*
*In this email, you'll find:*
Updates & News from Latin America
Support the SOA 16
SOA Watch Legislative Update
SOA Watch Strategy Meeting & Lobby Day
------------------------------
*Oranize to Help Stop Widespread Government Repression in Oaxaca*
In May 2006, Oaxaca's state-wide teachers' union initiated a strike and
non-violent occupation of the city center, demanding better pay and work
conditions, as well as improvements to the state's educational
infrastructure. At dawn on June 14, state governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz
(popularly referred to as URO) sent in state police to violently break up
the ongoing, peaceful teachers' protest. The brutal police action, which
included the firing of tear gas from helicopters onto the crowd below,
sparked widespread indignation and outrage in many Oaxacans. The repressive
tactics backfired resoundingly, and teachers had retaken the city center by
nightfall, pushing back the police—mostly through the forces of their
numbers and determination.
More importantly, the violent police action sparked a widespread,
broad-based, non-violent popular movement. URO has awakened a sleeping
giant—thousands of students, housewives, small business owners, workers,
professors, professionals, campesinos, intellectuals and artists have come
together to demand the governor's resignation. And they have formed the
People's Popular Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO), made up of at least 350
different civil organizations working in arenas of indigenous issues,
sustainable community development, human rights and social justice. They are
working to build a transparent, inclusive, participatory political
system—true democracy from the grassroots.
Since the conflict began more than 5 months ago, *17 people have been
killed, including U.S. journalist Brad Will*, shot in the chest by
plain-clothed police while videotaping their attack on a neighborhood
barricade defended by people sympathetic to the popular movement. On
November 9, leaders of the People's Popular Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO)
publicly asked local leaders of the Catholic Church to provide safe refuge
after receiving death threats.
The situation in Oaxaca has become increasingly volatile and violent with
hundreds of activists, human rights leaders and community organizers
arrested, disappeared and killed. The state sponsored repression as executed
by the Federal Police to control a social movement on the rise such as the
APPO is a clear example of how the practices taught at the SOA/WHINSEC are
put into practice.
*Read more about Oaxaca and what you can do to
help<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=3&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1438>
*
*Zapatistas Call for Oaxaca Solidarity Events on December
22!<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=4&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1439>
*
We encourage you to take action in your community, find out about local
events in solidarity with the people of Oaxaca by checking your local *
Indymedia<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=5&url=http://www.indymedia.org>
*, *El Enemigo Comun<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=6&url=http://www.elenemigocomun.net>
*, or the *Oaxaca Solidarity
Network<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=7&url=http://www.oaxacasolidarity.org>
*.
Join the call for solidarity actions on December 22nd, take part in an
existing event or organize your community for non-violent protests at your
nearest Mexican consulate demanding an end to government sponsored violence
and repression in Oaxaca. Click here to find the *Mexican
Consulate<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=8&url=http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm>
* nearest you.
*Read about the connections between the SOA and repression in
Mexico<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=9&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1440>
*
*SOA Graduates in the News*
After decades of civil wars, dictatorships and social and political unrest,
most Latin American countries have, in the past 20 years, undergone peaceful
transitions towards democracy. The re-organization of civil institutions and
the reinstatement of political freedom have empowered the social movements
that were once silenced under military rule. Thanks to these social
movements and the efforts of survivors of repression and human rights
activists, many of those who abused their power and committed gross human
rights abuses during the "dirty wars" are either currently in prison or
awaiting trial. In this context, and as documents and testimonies surface,
we are constantly reminded of the roles that the U.S. government and the U.S.
Army School of the Americas played in protecting and or aiding military
dictatorships that safeguarded U.S. interests throughout Latin America.
To this day, SOA graduates constantly resurface in trials and testimonies
related to human rights violations. The year 2006 alone has seen ten SOA
graduates connected to kidnappings, murder, torture, and massacres make
headlines in the news and we can be sure that the list will only continue to
grow in the following months.
This past November, ex-Chilean military officer Enrique Sandoval confessed
to the murder of the first underage victim of the military dictatorship in
Chile, fourteen year old Carlos Fariña Oyarce. Carlos was kidnapped from his
home in La Pincoya on October 13, 1973 and was killed execution-style by
three bullets to the head. His body was then burned and buried in an
undisclosed location, making Carlos another of Chile's many disappeared and
one of the 79 underage children who fell victim to the brutal regime led by
Gen. Augusto Pinochet. His remains were found 27 years later during an
excavation in the West end of Santiago. The confession was part of a trial
led by Judge Zepeda. Enrique Sandoval and Chilean officer Com. Lopez Almarza
have been convicted for Carlos' kidnapping and murder and could face prison
sentences.
A few months prior to the murder and the military coup of September 11,
1973, Enrique Sandoval had attended the *School of the Americas*, then
located in Panama for "Combat Arms Orientation 0-37".
*Read more about this case and other SOA Grads in the
news<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=10&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=205>
*
------------------------------
*The SOA 16: Support those facing prison for speaking out against the SOA*
Since protests began at Fort Benning in 1990, people in the SOA Watch
movement have made decisions to put their bodies and freedom on the line by
publicly defying the laws which prevent political speech on Fort Benning.
Participating in civil disobedience has allowed hundreds of people to bring
the case against the SOA/WHINSEC into the U.S. court system and to take
action in solidarity with those most affected by SOA violence.
On Sunday November 19, 2006, 16 human rights activists decided to take the
protest to close the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) onto the Fort
Benning Military Reservation. Grandmothers, homemakers, college students,
religious workers, a fitness equpiment specialist and a piano tuner make up
this diverse group of witnesses for human rights.
The 16 were held at Ft. Benning and charged for unlawful entry. Fifteen of
the 16 arrested were released after bail money ($500 - $1,000/per person)
was posted. One person, Margaret Bryant-Gainer, opted to remain in prison,
awaiting trial; she is being held at Muscogee County Jail in Columbus,
Georgia. The 16 defendants will appear in federal court in Columbus on
January 29, 2007 to put the SOA/WHINSEC itself on trial. We encourage all
SOA Watch supporters to come to Columbus, Georgia to show your support for
the SOA 16. On Sunday, January 28, we will celebrate a Festival of Hope, a
gathering to honor the prisoners of conscience, to celebrate their actions
and to further strengthen our community. The event will begin at 7 pm in the
Howard Johnson Presidential Ball Room.
*Read More about the SOA
16<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=11&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=322>
*
*What you can do:*
*Take Actions in solidarity with the Prisoners of
Conscience<http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=129>
*
*Make a Donation to help us with trial
costs<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=12&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=546>
*
------------------------------
*SOA Watch Legislative Update*
As you may know, the midterm elections of 2006 were a huge victory for SOA
Watch and our issues. After the final tally, over 30 of our June opponents
lost their seats in the House giving us an incredible opportunity for
legislative success in the 110th Congress!
*GET STARTED EARLY!* - Use some free time you may have over your holiday
break to start researching your Member of Congress if they are new and/or
prepare for a meeting in your legislator's district office in January. Visit
the website of the House of Representatives
Clerk<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=13&url=http://clerk.house.gov>to
see a list of all of the new members of the House and who your
Representative is.
If this is your first time doing legislative actions for SOA Watch, the DC
office has extensive information on your region and it's history of support
on Congress. Contact us and ask questions!!!
For more information on scheduling meetings with your legislators or
information about the legislative campaign, contact Pam Bowman, our
legislative coordinator at pbowman(at)soaw.org <pbowman@...> or
202-234-3440, and visit the Legislative Action
Index<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=14&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=96>on
our website.
------------------------------
*Join us in DC in February: SOA Watch Strategy Meeting & Lobby Day*
The inspiring rise of powerful social movements in Latin America and the
Bush administration's policies in the Middle East and Latin America that
have negatively affected millions of human lives, have all played a
significant role in igniting a widespread anti-war and pro-human rights
movement. In this context, the movement to close down the SOA/WHINSEC has
grown in unprecedented numbers and spread across the hemisphere like
wildfire.
Because we have gained so much momentum and energy, it is important that we
continue in our efforts to fight for the closing of the SOA/WHINSEC on every
front. The SOA/WHINSEC's continued existence is an affront to millions of
Latin Americans who have suffered from the disappearance, torture, rape and
assasination of their loved ones by the hands of SOA graduates. With a new
Congress and new governments in Latin America that are held accountable by
the people, we are closer than ever to our goal of shutting down the "School
of Assassins".
On Sunday, February 18, 2007, activists representing groups from around the
country will come to Washington, DC for a day of reflection, discussion, and
strategizing around the campaign to close the School of the Americas
(SOA/WHINSEC) and plan the next steps we need to take to continue building a
more just world.
We invite all our friends and supporters to join us on Monday, February 19,
2007 to attend the grassroots lobby training which will prepare activists
from around the country to flood the halls of Congress on Tuesday, February
20, to create awareness and educate our legislators on the SOA/WHINSEC and
the devastating effects of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.
*Read more about the SOA Watch Strategy Meeting and Lobby
Day<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=15&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1433>
*
*We encourage you to start making travel arrangements and come join us in
February!:*
*Travel and Transportation
Information<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=16&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=991>
*
*Housing in and near Washington,
DC<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=241376569&url_num=17&url=http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=714>
*
*Enter your email below to receive email alerts:*
------------------------------
*We appreciate your interest!*
Our postal address is PO Box 4566, Washington, DC 20017.
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CALENDARIO ESPIRITUAL 2006
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