wfn.org | Latin American Caribbean ALC Bulletin No. 7

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN COMMUNICATION AGENCY
P.O. Box 14-225 Lima 14 Perz
Email: director@alcnoticias.net / director@alcnoticias.org

ALC NEWS SERVICE

CONTENT

PERU: Truth Commission releases data about the murder of Evangelicals
COLOMBIA: Baptists convene "Women Peace Builders" congress
ARGENTINA: Bishops call on US Methodists to act in favor of peace and
against war
PERU: Thousands of Christians from different confessions marched through
downtown Lima
PERZ: Some Evangelical sectors opposed to new reform
PERZ: Joni Eareckson brings hope

PERU
Truth Commission releases data about the murder of Evangelicals

By Hugo Levano

LIMA, March 10, 2003 (alc). Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
offered details about the murder of six Evangelicals in the community of
Callqui, close to Huanta in Ayacucho August 1, 1984.

The Commission, mandated by the government with investigating political and
subversive violence in Peru between 1980 and 2000 presented a report about
what took place in Huanta, some 500 kms. southeast of Lima. Between 1980 and
1993 thousands of people in that region died at the hands of Shining Path
rebels and military forces sent in to curb them.
Figures from the Evangelical Peace and Hope group report that 529
Evangelicals were the fatal victims of violence in Ayacucho. Of those, 446
were murdered by the Shining Path, 12 by paramilitary officers, one by the
Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and 18 in circumstances that have not yet
been clarified.

According to the Truth Commission, August 1, 1984, the anti-terrorist base
in Huanta received information that members of the Shining Path were meeting
in the Presbyterian Church of Callqui. An 18-member patrol, under the
command of Lt. Celis Checa was sent to the area.
In the small mud-walled National Evangelical Presbyterian Church a prayer
meeting was being held by lamp-light. At six in the evening the military
officers broke down the doors and burst in, asking for Concepcion Chavez,
who was not present and Melquiades Quispe, who they took out of the church.
They also arrested Chavez' nephew, Jorge de la Cruz Quispe, Paulio Cayo,
Josi Yaqez Huincho, Wenceslao Huamanyalli and the organ player Constantino
Yaqez Huincho. They called on the rest of the congregation to sing "louder".
The six Evangelicals were summarily executed outside the temple and their
bodies then destroyed with grenades.
The following day, journalist Jaime Ayala, a correspondent for the daily La
Republica, went to the army base to ask about what had happened in Callqui.
He was seen entering at 10:00. He never came out and is still missing.
A former marine testified last year that Ayala was tortured, died and that
his remains were dispersed in different parts of the stadium.

Lt. Celis said he did not have physical contact with the faithful present in
the temple but that they had found subversive propaganda and two home-made
bombs. In reality, they only found two wooden rifles, used by school
children in civil marches.

In the face of protests from civil society, a military tribunal studied the
case. However, in January 1986 it threw the case out of court claiming that
there was no evidence linking Celis and his companions to the crime.

Ongoing protests about Ayala's disappearance eventually lead to charges
being filed (in February 1986) against Capt. Alvaro Artaz Adrianzen, who had
been trained in Virigina, USA and was in charge of the Huanta base at the
time.

  The day before he was due to appear before the judge he was "kidnapped by
unknown assailants" in Lima and never heard of again.

He is also accused of the execution of 50 peasant farmers in Pucayacu, 36
kilometers from Huanta along with numerous cases of torture and
disappearance while he was in charge in Huanta.

------------------
COLOMBIA
Baptists convene "Women Peace Builders" congress

BOGOTA, March 11, 2003 (alc). The Women's Latin American Baptist Union
(UFBAL) invited believers to participate in the Women Peace Builders
Congress that will take place October 29 - 31 in the Diego Portales
Convention Center in Santiago, Chile.

The aim is to promote campaigns to prevent violence in society and in the
family, to raise awareness about the harmful consequences of violence and to
find peaceful conflict resolution mechanisms, Amparo de Medina, UFBAL
president told ALC.

The Congress will give people the opportunity to hear messages about Women
and Peace given by the Rev. Magda Aguirre of Puerto Rico. Moreover, there
will be 10 workshops aimed at affirming the dignity of women and the family,
about constructing peace and forums on human rights, bioethics and other
themes.

There will also be a worship and Evangelical service to celebrate UFBAL's
50th anniversary. This organization groups together Baptist women from 19
countries on the continent.
UFBAL represents in different countries are carrying out different
pre-congress activities related to preventing violence and building peace.

In order to support the campaign, the Mundo Hispano publishing house of El
Paso, Texas, is printing the second edition of the book "Free of Family
Violence," written by De Medina. The first 10,000 copies have sold out.
The Women's Department of the World Baptist Alliance has translated the book
into English and the first edition, with an additional preface regarding
preventing violence against the elderly, will be published next July.

----------------
ARGENTINA
Bishops call on US Methodists to act in favor of peace and against war

BUENOS AIRES, March 13, 2003 (ALC).  In a message to US Methodist
congregations, Argentine Bishop Emeritus Aldo M. Etchegoyen warned about the
serious dangers involved in the war the United States is preparing to launch
against Iraq.

"I want to talk to you from my profound Christian conviction, with total
transparency, as a brother in faith," said the Evangelical leader and
general secretary of the Evangelical Methodist Council Churches of Latin
America and the Caribbean (CIEMAL).
Etchegoyen recognized that many US citizens have had an impact on his life
and training, that the Methodist Church in Argentina began more than 150
years ago because of the missionary action of the US Methodist Episcopal
Church and that all Latin American Methodist Churches are part of that rich
history.

He admitted that humanity has benefited from prominent US figures and
scientists and that millions of people in the United States make generous
offerings for missionary work and development.

He also said that he knows the "pain from the terrible terrorist attack
against the Twin Towers and thousands of families who no longer have one of
their loved ones at the family table or in their place in the Church."

However, he also said that many US companies form part of a world network to
extract resources for the sole benefit of their own country and that since
1824 US troops have carried out 73 invasions in 13 different countries in
Latin America and the Caribbean.

Just like in the Twin Towers, there were many deaths and families who lost
their loved ones in military actions, he said. Can we call this terrorism?
Moreover, US governments trained thousands of Latin American military
officers to carry out state terrorism and to graduate as experts in torture
and making people disappear.

  After underscoring the false nature of the US government discourse about
the importance of non intervention in foreign affairs and their words about
liberty and rights, democracy and the well being of the nations, Etchegoyen
said he was surprised about the fact that the government has invoked God's
name.

Weeks ago your President said that God is not neutral. Latin American
militaries did the same to justify their crimes against our people, he said.

Effectively God is not neutral and is in favor of peace, truth, justice and
the dignity of every individual and the community of any color, religion or
country. He is not neutral and rejects all violence and war. No one should
claim the right to be God's arm to do "justice" in the world when we know
that the sign of his love was a child born in a manger.

I have verified that your country is obtaining a new name, today it is
called the "Empire" and it pains me a great deal that the Empire is
identified with Christianity. Never before has the world protested against
pending war. We are offended that your government threatens to act with or
without the approval of the United Nations, said the Methodist leader.

I do not seek to offend but rather to offer "a grain of sand" to the huge
mountain of words that say no to war, said Etchegoyen.
  Finally, the bishop called on US Methodists to demand that their sons who
are soldiers return. "That our sons return would not be a defeat but a
gesture of peace and human dignity of significant value."

"This is a war among those who control oil. Millions of barrels of "black
gold" are not worth our lives or those of our so-called enemies," he said.
"I know that there have been thousands of letters calling on your President
for serenity and peace. The war will bring violence that is difficult to
imagine. Thousands of families will be destroyed and dozens of pacts and
international agreements that seek a better world will break down," he said.

"I pray that God have mercy on you and the entire world. I pray that
rainfall will put out the fire they aim to light," concluded the message
from Etchegoyen.

---------
PERU
Thousands of Christians from different confessions marched through downtown
Lima

  LIMA, March 12, 2003 (alc). Thousands of Christians from different
confessions marched through downtown Lima to give a petition to Congress
calling on legislators to declare that all creeds are equal before the law
in its constitutional reform project.

The 2 km. March that went from the Plaza Manco Capac to the Legislative
Palace brought together faithful from Evangelical Churches, from Jewish and
Muslim communities as well as members of the Adventist Church, the Baha'i
and Hare Krishna associations among other groups.

At Congress they were received by a group of representatives including
congressional vice presidents Jesus Alvarado and Mercedes Cabanillas. March
leaders handed over their petition with more than 40,000 signatures.

Pastor Julio Rosas declared that the "Constitution specifies that there
should be no discrimination. The State should promote and encourage equality
for all confessions."

Congressman Carlos Chavez said the issue is not people's religious
convictions but rather is about institutionality. We do not deny that
millions of Peruvians are Catholic but it is also important to recognize a
growing number of Evangelicals, he said.

Congressman Victor Valdez noted that the current Constitution, under which
the State collaborates with the Catholic Church, means that the budget
includes funds to pay Catholic religious.

On the other hand, the vice president of the Peruvian Bishops Conference
Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte said that the current Constitution should not be
modified under which the "State recognizes the Catholic Church as an
important element in the historic, cultural and moral formation of Peru and
provides its collaboration."

He affirmed that it is not necessary for the new Constitution to declare
that Peru is a lay state, as some representatives propose, as it has not
been confessional since the 1933 Constitution.

Regarding the tax exemptions and tax free donations that the Catholic Church
receives, he said that State has created an Inter-Confessional Office in the
Ministry of Justice so that other confessions receive the same benefits.

Regarding the salaries that the State assigns Catholic religious he said
they are miniscule as the Cardinal is paid some $400 a month, the Bishop is
paid $200 and a parish priest is paid $27.

Congress is in the midst of reforming the 1993 Constitution, passed by
former President Alberto Fujimori's government.

---------
PERZ
Congress approved constitutional reform on Church-state relations.

LIMA, March 13, 2003 (alc).  Congress approved an article to reform the
current Constitution regarding Church-State relations.

The approved text was presented to Congress by the head of the Constitution
Commission Henry Peace and gathers the opinion of participants in an
Inter-Confessional Committee meeting. Participants included the Catholic
Church, the National Evangelical Church of Peru (CONEP), the Anglican,
Lutheran, Presbyterian Reform Church, the Orthodox Church and the Jewish
community.

Article 50 will be substituted by article 71 that says "Within an
independent and autonomous regime, the State recognizes that Catholic Church
as an important element in Peru's historic, cultural and moral formation and
collaborates with it. The State recognizes and respects all religious
confessions and establishes collaboration agreements with them, through
their representative bodies under equal criteria."

The article was passed with 70 votes in favor, 10 opposed and 13
abstentions.

Once Congress finishes drafting a new reformed version of the 1993
Constitution the text will be put to referendum.

Meeting participants included Luis Bambarin, for the Peruvian Bishops'
Conference, Pastors Darmo Lspez and Nelson Ayllon and sociologist Victor
Arroyo, for CONEP,  Bishop obispo William Godfrey, for the Anglican Church,
Pastor Patricia Cuyatti, for the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pastor Rodrigo
Maslucan and professor Pedro Merino, of the Reformed Evangelical
Presbyterian Church.

Other participants included Archimandrita Josi Roberto de Oliveira, of the
Orthodox Church, Rabbi Guillermo Bronstein of the Jewish Community and Elias
Szczytnicki, of the Inter-Faith Committee. Congressmen Henry Peace and Jorge
del Castillo also attended the meeting.

After the Congressional vote, Conep Executive Director Victor Arroyo told
ALC that the new norm is more specific than the 1993 magna charter that
merely states that the state "can establish types of collaboration" with non
Catholic confessions.

He said that the Inter-faith Committee was marked by a spirit of dialogue
and not imposition. CONEP was interested in specifying the State's
relationship with other confessions and this has been achieved, he said.

Pastor Carlos Garcia, former vice president from 1990- 1992 said he did not
agree with the approved text. The recognition of the Catholic Church's
historic role could form part of the preamble and not the articles, which
should be extremely specific. Other entities that have played an important
role in the formation of the Peruvian nationality should also be included,
he said.

In the face of this situation, the only recourse that Evangelicals have is
to vote in the referendum if they do not agree.

Moreover, someone should present a recourse to denounce the Concordat
between the Vatican and the Peruvian state that was approved by an outgoing
military government and was never presented to parliament for its
ratification, as opposed to other international treaties.

---------
PERZ
Some Evangelical sectors opposed to new reform

LIMA, March 14, 2003 (ALC).Leaders from several Evangelical and Charismatic
Churches said that Peru's National Evangelical Council "has betrayed the
Evangelical people and lost legitimacy."

The comment was heard in a meeting at the Cathedral of Faith Church to
address the text approved by Congress which reforms the current Constitution
regarding the relationship between the State and religious confessions.

After a week of heated discussion, parliament approved a text that was
presented by the head of the Constitution Commission Henry Peace and was the
product of a meeting between representatives of the Catholic Bishops
Conference, CONEP, the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and
Orthodox Churches and the Jewish Community.

  The meeting was held in the framework of the Inter-confessional Committee,
an institution that has existed for the past several years and is
responsible for the relationship between the different confessions working
in the country.

  At the meeting, religious leaders who were opposed to the approved text
agreed to form a new organization they plan to call that National Council of
Christian Churches (CONIC).

They set up a committee to convene Churches that share this position. The
committee includes Humberto Lay, pastor of the Emmanuel Evangelical Church
and a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, created by the
government to investigate human rights violations that occurred between 1980
and 2000.

The committee also includes Vidal Bravo, president of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance Church, Rodolfo Gonzalez, pastor of the World Missionary
Movement and Arturo Ramos, pastor of the Cathedral of Faith Church.

Participants agreed that the new body will be constituted only of Churches
and criticized the disproportionate presence of para-Church organizations in
CONEP.

Article 50 will be substituted by article 71 that says "Within an
independent and autonomous regime, the State recognizes that Catholic Church
as an important element in Peru's historic, cultural and moral formation and
collaborates with it. .

The State recognizes and respects all religious confessions and establishes
collaboration agreements with them, through their representative bodies
under equal criteria."

---------
PERZ
Joni Eareckson brings hope

By Hugo Livano

LIMA, March 14, 2003 (ALC). Joni Eareckson Tada explained how the Bible
contributed so that a "rebellious and stubborn young woman, like all
teenagers," became the director of one of the largest international aid
organizations for handicapped people.

The founder and president of the Joni and Friends Ministry said that when
she dove off a dock into shallow water in the Chesapeake Bay she became a
paraplegic. Fortunately she retained movement of her head and her voice.

For more than a year she remained in her house, without any desire to live.
However, when she began to see people who were in worse conditions and to
read in the Bible that Jesus did not come to be served but to serve she
understood that God had a purpose for her life.

During a press conference, Congressman Doris Nzqez Davila, president of the
Human Rights Commission, congratulated Eareckson for her work in favor of
the handicapped in Peru.

She underlined that for more than 24 years she had dedicated herself to
helping the handicapped around the world, to improve their quality of life,
because they have the right to same opportunities as other people.

We do not claim to have all the answers but when I feel weak I ask God to
help me, she said.

She gave thanks for the collaboration of thousands of people who gather and
donate wheelchairs as well as thousands of voluntary inmates who refurbish
them and others who transport and ship them.

In different countries our counterparts seek out people who need wheelchairs
and other help she said.

In Peru the counterpart is Corazones Unidas. The director, psychologist
Elizabeth Takury said that they began their work four years ago. First they
trained a team of volunteers, today there are more than 500 who are
responsible for contacting the handicapped and their families in order to
give them support through the Corazones en Marcha program.

Currently Corazones Unidos has offices in Lima, Arequipa, Iquitos and Cusco.
They aim to open in Trujillo and Pirua. They also develop a program for
children in extreme poverty, whose parents have some handicapped called Love
in Action and another aimed at children and young people who are mentally
challenged, called A Different Day.

They receive an average 400 wheel chairs a year that are distributed in
different places, said Takury. Eareckson visit brought 89 chairs that were
distributed to individuals and health centers in different neighborhoods in
Lima.

Eareckson is traveling with her husband Ken Tada. In the meeting they also
presented some of the paintings Joni has painted using a brush between her
teeth.

They also presented several of her books.

On March 17 Eareckson will have a breakfast with businessmen in a hotel. In
the afternoon she will go to Congress and will meet with representatives
from civil society. Tuesday, prior to leaving for the United States she will
meet with health care professionals and state organizations to help the
handicapped.