International Solidarity
Central America Notes
Submitted by justin on Sat, 2003-09-06 17:14September 6 , 2003
We present some notes collected on critical events during the summer in Central America.
Costa Rica [From the San Jose (Costa Rica) Daily, Nacion]
On July 14, some 15 Costa Rican police agents tried to arrest a group of about 80 campesinos on the Bambuzal estate, owned by Standard Fruit, the US banana company, in Rio Frio, Sarapiqui, Heredia. Just four days earlier, on July 10, authorities had evicted 166 families who had been occupying the Bambuzal estate since December 2001. The July 14 incident happened after water authorities cut off water to a nearby store where the campesinos had set up camp following the eviction. Violence erupted after the police arrived and chased the campesinos back onto the Bambuzal estate…
Indigenous Movement Breaks with President Lucio Gutierrez
Submitted by justin on Wed, 2003-08-06 17:16CONAIE
August 6 , 2003
In the face of the most recent declarations and actions of President Lucio Gutiérrez, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, CONAIE) proclaims the following:
The government has betrayed the mandate given to it by the Ecuadorian people in the last elections. This mandate envisioned the defense of national sovereignty, of natural resources, the reactivation of the economy with an eye towards equity, and a commitment to peace. Instead, during these last six months, the government of Lucio Gutiérrez has maintained a position contrary to the national interest by signing a Letter of Intent with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in which he pledged:
