Nicaragua: José García Valle murdered

[tliouk]

From: "benjamin ramos" <uriyoan at hotmail.com> 
Date: Wed Apr 10, 2002 6:26pm 
Subject: Support Dr. Maria Luisa Acosta  

The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign urges all of our supporters to read 
his email and forward it out to all listserves.  Please write in to 
the Nicaraguan government as well.

Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Dear Friends and Supporters of Nicaragua:

With sadness and a great sense of moral outrage we report that 
Francisco José García Valle, esteemed professor at the University of 
the Autonomous Regions  of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua and 
husband of Dr. María Luisa Acosta, internationally renown indigenous 
human rights lawyer was assassinated in his home on Monday night.

At the time of his murder, his wife was meeting with the IFCO/Pastors 
for Peace Central American Caravan to Chiapas, Honduras and 
Nicaragua, which had been in the region for the last week and a 
half.  Maria, who has received threats to her physical safety in the 
past because of her work advocating on behalf of indigenous 
communities fighting for their land and other basic human rights, was 
briefing the caravan on an important case that she is currently 
working on.  Had she not been away from her home meeting with the 
caravan, she could have met with the same fate as her husband.

Francisco Jose was found bound and gagged, shot in his heart.  A 
police investigation is under way, however at this time, there is no 
information available about who is responsible for this heinous act.

The caravan members were able to accompany Attorney Acosta today, but 
we remain extremely concerned about her continued safety given this 
violent attack against her immediate family.  The caravan held a 
press conference Tuesday afternoon in Managua to call for the 
immediate apprehension of the assassins and for the guaranteed 
protection of Attorney Acosta and her family.

IFCO/Pastors for Peace is urgently requesting that you communicate 
your concern to Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños, specifically 
calling to:

1.  Express your  outrage at the senseless murder of Francisco José 
García Valle and concern for the security of Maria Acosta and her 
family, who have been at the forefront of the struggle for indigenous 
rights in the region.
2.  Demand that the security of Maria Acosta and her family be 
ensured by the government of Nicaragua and that a rigorous, stepped 
up investigation into the murder begin NOW.
3.  Demand that the assassins be immediately apprehended and brought 
to justice.

Please address your letters to President Enrique Bolaños to:
The Nicaraguan Ambassador
The Republic of Nicaragua
1627 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20009
Telephone: (202) 9396570
Fax: (202) 939-6574
More information as to where to send messages of condolence and 
solidarity, as well as future actions to take, will be available 
shortly.


The ProLibertad Freedom Camapaign
ProLibertad at h...
Http://www.ProLibertad.org

IFCO/Pastors for Peace
402 W 145th Street, New York City, NY 10031
212-926-5757; fax: 212-926-5842; email: ifco at i...;
web: http://www.ifconews.org