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El Salvador Election Observers Detained!
Find out how you can help! Free elections are being threatened in El Salvador, once again.
URGENT ACTION! International Election Obeservers
Detained at Salvadoran Airport
Call and write your Embassies in El Salvador as well as your Elected Officials.
Donate money to help the CIS cover extra costs arising out of this emergency.
March 13, 2004 7:15pm
Six international election observers have been detained upon attempting to enter El
Salvador. Three arrived at 7:00 p.m. last night (March 12), but were not allowed to
pass through immigration until 1:00 a.m. Three more observers arrived at 12:50 this
afternoon, and were not permitted to pass immigration until 7:00 p.m. tonight.
The immigration police have informed observers that the Ministry of Governance has
issued a general directive to deny entry to international election observers. The
CIS was able to get three observers through immigration at 1:00 a.m this morning
through contacts, fast work, and pressure. An agreement was reached that observers
would be permitted to enter El Salvador if the CIS gave the Immigration Police a
list with the names and passport numbers of international observers. This list was
previously approved by by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). The CIS delivered
the original list, signed and stamped by the TSE, to airport immigration. Despite
this agreement, today three additional international observers were detained at the
Comalapa International Airport, along with an estimated 60 other people entering the
country for various reasons. Among them were a Spanish Priest and an FMLN Mayor from
the town of Torola, Morazan.
In addition to official TSE accreditation of the CIS mission, international election
observation is recognized by the United Nations, as well as the Organization of
American States. The Human Rights Ombudswoman of El Salvador, Dr. Beatrice de
Carrillo, is on call and assisting us with the current situation. A United States
Embassy official reported that earlier today a representative of U.S. State
Department contaced a high functionary of the Salvadoran Ministry of Governance to
inquire about the detention of observers. The State Department was told not to
interfere, and that international observers would not be admitted to the country.
We need your financial support and we need you to take action. We are incurring
expenses dealing with this emergency, including the cost of extra trips to the
airport, cell phone calls and extra pay for drivers. We ask that you give $100. Any
extra money raised will be used for our Building Democracy Fund.
PO BOX 17025
St. Paul, MN 55117-0025, U.S.A.
If you are able to make a donation, please send us an email with the amount.
We also need you to contact your Ambassadors in El Salvador as well as your elected
officials to denounce this situation. Express your concern about this violation of
the TSE Rules for International Observation of Electoral Processes in El Salvador,
and ask them to contact the officials in the Salvadoran Government to do the same.
Contact information for your Ambassador in El Salvador is as follows:
CANADA:
Telephone: 011 (503) 279-4655
Fax: 011 (503) 279-0765
In Canada: 1-800-0-CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or (613) 944-4000
email: { HYPERLINK mailto:enqserv [at] dfait-maeci.gc.ca }enqserv [at] dfait-maeci.gc.ca
FRANCE:
Telephone: 00 503 279 4016, 00 503 279 4017, 00 503 279 4018 Fax : 00 503 298 1536
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:ambafrance [at] integra.com.sv }ambafrance [at] integra.com.sv
GERMANY:
Tel.: 00 (503)-247-0000 Fax.: 00 (503)-247-0099 e-mail: {HYPERLINK
"mailto:embajada.alemana [at] web.de"}embajada.alemana [at] web.de
JAPAN:
Tel.: 001 0041 224-4740, 001 0041 224-4612
Fax: 001 0041 298-6685
ITALY:
Tel. 00 503 223-5184 Fax. 00 503 298-3050
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:ambitalia [at] ambasciatait.org.sv }ambitalia [at] ambasciatait.org.sv
SPAIN:
Teléfono: 00 503 257-5700, 00 503 257-5712
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:embespsv [at] correo.mae.es }embespsv [at] correo.mae.es
UNITED STATES:
Fax: 001 503-278 6011
Telephone: 011-503-278-4444
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:congensansal [at] state.gov }congensansal [at] state.gov
Contact information for your government can be found at the following website:
{ HYPERLINK
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/foreign.html
}http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/for eign.html
Contact information for United States Government Representatives can be found at the
following website: { HYPERLINK http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
}http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
http://www.trincoll.edu/~jshump/El%20Salvador%20Sept%2015.htm
http://resist.ca/story/2003/10/16/10640/339
http://www.cis-elsalvador.org/archive/actionalerts/2003-09.htm
Detained at Salvadoran Airport
Call and write your Embassies in El Salvador as well as your Elected Officials.
Donate money to help the CIS cover extra costs arising out of this emergency.
March 13, 2004 7:15pm
Six international election observers have been detained upon attempting to enter El
Salvador. Three arrived at 7:00 p.m. last night (March 12), but were not allowed to
pass through immigration until 1:00 a.m. Three more observers arrived at 12:50 this
afternoon, and were not permitted to pass immigration until 7:00 p.m. tonight.
The immigration police have informed observers that the Ministry of Governance has
issued a general directive to deny entry to international election observers. The
CIS was able to get three observers through immigration at 1:00 a.m this morning
through contacts, fast work, and pressure. An agreement was reached that observers
would be permitted to enter El Salvador if the CIS gave the Immigration Police a
list with the names and passport numbers of international observers. This list was
previously approved by by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). The CIS delivered
the original list, signed and stamped by the TSE, to airport immigration. Despite
this agreement, today three additional international observers were detained at the
Comalapa International Airport, along with an estimated 60 other people entering the
country for various reasons. Among them were a Spanish Priest and an FMLN Mayor from
the town of Torola, Morazan.
In addition to official TSE accreditation of the CIS mission, international election
observation is recognized by the United Nations, as well as the Organization of
American States. The Human Rights Ombudswoman of El Salvador, Dr. Beatrice de
Carrillo, is on call and assisting us with the current situation. A United States
Embassy official reported that earlier today a representative of U.S. State
Department contaced a high functionary of the Salvadoran Ministry of Governance to
inquire about the detention of observers. The State Department was told not to
interfere, and that international observers would not be admitted to the country.
We need your financial support and we need you to take action. We are incurring
expenses dealing with this emergency, including the cost of extra trips to the
airport, cell phone calls and extra pay for drivers. We ask that you give $100. Any
extra money raised will be used for our Building Democracy Fund.
PO BOX 17025
St. Paul, MN 55117-0025, U.S.A.
If you are able to make a donation, please send us an email with the amount.
We also need you to contact your Ambassadors in El Salvador as well as your elected
officials to denounce this situation. Express your concern about this violation of
the TSE Rules for International Observation of Electoral Processes in El Salvador,
and ask them to contact the officials in the Salvadoran Government to do the same.
Contact information for your Ambassador in El Salvador is as follows:
CANADA:
Telephone: 011 (503) 279-4655
Fax: 011 (503) 279-0765
In Canada: 1-800-0-CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or (613) 944-4000
email: { HYPERLINK mailto:enqserv [at] dfait-maeci.gc.ca }enqserv [at] dfait-maeci.gc.ca
FRANCE:
Telephone: 00 503 279 4016, 00 503 279 4017, 00 503 279 4018 Fax : 00 503 298 1536
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:ambafrance [at] integra.com.sv }ambafrance [at] integra.com.sv
GERMANY:
Tel.: 00 (503)-247-0000 Fax.: 00 (503)-247-0099 e-mail: {HYPERLINK
"mailto:embajada.alemana [at] web.de"}embajada.alemana [at] web.de
JAPAN:
Tel.: 001 0041 224-4740, 001 0041 224-4612
Fax: 001 0041 298-6685
ITALY:
Tel. 00 503 223-5184 Fax. 00 503 298-3050
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:ambitalia [at] ambasciatait.org.sv }ambitalia [at] ambasciatait.org.sv
SPAIN:
Teléfono: 00 503 257-5700, 00 503 257-5712
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:embespsv [at] correo.mae.es }embespsv [at] correo.mae.es
UNITED STATES:
Fax: 001 503-278 6011
Telephone: 011-503-278-4444
Email: { HYPERLINK mailto:congensansal [at] state.gov }congensansal [at] state.gov
Contact information for your government can be found at the following website:
{ HYPERLINK
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/foreign.html
}http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/for eign.html
Contact information for United States Government Representatives can be found at the
following website: { HYPERLINK http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
}http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
http://www.trincoll.edu/~jshump/El%20Salvador%20Sept%2015.htm
http://resist.ca/story/2003/10/16/10640/339
http://www.cis-elsalvador.org/archive/actionalerts/2003-09.htm
For more information:
http://www.cispes.org/english/
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