From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel) Subject: Salvadoran AIDS agency targeted Date: 6 Jul 1995 22:53:51 GMT /** reg.elsalvador: 90.0 **/ ** Topic: Salvadoran AIDS agency targeted ** ** Written 8:17 PM Jul 5, 1995 by cispesnatl in cdp:reg.elsalvador ** C I S P E S ACTION ALERT July 3, 1995 HIV/AIDS ADVOCATES AND GAY COMMUNITY TARGETED FOR REPRESSION IN SAN SALVADOR On Saturday June 24, between 9:00 and 9:30 AM, 3 armed men entered the San Salvador office of FUNDASIDA, El Salvador's non- governmental National Foundation of HIV/AIDS Patients for Prevention, Education and Control. At the time, a secretary, 3 health promoters and 10 young people were in the office, participating in a "Holistic HIV/AIDS Prevention Workshop." The armed men said that they were looking for Dr. Francisco Carrillo, FUNDASIDA's Executive Director. The intruders said that they would kill Dr. Carrillo when they find him and threatened to kill everyone present. On being told that Dr. Carrillo was not in, the assailants took the FUNDASIDA computer, television, a typewriter and confidential documents from the office. The computer contains the database of information on FUNDASIDA's clients. Since the above incident, the office and homes of FUNDASIDA employees have received death threats on a daily basis. Early this week FUNDASIDA staff recorded one of the threats on the phone. The caller identified himself as a member of La Sombra Negra, Black Shadow, death squad. In related news, San Salvador's Mayor, Mario Valiente, recently issued a statement declaring that the city will actively work to "eliminate prostitution and homosexuals in San Salvador." Valiente is a big supporter of a pending bill in the National Assembly that would punish prostitutes and gays with three days in jail and heavy fines. The legislation is expected to come to a vote in late July or early August. BACKGROUND: Last November, the Co-Director of the Oscar Romero AIDS Project, Wilfredo Valencia Palacios, was attacked by three men while doing street outreach work. The Oscar Romero AIDS Project is concerned that there is a growing pattern of intimidation and violence against healthcare workers involved in educational work around AIDS and HIV. Gays and lesbians and their allies have always been the victims of repression in El Salvador and throughout Latin America. Today gays and lesbians are struggling more openly for social space and avenues for mutual support. On June 17, Tiajuana held its first gay pride day ever. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the International Lesbian and Gay Association held its annual meeting - only the second time they had ever met in a Latin American country. In San Francisco, the Oscar Romero AIDS Project marched in Gay Pride for the first time. Their participation was covered in the media. It is clear that the increasing organizing and visibility of queers in Latin America and El Salvador as well as grassroots AIDS and HIV education by queer-friendly groups are seen as a threat to the retrograde world view of those that continue to employ violence to reach their political ends in El Salvador. ACTION: The international solidarity community needs to demand an investigation into the robbery and threats against FUNDASIDA and oppose pending anti-gay legislation in El Salvador which Salvadoran AIDS/HIV and gay activists fear will push the clock back three years for their organizing. Call and Fax: 1. Rodrigo Avila, Director of the Civilian National Police, to demand an investigation into the FUNDASIDA robbery and threats. Fax: 011 503 298 5082 Phone 011 503 298 2558 2. Armando Calderon Sol, President of the Republic, to demand that he urge the PNC to carry out an investigation into the break in and the death threats against FUNDASIDA staff, and that he oppose pending anti-gay legislation as a violation of basic human rights. Fax: 011 503 271 0950 Phone: 011 503 271 1555 Copies of faxes should also be sent to Victoria de Aviles, the National Counsel for the Defense of Human Rights at 011 503 271 2886 3. Your Congressional Representatives: should be asked to fax the above Savadoran officials and to call the State Department to demand information on these cases. Your rep. should also ask what the US Embassy is concretely doing to end the impunity that continues to allow incidents like these to happen. The Capitol Switchboard in D.C. is 202 224 3121, call and ask for your representative by name * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador National Office: P.O. Box 1801, New York, NY 10159 ~ 212-229-1290 * Regional Offices: Boston, MA 617-524-1166 * New York, NY 212-229-1290 * Chicago, IL 312-227-2720 * San Francisco, CA 415-648-6520 ** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador ** *************************************************************************** This material came from PeaceNet, a non-profit progressive networking service. For more information, send a message to peacenet-info@igc.apc.org ***************************************************************************