Continuing the struggle

The courage of the Padilla family has been inspiring. The past few months have been dramatic with both big disappointments and exciting developments:

* In May, McEwan's armed private guards visited the Padilla family home yet again and fired shots at the house. Fortunately, no one was harmed in the attack.
* In June, the Nicaraguan Human Rights Ombudsman issued a resolution condemning the actions of the Matagalpa police in the December 2005 raid on the Padilla farm in which Vicente and his two oldest sons were beaten and jailed and the Padilla family's entire coffee crop for the year was stolen.
* Supporters have contacted ethical investment fund Ceres with our concerns regarding their inclusion of State Street Coffee as a Ceres member company. Supporters living in the US continue to meet with Ceres representatives to share information about State Street Coffee actions in the Padilla case.
* In July, Vicente received notification that a Matagalpa district judge had ruled against him in his case, awarding his farm to McEwan and State Street Coffee and ordering him to vacate his land. Vicente and his lawyer immediately appealed the decision, which cancelled the eviction order until the case is decided in the higher courts. Vicente hopes to take his case, which he and many other campesinos see as a potential precedent-setter, as far as the Nicarguan Supreme Court. Though the ruling is distressing to Vicente and his supporters, it is probably better that the case is no longer in the hands of the Matagalpa judge assigned to the case, as she has been accused numerous times of partiality in land disputes involving campesinos and wealthy landowners.
* In August, over 100 campesinos from the Padillas' community of Yasica Sur marched on the Matagalpa courthouse to protest police partiality and judicial corruption in land disputes involving campesinos. Participants in the march, many of whom face property disputes of their own, walked up to two and a half hours each way to attend the march and show their support for the Padilla family.

Supporters of the Padilla family, both Nicaraguan and international, continue to accompany the Padilla family in their effort to hold onto their land and lead peaceful lives. We have been supporting them as they face the on-going harassment from Esteban McEwan, the large land-holder and coffee producer who is trying to claim ownership of their seven-acre property, and US-based State Street Coffee, which owns McEwan's coffee plantation. Across Nicaragua, many campesinos are losing their claims to the lands they have been living on and working since the eighties. We believe that the Padilla family's fight could serve as a precedent to slow down this trend.

What can you do?
• Contribute toward our $300 per month pledge to support the family. E-mail us at casabenlinder@gmail.com for further information or visit www.casabenlinder.org/donate
• Educate yourself and others about the Padilla family's situation so that if we decide to take action against State Street Coffee in the United States, you can participate.