Update:
28.04.2005 !!!!!
THANK YOU ALL!
MEXICAN DOLPHIN DEFENDER RELEASED FROM JAIL HOUSE!!!
We
need your support!!!
Mexican Environmentalist in
jail for defending illegally imported Solomon Islands
dolphins
The Mexican environmentalist-lady Araceli Dominguez was imprisoned
on Saturday 23rd of April for defending the freedom of the Solomon
Island dolphins.
Araceli Dominguez, the head of the environmental group GEMA (
Grupo Ecologista del Mayab) located in Cancun, Quintana Roo, México
a distinguished lifelong warrior and environmental activist was
arrested this morning in Cancun after being sued by the management
of Park Nizuc importers of the Solomon dolphins. The charges
against Araceli are for defamation of character against
Park Nizuc and Atlantida facility, for exposing the illegal import
of 28 dolphins in July 2003.
You recall, 28 dolphins were imported from the Solomon Islands on
July of 2003. Mexican groups such as Comarino, Grupo de los
Cien, Greenpeace, ECOTERRA Intl., IFAW, Defenders of Wildlife
CEMDA and GEMA among many others exposed the illegal import and
introduction into a Natural Protected Area of Park Nizuc.
see: http://www.ecop.info/english/e-actions.htm#Massive
This case exposed the enormous international corruption behind the
trade of wild dolphins for the captivity industry. It also exposed
the corruption in Mexico, since many domestic laws were violated,
specially the introduction of an exotic species into a natural
protected area. The case became a political scandal in Mexico and
both houses of Congress demanded investigations and punishment for
all parties involved.
Comarino presented two lawsuits against Park Nizuc, one
administrative and one criminal, since there is evidence of
criminal acts according to Mexican laws. The case is still pending
resolution. IFAW and CEMDA also presented popular denunciations
against environmental authorities for breaking the law which ended
with the sacking of the under-secretary of Environment Raul
Arriaga.
Nevertheless, environmental authorities were incapable of
confiscating the animals while admitting it was illegal for them
to be inside a natural protected area. We dont even know for
sure how many dolphins have died inside the facility since that
information is classified!.
But we know from good sources that at least 6 dolphins have died
since the arrival
Araceli Dominguez kept on publicly denunciating the illegal
authorizations for the new swim with dolphins- projects
and thus stepping on the toes of the powerful dolphin industry
when she was arrested on Saturday morning. In Mexico the practice
of arresting someone on a Saturday ensures that the arrestee stays
incarcerated until Monday because judges and prosecutors are off
for the weekend.
This incarceration represents a bizarre and grotesque action to
intimidate Araceli and all the environmental activists involved
against the dolphin captivity industry. Today it was Araceli.
Tomorrow it can be anyone of us.
We cannot stand still while Mexican laws are violated, marine
mammals are exploited and environmentalists and animal defenders
who work strictly abiding the laws are imprisoned in jail, just
like the dolphins.
Araceli Dominguez has been involved in the defense of the sea
turtle sanctuary of Xcacel, mangroves, dolphins, coral reefs,
natural protected areas and coastal ecosystems and she is a
staunch human rights advocate. She is a law abiding activist and a
personal friend of all of us who have worked for the environment
in the Yucatan Peninsula and Mexico.
We need your support
Please send letters and faxes to President Fox. Please protest
against this action of arbitrary and illegal arrest and demand the
immediate release of Araceli Dominguez.
Mr Vicente Fox Quesada
President of Mexico
E-mail: vicentefox@presidencia.gob.mx,
lcarrera@presidencia.gob.mx
Tel-fax (52 55) 55 15 17 94; 55 15 05 28; 55 15 42 74
Please send a copy to Comarino: comarino@yahoo.com
ECOTERRA Intl.: araceli@ecoterra.net
and GEMA: gema@cancun.com.mx
Many thanks
Yolanda Alaniz
-------------
ECOTERRA Intl.
--------------------------------------------------------
Update: 28.04.2005
Dear Friends,
Members and Supporters,
The great achievement of your quick and determined action is this
unusual speedy
and unconditional release of Araceli, a unification of our common
struggle and
a strengthening of all the forces of good intentions for the
protection of the
environment and our co-creatures.
Thank you All !
ECOTERRA Intl.
-------------------
THANK YOU
ALL!
MEXICAN DOLPHIN DEFENDER RELEASED FROM JAIL HOUSE
Cacun / Mexico - 28.04.2004 (WTN) The Mexican environmentalist
Araceli Dominguez, head of Grupo Ecologista del Mayab (GEMA),
based in Cancun, Mexico, who was falsely imprisoned on 23. April
2005, was released form prison in the early morning hours, just
after a representative of the Governor of the State of
Quintana Roo had gone around midnight personally to the prison to
facilitate the unconditional release of Araceli Dominguez.
The owner of the dolphinaria “Atlantida” and Park Nizuc “Wet
n’ Wild”, Mr Bernardo Zambrano was forced to drop all criminal
charges against the accused: Araceli Dominguez, Sara Rincon, head
of the Association to Protect Animals of Cancun, Cecilia Navarro
from Greenpeace Mexico, Ben White from Animal Welfare Institute,
five local reporters and Yolanda Alaniz from Comarino.
This unprecedented triumph was possible thanks to the intense and
continued work of all local, regional, national and international
groups that supported Araceli Dominguez and her release. In a
massive campaign President Fox was flooded with communications
from all over the world demanding his personal intervention
against the illegal and arbitrary arrest. Formal complains were
lodged by ECOTERRA Intl. in Nairobi with Mexican Ambassador
Magarita Dieguez, who is also the Resident Representative of
Mexico to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and by
CETACEA DEFENCE with the Mexican Embassy in London.
Based on the international uproar even the Senate of Mexico stood
up, condemned the arrest and demanded the release of Mrs.
Dominguez.
"Your participation was of the most important help to release
Araceli Dominguez. We, the Mexican environmental movement, come
out of this strengthened and as a true force for environment,
stated Yolanda Alaniz and expressed her thanks on behalf of
Araceli Dominguez and the other accused to all supporters
worldwide.
But the fight for the release of the hijacked and illegally
imported dolphins from the Solomon Islands and against their
criminal abductors and prison warders continues: http://www.ecop.info
Bernardo Zambrano, who is at the core of all that shame is the son
of the Chairman of CEMEX, Lorenzo Zambrano, the worlds largest
cement manufacturer, and a disgrace for his family as well as the
nation of Mexico, if he doesn't rehabilitate the dolphins into
their natural habitat.
The continuous resistance against this demand calls now also for
the strongest possible intervention of honest personalities from
the political quarters as well as from the business community in
Mexico to finally stop the horrible abuse of dolphins in Mexico
once and for all. People like Mr. CARLOS SLIM HELÚ whose company Teléfonos
de México SA (TELMEX) is a sponsors of Parque Nizuc should step
out first from being associated with the dolphin-death-camp or
face a boycott like the other associates of Parc Nizuc (e.g.
Pepsi, Fuji Film, Dos Equis Beer, American Express).
CLOSE ALL DELPHIN-PRISONS WORLDWIDE !
ECOTERRA Intl.