WRM Action Alerts - Sample letter: Guatemala 0607

Sample letter:
Violent Death Returns to Champerico.

Mr. Alfonso Portillo.
Constitutional President of the Republic of Guatemala.

Mr. President:

From the beginning of May we have been following the disturbing news about the grave problems between the shrimp farm company CAMARSA and the fishermen communities of Champerico. We have learned of the demands that have been issued by the communities to save the mangroves, avoid the pollution and stop the shrimp farm expansion that CAMARSA is doing. We know too of this same company's serious violations of Guatemalan laws meant to regulate mangrove forest resources. Also, we are stunned to. have heard about the death of two people of the community in one month who had protested these developments, including one shot by the guards of CAMARSA.

We are concerned that these recent acts of violence have been generated by the shrimp farm company CAMARSA which has seemingly acted with unjust power and impunity. Local people have told us that CAMARSA has appropriated, degraded and contaminated the wetlands that have been used as source of incomes and food for the communities for many years. During the last two months the local people have been attempting to call the attention to this problem in order to reverse this worsening situation. The response that the communities have received from the government over which you preside has been ineffective in resolving these serious issues.

We respectfully urge your government to implement the following measures to solve the conflicts by:

. Stopping immediately the conflict provoked by CAMARSA by supporting local
people in their demands.

. Applying the law to the Guards and the North American manager, Mike
Corser--those same employees of CAMARSA implicated in the recent shooting
death of Fernando Chiyoc and to the members of the security forces of the
state implicated in last month's killing of Maytin Castellanos.

. Attending immediately to the demands of the local communities that the
government investigates the environmental damages and social irregularities
caused by the company. These violations are severe enough to call for an
immediate cancellation of CAMARSA's operating license.

Worldwide, shrimp farms are causing environmental and social impacts vastly harmful wherever this industry is growing, It is necessary that your government take immediate action to halt this type of unregulated and destructive "development " along the Guatemalan coasts.. Not doing so with a firm resolve will only ensure that the conflicts like that in Champerico will intensify and spread along all of the coastline of Guatemala. The consequences in terms of environmental and social costs for Guatemala if the shrimp industry is not properly controlled are enormous. As Guatemala's president, it is your responsibility to ensure that justice prevails and that both human rights and environmental conservation laws are clearly respected.

Sincerely,
Your name, organization and country