Carlos Albacete Rosales (m) and Piedad Espinosa Albacete (f), Co-directors of environmental organisation Green Tropic (Tropico Verde)
An attempt on the lives of two environmentalists has been made in Guatemala City. Amnesty International believes that their lives and those of other colleagues are in grave danger.
Environmental activists Carlos Albacete Rosales and Piedad Espinosa Albacete were the subjects of an apparent attempt on their lives as they returned home from the La Aurora National Airport in Guatemala City in a taxi on Wednesday 10 January 2007 at 12.20am.
As they approached their house in the area known as Carretera a El Salvador, they saw a grey Volkswagen Golf parked less than 1km from their house. The car pulled out behind them and followed them until overtaking the taxi a few metres further on and making a 180 degree turn in front of them, partially blocking the road.
Four men got out of the car, drawing their handguns as they did so. They were wearing black woollen hats and dark- coloured bullet-proof vests, dressed in black clothing similar to that used by the police but without the identifying insignia. They stood in front of the taxi and began to shoot at it. The taxi driver carried on forwards, leaving the four men behind. They continued to shoot at the taxi but did not pursue it any further. [see Nisgua for more]
Trade Unionist Killed
In a separate incident a trade unionist, Pedro Zamora, was killed (16-01-07). This from the Frente Nacional de Lucha En Defensa de los Servicios Publicos y Los Recursos Naturales:
"Con profunda preocupación informamos que ayer fue vilmente asesinado el compañero Pedro Zamora, quien fungía como Secretario General del Sindicato de Trabajadores de Puerto Quetzal, STPQ. En el atentado además resultó herido su hijo de 3 años, Ángel Estuardo.
Este repudiable hecho ocurrió en momentos en que el Sindicato renegocia los alcances de su Pacto Colectivo y el pago de derechos laborales que han sido violentados por la Gerencia General de la empresa portuaria." [more on Albedrio.org or CERIGUA has a report]
And now Reuters have just covered the story in English- "Guatemalan union boss killed in front of children".Este repudiable hecho ocurrió en momentos en que el Sindicato renegocia los alcances de su Pacto Colectivo y el pago de derechos laborales que han sido violentados por la Gerencia General de la empresa portuaria." [more on Albedrio.org or CERIGUA has a report]
Update (19-01-2007)
Since Pedro Zamora's death, several of his colleagues have reportedly received anonymous phone calls threatening them and their families with death within nine days. Amnesty International believes that their lives are in serious and imminent danger. [more from NISGUA]
