NEWS RELEASE TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS
Nov. 18, 1997
EMBASSY VIGIL FOR FATHER CARNEY
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VIGIL AND FAST CONTINUE
FASTERS IN 21st DAY
THREE FASTERS SPEND WEEKEND IN CATHEDRAL OF SANTA ROSA DE COPAN, HONDURAS
100 INDIGENOUS PARTICIPATE IN VIGIL AT EMBASSY
For more information, please contact COFADEH in Tegucigalpa --(504) 379800 or EPICA in Washington, DC -- (202) 332-0292. Note: mass demonstration this Friday, Nov. 21, at 9 a.m. in front of U.S. embassy.
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The Lord demands an accounting for the blood that is shed; the Lord hears the cry of the poor (Psalm 9:12).
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Three of the original 5 fasters -- John Patrick Carney, Matthew Eisen, and Father Joe Mulligan, SJ -- have decided to continue their fast as they enter the 21st day. Others in the original group will report their decision today.
Carney, Eisen, and Mulligan stated: We are still in good health and feeling very encouraged by the response of the people here in Honduras and in the U.S. Nevertheless, we are still awaiting a serious response from the U.S. government to our demands, which we presented on Oct. 29 when we entered the embassy.
So far the only responses were on that date: a letter from someone in the Department of State informing us that they would consider our demands and respond to each one in a helpful and adequate way and an important letter from Sen. Carl Levin. The senator told us that the Senate Intelligence Committee had written to the CIA, urging a more complete declassification of documents and asking that the Agency respond to the Committee within four weeks.
This was somewhat encouraging but not sufficient. We have received no response to our demands from President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Attorney General Janet Reno, or Members of Congress other than Sen. Levin, whom we have asked to review personally the originals of the blacked-out documents. Nor has the U.S. government to date offered technical assistance to the Honduran government to find Father Carney s remains.
And so we will continue in our liquids-only fast indefinitely.
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On the weekend of Nov. 15 -16, Sister Jean Brenner (Fr. Carney s cousin who returned from Nicaragua for this activity), Matthew Eisen, and Fr. Joe Mulligan, SJ, preached and gave their message in all the Masses in the cathedral of Santa Rosa de Copan, at the invitation of Bishop Luis Santos. The local mass media covered the event, and the people were very interested in the message and concerned about the case of Fr. Carney and the other disappeared.
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On Monday, Nov. 17, over 100 persons took part in the vigil in front of the embassy, thus showing the Honduran people s support for the struggle to solve the case of Father Carney and of the other disappeared.
The majority of the demonstrators were indigenous people, the Lencas, who are engaged in a hunger strike in front of the United Nations building here. They are demanding the release of two leaders who are in jail charged with participating in the toppling of a statue of Columbus. Bertha Caceres, a leader of the group, spoke in the name of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations (COPIN).
Also, Dr. Juan Almendares of the Center for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture presented a message of support for the vigil. Bertha Oliva of the Committee of Relatives of the Disappeared of Honduras (COFADEH) also spoke, as well as Father Ricardo Falla, SJ, of Progreso and a Delegate of the Word from the parish of Tocoa.
With darkness coming on, a riot squad of the Honduran police, helmetted and brandishing clubs and shields, approached, along with a truckload of Honduran soldiers, but they soon withdrew. Security officials of the embassy looked down from the roof. The fasters emphasized that the vigil is completely non-violent and that embassy officials had told them that they could hold press conferences and demonstrations on the sidewalk in front of the embassy. Eisen and Mulligan also stated that they seek no conflict with Honduran authorities.
The fasters expressed their deepest gratitude to all the vigil participants and promised to continue in the struggle until victory is gained.
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ANOTHER MASS DEMONSTRATION IS PLANNED FOR THIS FRIDAY, NOV. 21, AT 9 A.M. IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY.
PEOPLE FROM THE U.S. WHO ARE IN HONDURAS AND NEARBY COUNTRIES ARE INVITED TO COME TO HONDURAS TO HELP WITH THE VIGIL, INTERVIEWS, AND ORGANIZING.
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People may respond to Mulligan and Eisen at this email address also:
cesadeh@ns.gbm.hn-----------------------------------------------------------
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Comite de Familiares de Detenidos-Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH)
BERTHA OLIVA DE NATIVI
Coordinadora General
lorena@cofadeh.sdnhon.org.hn
Tele(fax): (504) 379800