26/06/2007

Representatives of Latin American NGOs meet in São Paulo

Such violations, especially of civil and political rights, have escalated vigorously in the past seven years. The main violations include attacks on judges, lawyers, and journalists; torture; political repression of civil society and members of the political opposition; and breaches of freedoms of expression and association. Often, these violations aim at limiting the actions of any political opposition movement. 

To act against the situation, Zimbabwean activists and representatives of ten Latin American NGOs met in São Paulo for two days. They worked to formulate a concrete plan of action, made up of different fronts and initiatives, that will attempt to combat the situation. In addition, representatives prepared a joint declaration that emphasizes the main concerns about the country and asks the new Human Rights Council of the UN to adopt specific measures. (Click here to read the full document) 
 

Tafadzwa Ralph, from Zimbabwe Lawyers for human rights, tells NGOs about the situation in Zimbabwe

In addition to participating in the meeting with NGO representatives, activists also had the opportunity to talk with academics, union leaders, state congressmen and representatives, other government officials, and representatives of the local press. Tafadzwa Ralph, a Zimbabwean activist, criticized Brazil's position in the former Human Rights Comission of the UN after it abstained from voting three times on a resolution that would have condemned human rights violations by the Mugabe government. "We don't know whether Brazil fails to due to ignorance or indifference, but we want to ensure that Brazilians are very aware of the situation in Zimbabwe," he said.   "We want the international community to participate more in combat against these violations. Especially Latin American countries. It is not enough to impose sanctions, a solution which always ends up affecting the most vulnerable part of the population, and not whom it should reach. It is imperative that we follow the situation more closely," Ralph explained.
 
Dr. Henry Madzorera, doctor for the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), who also came to Brazil, agrees with Tafadzwa and adds that the health situation in the country is also chaotic and deserves urgent attention: "Our main hospitals are not working, which is why we must resort to clinics in the periphery for medical treatment. We have an extremely high indicence of AIDS infection in adults, close to 80%. And, every week, over 3,500 people die of the disease, waiting for treatment," he points out.
 
Since March of 2007, the situation in the country has worsened, with the increase of not only the extreme poverty rate but also of repression against human rights activists and members of the opposition to the Mugabe government. On March 11th, the police arrested over 50 activists and members of the opposition, and killed at least one member of the opposition party, Gift Tandare, known for his commitment to human rights.
 
The next presidential election will take place in March of 2008, which makes the next few months crucial for the reestablishment of the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe and transform initiatives into strategic actions.