5
•
on February 1, 2004, unknown persons attempted to
assassinate Leonidas Iza, President of the Confederation of
Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) and his family;
the attempt left one of his children gravely wounded. These
events prompted the Commission to grant precautionary
measures on February 26, 2004. Leonidas Iza has consistently
expressed CONAIE’s opposition to the militarization of the
Sarayaku indigenous territory;
•
on March 1, 2004, as he was getting off public transportation in
Quito, Marlon Santi, President of the Sarayaku, was attacked
and physically assaulted as his assailants punched and kicked
him. Mr. Santi was about to travel to Washington, D.C., to a
working meeting convened by the Commission. His assailants
called him an Indian and made specific references to Sarayaku,
the oil business and the country’s development, and warned
him to abandon his opposition to the oil exploration and drilling.
After hitting him, they threw him on the ground and opened his
bag, stealing his passport and other identification papers;
•
some days after Marlon Santi was physically assaulted, police
searched the Sarayaku offices in Puyo. The search was done
“by order of the Ministry of Defense.” The police questioned
everyone there, but no record of the interrogation was
prepared;
•
on April 6, 2004, the Pachamama Foundation and the
Amazanga Institute received a telephone call warning them of a
bomb in their facilities. These organizations have consistently
supported the Sarayaku community; and
•
with regard to the obligation to investigate the attacks upon the
Sarayaku people, the petitioners reported that the January 26,
2003 attack, the violence committed against villagers on
December 4 and 5, 2003, and the other acts of violence and
intimidation reported have not been investigated by any State
authority;
q)
on April 28, 2004, the petititioners reported that on April 23, 2004,
José Serrano Salgado, attorney and legal representative of the
Sarayaku people, was attacked and physically assaulted by three
armed and hooded men, while he was on his way to a meeting with
the Sarayaku leaders in Puyo. Holding a pistol to his head, his
assailants threatened him and warned him to abandon his work on
behalf of the Sarayaku indigenous people;
r)
on April 30, 2004, the Commission forwarded to the State the
additional information that the petitioners had supplied, with the
request that the precautionary measures be extended to include the
Sarayaku people’s attorney, Mr. José Serrano-Delgado;
s)
on May 28, 2004, the State reported on the implementation of
measures of protection in the case of the persons specifically named in
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