Ecuador: Urgent Action Alert in Support of Accion Ecologica
Accion Ecologica via World Rainforest Movement
September 28, 2000
Dear friends,
The Ecuadorian NGO Accion Ecologica --and specifically one of its members, Ricardo Buitron-- are facing serious problems and require international support. We are enclosing a model letter to be faxed to the Minister of the Environment of Ecuador. We urge you to send the letter and to let us know at this e-mail address.
Thank you in advance for your support in the name of Accion Ecologica.
Ricardo Carrere
World Rainforest Movement
Mr. Rodolfo Rendon
Minister of Environment of the Republic of Ecuador
Fax No. 593 2 565809
Quito - Ecuador
Your Excellency,
We have been informed about the serious events that are currently taking place in Ecuador regarding the threats and harassment which Accion Ecologica is being subjected to as a result of its involvement in the reports about the illegal allocation of state forest areas by INDA (National Agrarian Development Institute) to the logging company Botrosa and the conflicts that such action has generated.
According to information that has circulated internationally, we have learnt that the Ministry of the Environment --which you preside-- has presented a report demanding Botrosa to return to the state the land it is occupying. However, instead of complying with this demand, the company has incurred in acts of violence, such as kidnapping and torture, against members of the Ecuador Libre Association --based in the area of El Pambilar-- and has also sponsored the legal demand lodged against Accion Ecologica's forest campaigner. Both organizations have always worked to protect the remaining forests of western Ecuador and have publicly made complaints about the irregularities which are being committed there.
The environmental organization Accion Ecologica is internationally well known for its work to conserve the Ecuadorian forests as well as for its struggle to protect the rights of local communities that defend their lands and the country's natural resources.
Through this letter we wish to ask you to intervene in this case and that you request the withrawal of the legal demand lodged against Ricardo Buitron from Accion Ecologica and against the president of the Ecuador Libre Association and that you intervene in the Botrosa-El Pambilar case, that contributes to the preservation of the Ecuadorian forests, which constitute the heritage of both Ecuador and the entire world.
Your sincerely,
SIGNATURE