CABANAS, El Salvador.– Amnesty International has issued several Urgent Action with regards to human rights defenders and media journalists in the Cabanas department of El Salvador between 2009 and 2011.

Pablo Ayala and Manuel Navarrte are journalists at Radio Victoria, a community radio station that reports on social and human rights.

On April 30, 2011 at 4a.m. Pablo Ayala (who had spent the night in the office due to rain) discovered a letter had been delivered to the office. The letter contained death threats to both himself and Manuel Navarrte, stating that the journalists had three days to leave the area or they would suffer the consequences. The letter stated “Those rubbish news bulletins [where] you broadcast only negative criticism [...] you don’t know what is waiting for you, we have photos and video of you”( “Esa porqueria del noticiero que asen [sic] solo de criticas destrutivas [...] no saben los que les espera les tenemos en fotos y videos“), the author said the threat came from a death squad (“grupo de extermino“).

On May 2, 2011 at 20:00 Pablo received to text messages signed by the “death squad” sent via internet to his mobile phone. One of the messages stated “from Wednesday onwards if you are at the radio station you will regret it. You have made us lose our patience, let’s see what it will take you to stop talking” (“del miercoles para alla si estas en la radio te lamentaras ya nos rompieron la placencia vamos a ver que ganas tu por que no paras de hablar“).

News producer at Radio Victoria, Marixela Ramos received two text messages on the same day at around 20:00. One of the messages read, “Look fool, we already know where you live [...] stop that news bulletin you are the coordinator you also have a daugther” (“Mira mage ya sabemos donde vives [...] ponle paro a ese noticiero tu que eres la coordinadora tu tambien tienes a tu hija“).

On May 4, 2011 the staff of Radio Victoria held a press conference in San Salvador regarding the threatening messages they had received. Just a few hours later both Pablo Ayala and Marixela Ramos received two text messages threats. One of messages Pablo Ayala received read ” Today you should have left like we ordered you, if you haven’t done so it is not a problem we will finish our work” (“Hoy diviste aver salido como te lo ordenamos si no lo as echo no es problema nosotros terminaremos nuetro trabajo“).

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has deemed the threat to Radio Victoria to be very great and has issued Precautionary Measures which requires the state of El Salvador to ensure the staff’s safety.

Amnesty International has issued an Urgent Action on behalf of the Radio Victoria staff. They call on the public to send appeals immediately to urge authorities to protect the staff and for an “independent, thorough and impartial investigation” into the death threats, with the results made available to the public and bring those responsible to justice.

SEND APPEALS TO:

Attorney General
Romeo Benjamín Barahona Meléndez
Fiscalía General de la República
Final 4ª Calle Oriente y 19ª Av. Sur,
Residencial Primavera, Santa Tecla,
La Libertad, San Salvador,
EL SALVADOR
Fax:  011 503 2523 7421
Salutation: Estimado Sr. Fiscal/Dear Attorney General

Head of National Police
Carlos Antonio Ascencio Giron
6ta. Calle Oriente entre 8va y 10ma Ave. Sur # 42
Barrio La Vega, San Salvador,
EL SALVADOR
Fax:  011 503 2527 1145
Salutation: Estimado Sr. Comisionado/ Dear Commissioner