El Salvador arrests GCAP activists

On July 02, 2007 El Salvador arrested 14 members of the Association of Rural communities for the development of El Salvador (CRIPDES), one of the founding organizations of GCAP.

Among those captured was Lorena Araujo, president of CRIPDES, a woman who has dedicated her whole life to social and political transformation of El Salvador and another is Haydee Chicas, responsible for CRIPDES communications work.

Following a violent police intervention in a peaceful rural protest against a government decentralization project, they were held for 5 days in before sentencing on July 7th under the new anti-terrorism laws to three months imprisonment.

A clear violation of their constitutional rights to freedom of expression, gathering, protest and free association it is being challenged in the courts.

Check out the videos of the protests and the crackdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f78mK0u9mME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwGy9eqymvM

Please send notes of support for our colleagues and condemnation of this arrest to:

Presidente de la República de El Salvador, Elías
Antonio Saca,
Fax:(503)2243-7857, (503) 2243-9930

Rodrigo Ávila, Director de la Policía Nacional Civil,
sugerencias@pnc.gob.sv

Lic. Felix Garrid Safie, Fiscal General de la
República de El Salvador,
Fax :(503) 25286096

Please do copy your notes to:
cripdes@telesal.net
cripdes2@gmail.com
lamadoelsalvador@yahoo.com