Acacho’s sentence displeases indigenous groups

Following the judgment of the Court of Justice of Morona Santiago against Assembly member Pepe Acacho (Pachakutik) and parish director Pedro Mashiant, to 12 years in prison for the alleged crime of organized terrorism; indigenous organizations challenged the court’s decision.

Humberto Cholango, Conaie president and one of the leaders who has not refused to dialogue, yesterday issued a rejection statement to that sentence, insisting that there is “a systematic violation of human rights (…) neither Acacho or Mashiant can be considered as terrorists, because they were mobilized to defend our territories.”

The vice president of the Interprovincial Federation of Shuar Centers (Ficsh), Galo Pawainchir, ensures that the process followed to Acacho was made due to the man’s different thinking and his misalignment with the interests of the current government, which is why this is such a “wrongful sentence.”

Criminal proceedings against Acacho began after the protest that took place at the Upano River’s bridge against the draft Water Law on September 30, 2009 in which a Shuar teacher, Bosco Wisuma, past away.

Pepe Acacho