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CIS
Boulevard Universitario #4
Colonia El Roble
San Salvador, El Salvador
Centroamérica
Tel/FAX: +503 226-2623
cis_elsalvador@yahoo.com
URGENT ACTION! International Election Obeservers
Detained at El Salvador’s 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.
Saturday,
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, 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 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 Tarola, 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, 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: enqserv@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
FRANCE:
Telephone: 00 503 279 4016, 00 503 279 4017, 00 503 279 4018
Fax : 00 503 298 1536
Email: ambafrance@integra.com.sv
GERMANY:
Tel.: 00 (503)-247-0000
Fax.: 00 (503)-247-0099
e-mail:
embajada.alemana@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: ambitalia@ambasciatait.org.sv
SPAIN:
Teléfono: 00 503 257-5700, 00 503 257-5712
Email: embespsv@correo.mae.es
UNITED STATES:
Fax: 001 503-278 6011
Telephone: 011-503-278-4444
Email:
congensansal@state.gov
Contact information for your government can be found at the following website:
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/resource/internat/foreign.html
Contact
information for United States Government Representatives can be found at the
following website: http://www.firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml