Shuar leader Pepe Acacho is arrested on terrorism charges
SELVA-Vida sin Fronteras wishes to express our deep concern as to the most unfortunate arrest of Mr. Pepe Acacho, prominent leader of the Shuar Amazon Indigenous community and ex –President of the Shuar Federation.
Mr. Acacho and Mr. Pedro Mashian, Shuar local government President of Morona Santiago, were arrested, handcuffed, flown to Quito from Macas and jailed in the Penal Garcia Moreno prison, yesterday evening. The Shuar leaders are apparently being charged with sabotage and terrorism.
These developments are related to the incidents surrounding the protests led by Mr. Acacho on September 2009, against the polemic water law and government intentions to intensify petroleum extraction and large scale mining in the region. In the ensuing confrontations with the police, Mr. Wisumo died of gun shot wounds.
Ballistic reports released by the Attorney General’s office confirmed that Mr. Wisumo died from shot gun wounds, thereby exonerating the government from any responsibility as, and in accordance to the Geneva Convention, the Ecuadorian police do not possess this particular weapon. The Amazonian communities reject the findings of the Attorney General, citing the police revolt that took place one year later, on September, 2010, when shot guns were utilized in the armed conflict between the police and army.
Ms. Diana Atamaint, Pachacutic party representative in the National Assembly believes that the arrest Mr. Acacho is an attempt to “ divert the attention of indigenous leaders from the government’s policy to push forward with highly polemical petroleum and mining activities in the Amazon.” Prior to his arrest, Mr. Acucho said, “ the history of oil exploration and mining in the Amazon is one of genocide and environment contamination and destruction. President Correa cannot expect the Shuar and all Amazon communities to accept this reality. It is our cultural and constitutional right to protest and force Correa to rectify his position and uphold the campaign promises he made to the Amazonian Nationalities. How many of us have to die, how many animals and trees have to disappear, how many rivers have to be polluted, before people understand that Correa is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Ms. Atamaint has announced that the “ Shuar and the Amazon communities have declared a state of emergency and civil disobedience”.
In an attempt to emphasize rationality and harmony through diplomacy and dialogue, Ancestral leaders in the Amazon have requested SELVA-Vida Sin Fronteras to contact members of the international community, asking them to intervene and help ensure that the government of President Correa respects and upholds the Rights of the Amazon indigenous communities in accordance to the basic principles ratified under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We hereby officially present this Amazonian Request to: Senator Juan Pablo Letelier of Chile; Professor Jan Pronk of the Institute of Social Studies; and Ambassador Suomalainen and Ms. Sylvie Proveur of the European Commission. Senator Letelier is also being asked to analyse Chilean oil investments in the Amazon. Siona leadership is suggesting that Professor Pronk raise these issues in the ISS Steering Committee concerned with natural resource management and social conflict in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Mariana Almeida
Pieter Jan Brouwer
SELVA- Vida Sin Fronteras 
This is very disturbing, as the real terrorists that are destroying the rain forests while making huge profits therefrom and who should be getting arrested are the same one’s behind the name calling and persecution of Pepe Acacho.
Thank you for your comments. We could not agree with you more.