Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2003 - Ecuador

Threats from the White Legion¹¹²

On 15th February 2003, a group called "White Legion" (Legión Blanca) issued a communiqué designating human rights defenders as "military targets" and threatening to eliminate them. The communiqué targets journalists from several alternative media, members of indigenous and farmers' organisations, the religious sector, humanitarian workers, intellectuals and teachers, trade union leaders, and left-wing parties and political movements. The White Legion also "warned" civil servants who represent indigenous people and left-wing elements in the new government, whom it labels "ex-subversives" and "red rebels".

In this communiqué, for the first time the White Legion claimed to enjoy the support of members of the national police and armed forces and the implicit support of the government through its foreign and economic policy decisions (alliance with the United States and the Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe). Unlike previous communiqués, which included the names of the members of the armed forces that had taken part in the mutiny of 21st January 2000, no military personnel are named in this new communiqué.

The White Legion first appeared in July 2001 and sent several email communiqués containing death threats against representatives of Ecuadorian civil society and claiming responsibility for murders and other illegal action (raids, sabotage, etc.).

In its first communiqué, dated 30th July 2001, the group explicitly threatened the following human rights defenders: Mr. Alexis Ponce, spokesperson for the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH, Asamblea Permanente de Derechos Humanos), Mr. Pablo de la Vega, coordinator of the Human Rights Documentation Centre, Mrs Yanet Yanez and Mrs. Teresa Orrego, from the Network of Brotherhood and Solidarity between Colombia and Ecuador, Mrs. Elsie Monje, president of the Ecumenical Commission on Human Rights (CEDHU, Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos), Inés Espinosa, executive secretary of the Ecuadorian Front for Human Rights (FEDHU, Frente Ecuatoriano de Derechos Humanos), Mr. Johnny Jimenez, president of the Peace and Justice Service (SERPAJ, Servicio Paz y Justicia). These people were falsely accused of maintaining direct links with the guerrillas and Colombian "narco-terrorists" from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN, Ejercito de Liberación Nacional) and with bringing weapons into Ecuador from Colombia with the aim of destabilising democracy.

On 20th August 2001, in its fourth communiqué, the White Legion claimed responsibility for several summary executions, in particular the murders of Mrs. Dilva Stepp, director of the Pro-Refugee Committee of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (Comité Pro Refugiados de la Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana), and her driver committed on 2nd August 2001 in Honduras.

These threats can be set against a background of public declarations against human rights defenders made by the former President of Ecuador, Gustavo Noboa Bejarano, and by several senior army and police personnel. These statements, which could be interpreted as a sign of approval or impunity for acts committed against human rights defenders, have seriously endangered the safety of defenders.

After the first threats, the national police were asked to investigate. Although the public authorities had knowledge of the existence of the para-statal group, no measure has been taken to stop further action or to identify the culprits and bring them to justice. In 2002, the group was silent.

Alexis Ponce harassed¹¹³

Mr. Alexis Ponce, spokesperson for the Permanent Association for Human Rights (APDH, Asociación Permanente por los Derechos Humanos) continues to be harassed by the Ecuadorian authorities. On 4th December 2003, in a written document delivered to the office of the APDH, Mr. Ponce was summoned to appear before the Brigade of Crimes of the Judicial Police of Pichincha on 10th December, for allegedly destroying public property. The charge, which has been running since 2000, refers to the peaceful occupation of the Supreme Court of Justice on 21st February 2000 as part of a general movement calling for better conditions.

[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]

112. See Urgent Appeal ECU 003/0108/OBS 073.01 and Annual Report 2001.

113. See Annual Report 2001.