Please, Do Not Show The Film The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Dear officers and members of Amnesty International:



We write to you to express our deepest concern about Amnesty Internationals plan to show the film The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, during the forthcoming celebration of the A.I. Film Festival in Canada.



As responsible citizens, it is our firm view that by showing this so-called documentary, Amnesty International will overtly contradict its own governing principles, as declared in the document: http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/AboutAI_faq



Furthermore: A.I. will align itself with a government that has incessantly violated what all of us have worked so hard to denounce, institute and/or bring to conclusion. Namely:

1. Prompt and fair trial for all political prisoners;

2. To abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;

3. To end extrajudicial executions and "disappearances";

4. To fight impunity by working to ensure perpetrators of such abuses are brought to justice in accordance with international standards;

5. Human rights abuses committed by non-governmental bodies and private individuals (non state actors);

6. Abuses by armed political groups (in control of territory or operating in opposition to governments), such as hostage taking, torture and unlawful killings;

7. Human rights abuses against civilians and non-combatants by both sides during armed conflict;

8. Abuses in the home or community where governments have been complicit or have failed to take effective action.



Frankly, we have no first-hand knowledge in regard to the quality of information that the A.I. office at Ateneo de Caracas has been sending to its head office, over the past five years.



We have noticed, however, that beyond the dispatch dated April 4, 2003 (AI: AMR 53/006/2003) and four successive and important Urgent Action requests ( http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-ven/index ), A.I. appears to ignore very significant matters that have been afflicting countless Venezuelan families long before the coup, during its short existence and later.



Let us mention a few of them:

1. The illegal dismissal and continuous criminal persecution of over 18,000 oil industry (PDVSA) workers and their families. Please have the Caracas office document what has been taking place in just a couple of states: Zulia and Falcon (Los Semerucos).

2. The unlawful imprisonment of over 30 civilians in Tachira state, who are yet to be charged with treason, conspiracy, subversion, as a result of their alleged participation in the coup. These are some of Venezuelas current prisoners of conscience. No trial dates have been set yet.

3. The illicit seizure of Globovision networks microwave units by government officials.



Some major documents that support these and other facts are:

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR530062003?open&of=ENG-VEN

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/americas/southamerica/venezuela/

http://www.oas.org/oasnews/2003/Mar_Apr/English/art7.html

http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-188/03

http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-085/03

http://www.cartercenter.org/printdoc.asp?docID=1504&submenu=news

http://www.fpa.org/newsletter_info2499/newsletter_info_sub_list.htm?section=Venezuelan\%20Businesses\%20Strike\%20over\%20Controversial\%20Economic\%20Laws&archived=yes

http://www.cofavic.org.ve/situacion.htm

http://www.cofavic.org.ve/p-casos-hechos.htm

http://www.cofavic.org.ve/p-casos-victimas.htm

http://www.eluniversal.com/2003/10/01/01102003_76080.html

http://www.unionradio.com.ve/noticias/provincia/Notapro200309253057.htm

http://www.sipiapa.com/pulications/resvenezuela2004.cfm

http://www.sipiapa.com/pulications/report_venezuela2004.cfm

http://www.hrw.org/americas/venezuela.php



For a thorough and serious analysis of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, which exposes its grave inconsistencies, we encourage you to read:

http://www.gusanodelaluz.com/www/articulos.asp?id=2710



Let us not deceive others or ourselves: said film is - by no means - part of the cinema that speaks truth to power. For it unashamedly distorts and perverts what actually happened during those dark days of April 2002, and favors a positive projection of perverse figures, such as Hugo Chavez Frias and most of his followers.



Furthermore: those who were injured or died during those terrible days, as well as their families, are unjustly depicted by these two Irish filmmakers to say the very least. If nothing else, Amnesty International should not sponsor unfair treatment to anyone.



Thanking you for your attention to this subject, and looking forward to your prompt reply, remain,



Sincerely yours,

Maria Teresa van der Ree
Presidente de Recivex
Resistencia Civil de Venezolanos en el Exterior