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Antecedentes
Dentro de las actividades programadas en solidaridad con la Comunidad Indígena de Sarayaku a través de clubes ecológicos integrados por estudiantes universitarios conjuntamente con la Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (CONAIE), se realizó la Marcha por la Paz y por la Vida en la ciudad del Puyo, Provincia de Pastaza.
En esta concentración participaron aproximadamente 1.000 representantes de las comunidades sionas, secoyas, shuar-achuar y kichwas de la Amazonia Ecuatoriana, en particular, delegados y delegadas de la comunidad Indígena de Sarayaku.
El propósito de esta marcha y posterior concentración fue denunciar la situación de Sarayaku que se resiste a la actividad petrolera de la Compañaía General de Combustibles (CGC) y evidenciar el incumplimiento por parte del Gobierno Ecuatoriano de las medidas cautelares dadas por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH).
Hechos sucedidos
Ciento veinte personas salieron de la comunidad de Sarayaku, Provincia de Pastaza hasta la comunidad de Canelos con el propósito de participar en la Marcha por la Paz y por Vida en la ciudad del Puyo y, al ser impedidos el paso, regresaron a Sarayaku 111 personas, en malas condiciones: habían sufrido maltratos y estaban sin comer. Nueve personas se perdieron dos días en la selva y después lograron llegar hasta su destino que era la ciudad del Puyo. Ocho personas salieron de la ciudad del Puyo a la comunidad de Canelos a recibir a la gente que venía de Sarayaku y 9 personas permanecieron en Canelos.
1. El día miércoles 3 de diciembre del 2003 salieron 120 personas desde Sarayaku con destino al Puyo. De este grupo treinta personas que llegaron a otra comunidad llamada Pakayaku, ubicada río arriba de Sarayaku fueron impedidas de pasar por un grupo de simpatizantes de la CGC , pero gracias a la intervención del Kuraka de Pakayaku y sus pobladores mayoritarios, acordaron dejarlos en tránsito y entendimiento. Durmieron en la comunidad de Pakayacu.
2. El día jueves 4 de diciembre continúan el viaje con dirección a Canelos, el primer grupo liderado por el señor Teniente Político Edgar Gualinga, su comitiva y familia. Se les impide el paso hacia las 13 horas en la comunidad de Canelos, en el sector denominada La Cuya. Hacia las 16h00 horas, llegan el resto de gente, a las 14h00 ya habían llegado también las personas que salieron desde el Puyo al Encuentro. Cabe indicar que un grupo de gente de la comunidad de Canelos, junto con algunos de Pacayacu, y de la ciudad de Puyo, simpatizantes de la compañía petrolera CGC habían estado armados con palos, machetes, piedras, escopetas de cartucho, calibre 16. Todo esto con el propósito de impedir el paso de las personas provenientes de Sarayaku. Dichos elementos estaban con uniformes y overoles de la compañía CGC. Procedieron a golpear con palos a los compañeros que llegaron del Puyo y les condujeron hasta los otros compañeros de Sarayaku, quienes a su vez reaccionaron defendiéndose debido a que los agresores se encontraban en estado etílico. El ataque fue brutal con clara intención de matar a la gente de Sarayaku lo que provocó que las personas cayeran por barrancos, riachuelos con piedras, despeñaderos y al propio río Bobonaza. Leopoldo Santi en el ataque, cayó de unos diez metros de altura en una orilla con peña pero gracias a la mochila que cargaba en la espalda pudo amortiguar y rebotar el golpe y así se cayó desmayado en el río. Al recuperar la conciencia vio que los agresores venian nadando con machete en mano para agredirlo. Él logró salir del río abandonando su equipo y se refugió en la selva. Otros corrieron la misma desgracia como Jorge Santi que fue perseguido en canoa mientras nadaba para escaparse. Como había caído con todo, es decir con botas y mochila, no pudo nadar normalmente ya que el peso se multiplicó al mojarse. Estaba ahogándose y ahí mismo le golpearon con palos para matarlo. El Presidente de la Junta Parroquial, el Teniente Político y otros pasaron por la misma situación. A las señoras y señoritas les decían “violen, violen”. Clotilde Gualinga, Aurita Cuji, Ena Santi, Victoria Santi, Hilda Santi y otras compañeras. Estas abandonaron sus pertenencias y corrieron para ponerse a salvo. Las mochilas fueron destruidas con machetes por el grupo de agresores. En estas circunstancias, Benito Canelos, Mario Aranda (menores de edad), Marco Santi, Ena Santi, Cléber Manya, Cleotilde Gualinga, Jorge Santi perdieron sus mochilas con documentos de identificación personal y otros bienes.
Posteriormente, los compañeros se dispersaron por todos lados y más tarde se reunieron en la escuela de la Cuya. Policías que aparecieron en el lugar sugirieron que mejor se retiren. Efectivamente los agredidos se dirigieron a un cultivo de cacao donde se ubicaron y amanecieron, sin dormir aguantando los dolores de heridas, golpes, sin comida ni algo para calmar el dolor y hambre de los niños.
3. El viernes 5 de diciembre, la Policía no dio seguridad para evacuar a los heridos a pesar de que la ambulancia de la Cruz Roja estuvo presente desde el cuatro de diciembre pero el mismo grupo de agresores impidió el paso. Hacia las 16h00, después de tanto insistirle al Coronel de la Comandancia de Policía de la ciudad del Puyo, evacuaron solamente a tres heridos graves. La Policía insistía en que retornasen a Sarayaku y efectivamente así lo hicieron. En cambio, 9 compañeros de Sarayaku siguieron caminando a pie con destino al Puyo, por otra ruta distante de la Cuya, teniendo que dormir en la montaña hasta el día sábado 6 de diciembre. Continuaron caminando hasta que a las 15h00 lograron salir a la vía Canelos-Puyo a la altura de Tinguiza y Chontoa. Finalmente aparecen en este lugar Miguel Malaver y Elvis Gualinga el día viernes 5; el día sábado 6 Franco Viteri, Romel Cisneros, Emerson Shiguango, Jhonni Carrasco, el menor de edad Alexis Cuvi y horas más tarde aparecen el menor de edad Henry Gualinga y Marco Gualinga. A las 10h00 del sábado 6 de diciembre se realizó la Marcha Pacífica por la Vida y la Paz del Territorio de la Nación originaria del Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku, en las calles del Puyo.
4. Los agresores, partidarios de la actividad petrolera en avanzado estado de ebriedad, agredieron con palos y machetes, destruyeron pertenencias personales e impidieron el paso de quienes venían de Sarayaku, con el propósito de evitar que se realice los días 5 y 6 de diciembre la Marcha por la Vida y la Paz en la ciudad del Puyo. Desde esta ciudad, se pidió el auxilio médico de la Cruz Roja, pero por oposición de los partidarios de la petrolera CGC de Canelos, la Cruz Roja no pudo llegar a cumplir su misión de auxiliar a las víctimas.
5. La Policía Nacional en lugar de poner orden y garantizar el viaje de las personas de Sarayaku ordenó que se retiren y regresen a la comunidad. No dieron ninguna garantía ni seguridad para que la ambulancia evacuase a los heridos, tampoco hubo aprovisionamiento de alimentos para los niños, muy a pesar de que la Cruz Roja y la Defensa Civil disponían del vehículo apropiado. No existió intervención militar.
6. Cuando la gente de Sarayaku fue agredida, la compañera Hilda Santi, quién se escapó del ataque de la población de Canelos, por intermedio de la Misión de Canelos, comunicó telefónicamente al Puyo que necesitaban ayuda médica y por ello inmediatamente solicitamos a la Cruz Roja y Defensa Civil el auxilio médico. La Defensa Civil y la Cruz Roja acudieron inmediatamente pero se encontraron con la oposición agresiva de los agresores, quienes incluso habían cerrado la carretera con árboles cortados.
7. La gente se encontraba en el sector de la Cuya sin poder movilizarse a ningún lado y a la intemperie en la playa del río Bobonaza durante los días jueves 4 en la noche y viernes 5 de diciembre del 2003. Había mujeres y niños cargados en el pecho todas ellas fueron amenazadas con escopetas, palos, machetes, piedras e insultos. Veinticuatro personas heridas recibieron atención médica en el Hospital Voz Andes de Shell y el Hospital del Puyo los días viernes 5 y sábado 6 de diciembre de 2003, conforme iban llegando. El día domingo 7 de diciembre todos estaban ya fuera del hospital.
8. Personas perdidas. Nueve personas que continuaron caminando a pie con destino al Puyo, por otra ruta distante a la Cuya, tuvieron que dormir en la montaña hasta el día sábado 6 de diciembre y anduvieron hasta las 15h00, hora en la que logran salir a la vía Canelos-Puyo a la altura de Tinguiza y Chontoa. En definitiva, en este lugar aparecieron Miguel Malaver y Elvis Gualinga el día viernes 5 y el sábado 6 Franco Viteri, Romel Cisneros, Emerson Shiguango, Jhonni Carrasco, el menor de edad Alexis Cuji, horas más tarde aparecen el menor de edad Henry Gualinga y Marco Gualinga. A las 10h00 del sábado se realiza la Marcha Pacífica por la Vida y la Paz del Territorio de la Nación originaria del Pueblo Kichwa de Sarayaku, en la que participan las 9 personas antes nombradas.
9. De las personas responables del ataque, 10 de ellas se encontraban con traje amarillo impreso con siglas de la Compañía CGC. Los miembros uniformados de la Policía Nacional en cambio, no despejaron la vía pública obstaculizada con árboles cortados, no dieron resguardo a la Comisión que, integrada por mujeres, ancianos y niños, avanzaba pacíficamente desde Sarayaku con destino a la ciudad del Puyo y tampoco resguardaron a la Cruz Roja y Defensa Civil que fueron a auxiliar a los que quedaron inmovilizados en el sector de la Cuya.
10. La compañera Hilda Santi se comunicó por el teléfono de la Misión, luego de haberse escapado de la persecución de los pobladores de Canelos, diciendo que había compañeros inmovilizados en el sector de la Cuya, a la intemperie, sin comer, golpeados e insultados por los de Canelos. Las 111 personas regresaron por camino a Sarayaku y las nueve personas inmovilizadas salieron por la selva a la vía carrozable Chontoa–Pavayacu y de allí, avanzaron al Puyo en vehículo, sin intervención de ninguna institución de auxilio.
Trámites realizados
a) Solicitud de autorización al Gobernador de Pastaza y al Intendente de Policía para realizar la Marcha Pacífica por la Vida y la Paz.
b) Solicitud al Gobernador y a la autoridad Policial Provincial para que procediera a brindar el resguardo policial en la parroquia de Canelos a los compañeros que venían de Sarayaku.
c) Solicitud de intervención de la Cruz Roja y la Defensa Civil cuando un grupo de compañeros se encontraban inmovilizados en el sector de la Cuya.
d) Solicitud de intervención de la Iglesia Católica de Pastaza en la mediación, la misma que nos ayudó a rescatar a los pacientes más graves.
e) Solicitud al Defensor del Pueblo, quien procedió a abrir el expediente queja N. 420-2003 para investigar estos hechos.
f) Solicitud al Ministerio Público para que procediera a practicar el reconocimiento médico-legal de todas las personas agraviadas.
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Antecedents:
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), along with groups in solidarity with the Indigenous Community of Sarayaku, including environmental clubs comprised of university students, participated in the March for Peace and Life in the city of Puyo, located in Pastaza Province
Approximately 1,000 indigenous representatives from the Siona, Secoya, and Shuar-Achuar, and Kichwa peoples from the Ecuadorian Amazon and several delegates from the Indigenous Community of Sarayaku also convened to participate in the March.
The purpose of the march, and the subsequent gatherings that followed the March, was to denounce the situation that Sarayaku faces regarding its resistance to petroleum activity conducted by the Company of General Combustibles (CGC) and to demonstrate the Government of Ecuador’s incompliance with the precautionary measures ordered by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR).
Incidents:
One hundred and twenty people from the community of Sarayaku, located in Pastaza Province attempted to pass through the community of Canelos in order to reach the city of Puyo, where they were to participate in the March for Peace and Life. When their passage through Canelos was blocked, 111 people returned to Sarayaku in bad condition: they had suffered beatings and had gone without eating. Nine people from Sarayaku (upon escaping) were lost for two days in the forest, until they finally managed to reach Puyo, their final destination. Nine people from Sarayaku remained in Canelos. Eight people departed from Puyo in order to meet the Sarayaku delegation in Canelos (they also suffered beatings).
1. On Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003 120 people departed from Sarayaku with plans to reach Puyo, their final destination. Of this group thirty people reached another community called Pakayaku, located upriver from Sarayaku; there their passage was impeded by a small group of people from Pakayaku that sympathize with CGC. However, thanks to the intervention of the Kuraka (traditional authority) of Pakayaku and the majority of Pakayaku’s community members, the delegation from Sarayaku was allowed to pass through without additional problems. They stayed overnight in the community of Pakayaku.
2. On Thursday, December 4th, 2003 the Sarayaku delegation continued their trip and headed toward Canelos. The first group was led by the Teniente Politico of Sarayaku, Edgar Gualinga, his family, and his delegated commission. Upon reaching Canelos, this group’s passage was impeded until 1:00pm in a section of Canelos known as Cuya. At 2:00 p.m. the commission that departed Puyo in order to meet the delegation arrived in Canelos. At 4:00 p.m. the rest of Sarayaku’s delegation arrived in Canelos. It should be noted that when those from Sarayaku arrived, a group of people from Canelos, along with a few individuals from Pakayaku and Puyo, who sympathize with CGC were waiting for the delegation armed with clubs, machetes, stones, and 16 caliber fire arms. This was done with the intent of preventing Sarayaku’s delegation from passing through.
The group of armed persons wore CGC uniforms and overalls. They proceeded to beat the Sarayaku commission that had arrived from Puyo until the rest of the Sarayaku delegation (coming from Pakayaku) arrived. Upon their arrival, the delegation from Sarayaku immediately reacted and defended themselves because the aggressors were in a state of drunkenness. The attacks they suffered were brutal and were intended to kill those from Sarayaku; as a result those from Sarayaku took drastic action to save themselves, including jumping into ravines, riverbeds with sharp stones, boulders, and the Bobonaza River. During the attack, Leopoldo Santi fell ten meters onto a river bank with rocks; luckily the backpack he carried on his back broke his fall, but due to the fall he slipped into the river unconscious. Upon regaining consciousness, he saw the aggressors swimming toward him with a machete in hand to attack him again. He managed to get out of the river, and leaving his belongings behind, escaped into the forest. Other people from Sarayaku suffered the same fate; Jorge Santi, for example, was persecuted by canoe as he tried to escape by swimming away. When Jorge fell into the river he had his boots and backpack on and therefore he could not swim normally because the weight of his belongings increased upon getting wet. He was consequently near drowning and yet the aggressors nevertheless proceeded to beat him with clubs. The Parish President and the Teniente Politico from Sarayaku suffered the same situation. To the women and young girls, the aggressors chanted “rape them, rape them.” Clotilde Gualinga, Aurita Cuji, Ena Santi, Victoria Santi, Hilda Santi and other women thus abandoned their belongings and to save themselves escaped into the forest. The aggressors used machetes to destroy their backpacks. The backpacks of Benito Canelos, Mario Aranda (a minor), Marco Santi, Ena Santi, Cléber Manya, Cleotilde Gualinga, Jorge Santi, which contained I.D.’s and other personal belongings, were also destroyed.
The Police forces that appeared suggested that the Sarayaku delegation would be better off retreating. Those that had been injured thus found a cacao tree where they gathered and stayed until dawn the next morning; they were unable to sleep given that they had to endure their injuries and beatings with nothing to calm their pain- they also had gone without eating and had nothing to ease the children’s hunger.
3. On Friday, December 5th, the Police failed to take security measures to evacuate those that had been injured despite the fact that the Red Cross ambulance was standing by since December 4th, but had been prevented from passing through by the aggressors. After continuously pressuring the Colonel of the Police Command in Puyo, the Police finally allowed for the evacuation of three injured individuals at 4:00 p.m. The police insisted that the rest of the Sarayaku delegation return to Sarayaku, and they complied. However, nine individuals from Sarayaku continued walking towards Puyo, taking a route that was located far away from Cuya; along the way they had to sleep in the mountains until December 6th. They continued walking until they reached the Canelos-Puyo Roadway at 5:00 pm at a point above Tinuiza and Chontoa. At this site on Friday, December 5th Miguel Malaver and Elvis Gualinga arrived; on Saturday December 6th, Franco Viteri, Romel Cisneros, Emerson Shiguango, Jhonni Carrasco (a minor) and Alexis Cuvi arrived and joined them at this site; a few hours later Henry Gualinga (a minor) and Marco Gualinga also arrived.
At 10:00 am on Saturday, December 6th, the peaceful March for Peace and Life for the Territory of the Millenary Nation of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku initiated in the city of Puyo.
4. The aggressors, tied to the petroleum company CGC and acting in a state of drunkenness, attacked those from Sarayaku with clubs and machetes, destroyed their personal belongings, and impeded their passage with the intent of preventing the March for Life and Peace from occurring on December 5th and 6th in the city of Puyo. From Puyo, medical assistance was requested from the Red Cross, but because of the opposition put forward by the aggressors, and the rest of those tied to CGC in Canelos, the Red Cross was unable to complete its mission of providing medical assistance to the victims.
5. The National Police, instead of creating order and guaranteeing the safe passage of those from Sarayaku, ordered the Sarayaku delegation to retreat and return to its community. They did not provide any guarantees or security measures to allow for the evacuation of those injured, and they also failed to distribute food to the children even though the Red Cross and the Civilian Defense unit had the food and distribution mechanisms available. There was no military intervention.
6. When those from Sarayaku were injured, Hilda Santi, who escaped the attacks, fled to the Catholic Mission in Canelos and by telephone communicated with leaders in Puyo- alerting them of the fact that the Sarayaku delegation was in need of medical attention; the Red Cross and the Civil Defense Unit responsible for medical assistance were then notified. The Civil Defense Unit and the Red Cross immediately responded and departed to the site of confrontation, however the attackers aggressively blocked their passage and went so far as to block the principal roadway with large tree trunks.
7. they found themselves “trapped” in a sector of Cuya without being able to move and thus had to stay along the riverbank of the Bobonaza River during the night of December 4th and on December 5th. Women carrying babies on their back were present and they were threatened with fire arms, clubs, machetes, stones, and insults. Twenty-four injured persons received medical attention at the Hospital Voz Andes in Shell or at the Puyo Hospital on Friday December 5th and Saturday December 6th in the order that they arrived. By December 7th everyone had been released by the hospital.
8. Persons Lost. Nine people continued walking by foot toward Puyo, taking a route that was located far away from Cuya; along the way they had to sleep in the mountains until December 6th. They continued walking until on December 6th at 3:00 p.m. they reached the Canelos-Puyo Roadway at a point above Tinuiza and Chontoa. At this site on Friday, December 5th Miguel Malaver and Elvis Gualinga arrived; on Saturday December 6th, Franco Viteri, Romel Cisneros, Emerson Shiguango, Jhonni Carrasco (a minor) and Alexis Cuvi arrived and joined them at this site; a few hours later Henry Gualinga (a minor) and Marco Gualinga also arrived. At 10:00 am on Saturday, December 6th, the peaceful March for Peace and Life for the Territory of the Millenary Nation of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku initiated in the city of Puyo and the nine afore-mentioned individuals participated.
9. Of those responsible for the attacks, 10 of them were wearing a yellow suit with the CGC initials printed on the suits. The National Police forces were in uniform and yet did nothing to clear the public roadway that had been blocked with trees, they failed to provide security to Sarayaku’s Delegation which included women, children, and elders and was traveling peacefully from Sarayaku to Puyo; The Police also failed to protect the Red Cross and Civil Defense Units that attempted to provide medical assistance to those that were injured and unable to move in the sector of Cuya.
10. Hilda Santi, after escaping from the persecution of those from Canelos, communicated by telephone from the Church’s Mission and alerted those in Puyo that some of Sarayaku’s community members were injured and unable to move in Cuya and that they had gone without eating and had been beaten and insulted by those from Canelos. She also informed them that the rest of the 111 individuals that were part of Sarayaku’s delegation returned to Sarayaku but that 9 people had fled into the forest and were attempting to reach the roadway Chontoa-Pavayacu. From this site they were transported by car to Puyo without having received assistance from any institution.
Official Transactions Taken:
a) Request for authorization to conduct the Peaceful March for Peace and Life from the Governor of Pastaza.
b) Request for security and police protection in Canelos for the delegation coming from Sarayaku from the Governor and the Police Authorities in Pastaza.
c) Request for intervention by the Red Cross and the Civil Defense when a group of those from Sarayaku were unable to move when trapped in Cuya.
d) Request for intervention from the Catholic Church in Pastaza to serve as a mediator; through this role the Church assisted in rescuing the victims that had faced the most serious injuries.
e) Request to the Ombudsman, who proceeded by opening a formal complaint #420-2003 to investigate these incidents.
f) Request to the Public Ministry that it proceed to file an acknowledgement of the medical injuries that the victims suffered.
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