Nahuat Leader Captured by Salvadoran Police

From Anthony J. Chavez, 18 September 1998

Gente!

Creator has a way of helping me keep things in perspective and maintain focus on why we have come together. . .

My Sun dance family has been assaulted in the most horrifying and devastating way as of wednesday night in El Salvador. What is known about this matter follows my message.

One of our members, Adrian Esquino Lisco and his associate, were captured on Wednesday night past by Salvadoran police. He was recognized at last year's League of Inidigenous Sovereign Nations conference for his work in Salvador on behalf of his people and recognized as the leader of the Nahuat. His family are my personal friends and part of the Sun dance family. They were granted political asylum just this year after NINE YEARS OF WAITING. They can never go back home. Please take immediate action to protest Adrian's capture and the capture of his associate, Elba Perez.

anthony j. chavez
co-coordinator, Challenging White Supremacy Workshop
zapata@together.net

PS: for tracking purposes please send me an email with SUBJECT: Free Adrian!/lf once you have taken action....it is never too late to complete an action alert!

National Civil Police in El Salvador captured Adrian Esquino Lisco, Spiritual Leader of the National Association of Indigenous Salvadorans (ANIS), and Elba Perez, an ANIS director, last night September 16, 1998 at 7:00 pm. Perez and Esquino are in custody now in Santa Ana, Sonsonate El Salvador. They were taken away in vans with liscence plate number 03889 and 02631. Their lives are in danger and disappearence, torture, and extrajudicial execution is feared.

Orders for capture for another ANIS director, Fermin Guardado, have also been issued. The Minister of Interior, Mario Acosta and the Attorney General, Manuel Cordoba, issued orders for the arrests.

The arrests follow several years of harrassment and eviction of the ANIS cooperatives at San Ramon and las Hojas. Las Hojas suffered a massacre of 74 unarmed Nahuat farmers in 1983. Survivors were evicted by National Civil Police through orders of ARENA party representatives in 1997. Adrian Esquino Lisco has led the struggle for justice for the survivors. He is also the founder of the Indian Movement in El Salvador.

Please send faxes immediately to the Attorney General's Office in El Salvador, [international access code] 503-289-1801. Fax letters to your delegates in Congress asking them to intervene. Copies can be sent to ANIS-USA at 301-495-2633.

Lives depend on your response. Thank you.