http://chiapas.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=147718
If you want a bad English translation, you can Goggle AFOPADI and when you get to the link to CMI, you can click: "Translate this page".
What this press release details is the abduction by armed men of both Omar Ventura [of AFOPADI (Asociacion de Formacion para el Desarrollo Integral) and PA (La Platforma Agraria)] and Carol Puigarnau [a Spanish volunteer for AFOPADI]. AFOPADI is the group that the Earthways Reforesting/Organic Agriculture projects works with down in Guatemala. And, the project for which I am now delighted to be project director for Earthways. Though I visited a second time in February of 2006, my most recent report on my website details the previous trip in May of 2005. http://www.jsiegeldesigns.com/places_far_guatemala.html
The great news is that Omar & Carol were released unharmed (as far as I can tell from one phone conversation & my passable Spanish language skills). The amazing news is that Omar is feeling encouraged by the tremendous response they had to the news by concerned people. The bad news is that their jeep was stolen. I wish I had a picture of the road up to the village during rainy season but a dry season image will have to do. Imagine the road during months of torrential rain and you have an idea of why it's important to replace it.
The loss of the truck is certainly an inconvenience. Omar took it in stride and said its loss was far outweighed by the energy the group has had ignited by the outside support. Having ridden the buses & walked to the village, I am in awe of AFOPADI as always. My inspiration is renewed by their strong and continued quest for integrating social justice with myriad other factors that conspire to make daily life an incredible challenge in rural Guatemala.
As I've said before, nature (in the form of deforestation) does not honor man made borders. We are all in this global warming thing together. In the same vein, I believe that the struggle for human rights, whether in a Guatemalan mountain hamlet or in a Hispanic neighborhood of citizens & immigrants in Chicago, unites us all.
2 comments:
Thank you for that update, Julie. It is so rare that someone is released unharmed in these situatiosn, if they are released at all. Where can we go, web-wise, if we want to help pay for another truck?
Must go paint.
Yes, given Guatemala's difficult history, we are blessed to have Omar back in one piece. Thanks for offering to contribute to new truck fund for AFOPADI. You can contact Sharon at Earthways webwise: info@earthways.org When you send your tax-deductible contribution, please earmark it for the AFOPADI Guatemala project. Earthways address is: 20178 Rockport Way/Malibu, CA 90265. I am visiting the project at the end of October and can help facilitate getting funds there.
Post a Comment