European parliament parliamentary questions 22 February 2010
WRITTEN QUESTION by Willy Meyer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission
Subject: Murder of human rights defenders opposed to Unión Fenosa's activities in Guatemala
In the Department of San Marcos in Guatemala, attacks were carried out on various individuals who were linked to protest organisations opposed to the practices of Deocsa, a subsidiary of Unión Fenosa, the Spanish electricity distribution company.
The local community and the company in question have become embroiled in various incidents that have led to two murders. On 24 October 2009 the trade union leader Víctor Gálvez was shot dead in Malacatán, having previously been beaten and threatened in June 2009. On 13 January 2010 Evelinda Ramírez, leader of the environmental organisation FRENA (Frente de Resistencia en Defensa de los Recursos Naturales), was also murdered. Both victims actively denounced the consumer abuses by Unión Fenosa, which unduly charges customers by using an illegal levy, a fact acknowledged by the Guatemalan Constitutional Court in a ruling handed down in 2004.
John Ruggie, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, has indicated that the government in the country of origin, Spain in this case, is obliged to ensure that companies like Unión Fenosa respect human rights beyond their national borders.
Considering that supporting human rights defenders is a key element in the European Union’s external relations policy,
1. Is the Commission aware of this information? If not, does it intend to request information from the Guatemalan authorities about the murder of human rights defenders in the Department of San Marcos?
2. What is the Commission’s position on Unión Fenosa’s activities in Guatemala?
3. Does the Commission intend to call on the Spanish Government to actively apply protective measures for human rights defenders?
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