[cma-l] ACTION ALERT - Community radio workers threatened in El Salvador

[Steve Buckley]

IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - EL SALVADOR

5 January 2010

Renewed threats against staff and journalists of Radio Victoria

SOURCE: World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters

(AMARC/IFEX) - AMARC deplores the renewal of death threats against staff
and journalists from Radio Victoria, a community radio station in the
department of Cabañas, El Salvador. The threats, first reported on 23 July
2009, have resurfaced days after the recent killing of two
environmentalists. A threatening letter has been reported to have been sent
to the radio station stating:

"Well, we sent two down the hole, the question is who will be the third,
perhaps Father Quintanilla or someone from the radio, it's not a bad idea
to follow up with one of the loud-mouths of Radio Victoria, we are not
playing and we showed we have good financing and logistical capacity to
drive out anybody, even if we walk a battalion of policemen watching them
like dogs, we'll shoot when we want to, the deaths will continue and no one
will stop the vengeance that has started, we prefer that the third of the
dead should be a presenter, or a correspondent, or someone else from that
damn radio, the most likely target is a presenter, beware that we are not
playing, this is the new wave of warnings after taking care of Ramiro."

The threats followed the killings of two anti-mining activists in Cabañas
department: Gustavo Marcelo Rivera in June and Ramiro Rivera on 20
December. Ramiro Rivera was the legal representative of the NGO Cabañas
Environment Committee (Comité Ambiental de Cabañas), and had survived an
attack in August in which he was shot eight times. On 26 December, another
member of the Cabañas Environment Committee was killed. Dora Alicia Recinos
Sorto, who was eight months pregnant, was shot dead, and her two-year-old
child was wounded. Her husband, José Santos Rodríguez, is the Cabañas
Environment Committee spokesperson.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send appeals to authorities:
- calling on them to order a prompt, full and independent investigation
into the threats against Radio Victoria staff, and the recent killing of
Ramiro Rivera and Dora Alicia Recinos Sorto, environmental activists in
Cabañas department, and to bring those responsible to justice
- requesting that they ensure that full protection is provided to all Radio
Victoria staff and volunteers, and to members of the Cabañas Environment
Committee and their relatives who have received threats

APPEALS TO:
Presidente Mauricio Funes
(President)
Casa Presidencial
Alameda Dr. Manuel Enrique Araujo, No. 5500
San Salvador, El Salvador
Fax: +503 2243 9947

Fiscal General
(Attorney General)
Fiscalía General de la República
Final 4a Calle Oriente y 19a Avenida Sur, Residencial Primavera
Santa Tecla, La Libertad
San Salvador, El Salvador
Fax : +503 2523 7170
E-mail: astor.escalante at fgr.gob.sv
E-mail: cc: radelgado at fgr.gob.sv

Comisionado Carlos Asencio Girón
Director de la Policía Nacional Civil
(National Police Director)
Policía Nacional Civil
6ta. Calle Oriente entre 8va y 10ma
Ave. Sur, # 42 Barrio La Vega
San Salvador, El Salvador
E-mail: carlosascencio at pnc.gob.sv

Please send copies and messages of support to:

Radio Victoria
Av. José Matias Delgado #47
Victoria, Cabañas, El Salvador, C.A.
E-mail: radiovictoriapopular at yahoo.es
http://www.radiovictoria.org

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

http://www.ifex.org/el_salvador/2010/01/05/radio_victoria_death_threats/

For more information:
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters
705, rue Bourget, bureau 100
Montreal, Quebec H4C 2M6
Canada
secgen (@) si.amarc.org
Phone: +1 514 982 0351
Fax: +1 514 849 7129
http://www.amarc.org


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