(The following, slightly abridged, is a report that appeared in the May 24 issue of Combate, the weekly newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR), the section of the Fourth International in Spain. The translation is by Intercontinental Press. J
The serious situation of human rights in Peru has led a group of Peruvians in Spain to form the Commission for Defense of Human Rights in Peru (CODDEH-PERU).
Violation of human rights takes place not only on the individual level, but on the group level as well. Peasant communities and communities of indigenous peoples in the jungles are assaulted in a systematic and massive way.
According to the Bulletin of the National Coordinating Committee of Human Rights in Peru, "Through the intervention of the armed forces a dirty war has developed, in which we can note the following practices:
*• The leveling of communities, with the resulting death, destruction, robbery, rape, and plunder.
"• Steady increase in extra-legal executions, ranging from individual cases to collective massacres.
"• The detention-disappearing of individuals.
*• Massive detentions and the institutionalization of increasingly cruel methods of torture.
*• The use of compulsion by the armed forces and police to force participation in paramilitary-style armed patrols, civil defense committees, or peasant guard duty, which has added to the spiraling violence."
In this context. CODDEH-PERU has launched a campaign to collect signatures to Demand that the president-elect of the Republic of Peru insure full respect for human rights.
A similar campaign has been carried out in Peru. The petitioning was concluded on April 6 and was addressed to the presidential candidates of the different political tickets.
Among the signatures on the petition were: the National Coordinating Committees for Human Rights, which is made up of organizations such as the Association for Human Rights, the Clerical Commission for Social Action, the National Commission for Human Rights, CODDEH-Puno, CODDEH-Cusco, CODDEH-Ayacucho, CODDEH-Cajamarca [Peruvian cities], Committee of Families of the Martyrs of Uchuraccay, CODDEH-Union of the Daily La República, Federation of Peruvian Peasants, and support group of FEDEFAM.
Among our other activities has been the publication after great effort, of our Information Bulletin Number Zero.
In this bulletin, which we want to turn into an open channel of communication, we report on our tasks and participation in the Permanent Coordinating Council of the European Committees to Defend Human Rights in Peru.
Last month we attended a meeting of the council in Paris. At that meeting we decided to organize an International Investigative Commission that will travel to Peru.
One of the members of the commission is Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. Well-known figures from three continents will take part.
In Peru the First National Meeting on Human Rights — which gave rise to the National Coordinating Committee on Human Rights — has resolved "To support the initiative of the Permanent European Council in setting up an International Commission that will speak out against the serious violations that are taking place in the country."