NEWS RELEASE Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Nov. 21, 1997

EMBASSY VIGIL FOR FATHER CARNEY

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MATTHEW EISEN HOSPITALIZED ON 24th DAY OF FAST: IN OBSERVATION

200 HONDURANS IN VIGIL/DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF U.S. EMBASSY

SOLIDARITY MESSAGE FROM FASTERS TO CELEBRATION OF ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARTYRS OF THE UCA IN SAN SALVADOR

For more information, contact EPICA in Washington, DC, at: (202) 332-0292 or COFADEH in Tegucigalpa--country code 504, then 379800.

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At 1 p.m. today Matthew Eisen was hospitalized and placed under observation. He and Father Joseph Mulligan, SJ, are now in the 24th day of their fast, along with others in various countries. Eisen stated: "I am feeling hungry, but my hunger for truth and justice in the case of Father Carney and other disappeared persons is stronger." He will be examined by Dr. Oscar Mejia, M.D. A medical report is expected tomorrow.

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This morning over 200 Hondurans, mostly from the Honduran Committee of Action for Peace (COHAPAZ), joined the vigil in front of the US embassy, which included picketing and singing. This represented a doubling of the number of Hondurans involved since this past Monday, when 100 Lencas (indigenous) participated.

Other organizations represented were COFADEH and the Catholic University Community, three of whose members played guitar and led the singing. Andres Thomas Conteris of the Christian Commission for Development reported on the Nov. 15-16 protest against the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA, in which 2000 people took part and 600 were arrested for civil disobedience.

John Patrick Carney (brother of Fr. Carney), Sister Frances Brenner, and Irene Tretow (cousins of Fr. Carney) were also present at Ft. Benning, representing the Embassy Vigil for Fr. Carney.

The embassy had no response from Washington to pass along to Eisen and Mulligan. They continue to fast and await a serious response from the U.S. government.

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On Nov. 14 the participants in the fast and vigil sent the following message to those who would be celebrating the anniversary of the martyrs of the Central American University (UCA) in San Salvador on the night of the 15th:

"The testimony of life and death of the martyrs of the UCA, and the long struggle to identify those responsible and to bring out the truth, has inspired us to intensify the struggle for the truth in the case of Father James (Guadalupe) Carney, who disappeared in Honduras in 1983.

"Some Honduran ex-soldiers have said that he was captured, tortured, and killed by the Honduran military. They had received training from the U.S. Army at the School of the Americas and in other places.

"It is also quite possible that some U.S. agents were involved in the killing of Father Carney.

"On Nov. 16 we will enter into the 19th day of a fast and vigil in front of the U.S. embassy here in Tegucigalpa, which we started after being thrown out of the embassy by U.S. Marines.

"We demand from the U.S. government a serious response to the Honduran government s request for documentos about Father Carney and other disappeared persons. So far the U.S. government has only ridiculed the Honduran government, presenting documents which are more than 50% blacked out.

"We demand that the U.S. Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and Representatives and Senators look at the original (unexpurgated) documents to see whether there is evidence of criminal activity on the part of U.S. or Honduran citizens.

"Furthermore, we demand that the U.S. government offer the Honduran government whatever technical assistance may be necessary to find the remains of Father Carney.

"We feel a deep solidarity with all of you, knowing that Father Carney is represented in the museum of the martyrs in the UCA.

An embrace to all!

Sister Jean Brenner (cousin of Father Carney), working in Nicaragua

Matthew Eisen of Cincinnati, now working in San Salvador

Fr. Joe Mulligan, SJ, of Nicaragua

Also in the name of:

Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (auxiliary bishop of Detroit)

John Patrick Carney (brother of Father Carney) of Minneapolis

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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