EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: AMR 28/05/90

Distr: UA/SC

UA 424/90 FEAR OF "Disappearance" 19 October 1990

ECUADOR: César MOROCHO

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Amnesty International is concerned about the safety of César Morocho, an Ecuarunari Indian leader from Ecuador, who is in charge of a bilingual literacy campaign for the Ministry of Education.

According to reports, César Morocho, leader of the Gatazo Grande community, Chimborazo province, was last seen on 2 October 1990, after receiving numerous anonymous phone calls threatening him with death. The reports say that at 10pm he left a meeting on bilingual education which was being held in the centre of Quito, saying that he was going home. He never arrived at his home and his relatives and friends failed to obtain any information of his whereabouts.

His case was reported to the police and the Servicio de Investigaciones Criminales, SIC, the police investigative service.

César Morocho is the brother-in-law of Osvaldo Cuvi, another Ecuarunari Indian leader of the Chimborazo province, who was reportedly shot dead by members of the military in June 1989. The reports also indicate that Morocho had publicly denounced the death of his brother-in-law and a few days after his death led a march from Gatazo Grande to Riobamba to protest his killing and demanding sanctions against those responsible for it.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Between 4 and 10 of June Indian communities from the provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo and Imbabura took over the Santo Domingo church in Quito. They demanded new schools, the return of land and the release of their leader who had been imprisoned. Although the protest included the blocking of roads in several provinces, it was not a violent action and had the support of a large part of the church. The authorities responded by sending police and military forces to disperse the public meetings, which resulted in injuries caused by bullets and tear-gas bombs, detentions and the death of Osvaldo Cuvi.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: Telexes/Telegrams/Airmail letters:

- expressing concern about the reported "disappearance" of Indian leader César Morocho;

- urging that an investigation is opened to determine his whereabouts;

- urging that if in detention he be humanely treated and granted access to relatives and lawyers and a doctor.

APPEALS TO:

Dr Rodrigo Borja Cevallos

Presidente de la República del Ecuador

Palacio de Gobierno

García Moreno 1043

Quito, Ecuador

Telegrams: Presidente Borja, Quito, Ecuador

Telexes: 22375 PREREP ED

22201 PREREP ED

Señor Andrés Vallejo Arco

Ministro de Gobierno y Policía

Ministerio de Gobierno y Policía

Espejo y Benalcázar

Quito, Ecuador

Telegrams: Ministro Gobierno Vallejo, Quito, Ecuador

Telexes: 22354 MINGOB ED

COPIES TO:

Señores

CEDHU

Apartado Postal

Quito, Ecuador (Human Rights Organization)

and to diplomatic representatives of Ecuador in your country.

PELASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat or your section office if sending appeals after 30 November 1990.