ISN Folks,

The following comes from Carlos Zorilla of DECOIN. The Community Development Council is in great need of help covering the costs to provide police protection to community leaders. Please read the note below. I am gathering information from Carlos about how to get money to Ecuador to help cover the costs. For now, however, you can donate money through the Intag Solidarity Network either on-line at http://intagsolidarity.org or by sending a check made out to ‘Canary Institute’ (our umbrella organization) at 1900 E. 10^TH ST, Eigenmann Hall, Suite 630, Bloomington, IN 47406. All money received via ISN will be transferred to folks in Intag.

Peace,

Jake

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Dear all, DECOIN met with the Community Development Council yesterday (August 29th).  They are hard pressed to cover some basic funding to keep going with their community organizing work, and to cover costs to protect Polibio Pérez, the Council’s president.  Please give them a hand. We believe the company is on their way out, and the Council’s work will be crucial to help speed it along, and keep the peace in the area.

These are their needs that they feel they need urgent funding for the next 6 months:

1. Cost to pay for food for the four police protecting Polibioi Pérez ($ 4/ day; $120 per month per police)……………..$ 2,880.00
2. Communication (cellular phone, other).$ 200 per month…………………………………………………………….$ 1,200.00
3. Coordination for community organizing.  Salary, Coordinator $ 300 a month;………. …………………………….. $ 1,800.00
4. Miscellaneous (Extra travel, other unforseen expenses); $ 120/month………………………………………………..$   720.00

TOTAL……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..$ 6,600.00

Carlos Zorrilla
DECOIN
Thanks

ISN Folks- The latest from DECOIN.

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ANTI-MINING ACTIVIST NEARLY LYNCHED BY “MINING COMPANY WORKERS”

On Tuesday, 31 of July, Polivio Pérez, president of the anti-mining Community Development Council, was nearly lynched in the town center of García Moreno by a crowd that, according to the police report DECOIN was able to obtain, was composed in part by workers belonging to the “mining company”.  Polivio reported that he was beaten by sticks, kicked and hit with rocks before the police intervened and put him in a police patrol car and took him to safety. Polivio’s motorcycle was, according to the police report, thrown over a precipice and pelted with stones, causing major damage. The crowd was taking its anger out on Mr. Perez for the actions of the government which prohibited the company from carrying out its so-called community relations work. The latest prohibition (late july), included the closing down of the company’s redundant “clinic” in Garcia Moreno.

Interestingly enough, the Municipal government has maintained a fully equipped clinic in this town for years. The company has been accused on numerous occasions of using its version of community relations work to divide the communities and exacerbating the conflicts in Intag.

On Thursday of the same week (2 August), two anti-mining activist were beaten up by another crowd of pro-miners, some of them reportedly were also Ascendant workers, in the nearby community of Barcelona.  The anti-mining activists were taken to a health center in the town of Apuela the following day for medical examinations.

This comes after the recent death threats against Mr. Pérez and the assault of a young anti-mining activist mother earlier in the month, which led Amnesty to issue a wordlwide alert denouncing these threats and abuses anti-mining activists are facing in Intag.

As a consequence of this violence, people opposed to the mining project  are saying that there is a climate of terror in Intag that was not here before Ascendant Copper Corporation came to town.

ISN Folks,

An urgent e-mail update from DECOIN.
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Just a quick note since the lines are working today (at least this morning).

Yesterday a pro-mining crowd captured polibio in Garcia Moreno and almost killed him. He was saved by police who were ordered directly from Quito to rescue him.  His motorcycle was destroyed, however.  There were at least one Ascendant employee taking place in the violence, as perhaps as much as four- according to Polibio. As soon as I cofirm this, and if the lines are good, Ill blog (he called me as soon as he could, but the call was cut off and I could notreach him again afterwards) The crowd were likely responding to the latest stop work order and perhaps to the anti-corruption findings-

We would like for polibio to leave with his family, since afterwards trusted people said they were planning on burning his house down. We’re trying to get Amnisty to include this in their alerts.