Rabbi Lisa Goldstien met Marcelo Rivera in February of this year while leading a group of University of Michigan students on an Alternative Spring Break. In light of his death, she has shared this article with us:
Marcelo Rivera was murdered because someone wanted to silence him. That’s why I have to tell his story.
I met Marcelo in February of this year. I co-led an Alternative Spring Break through AJWS for the University of Michigan Hillel. We went to San Isidro, Cabanas, one of the poorest regions in El Salvador, to build latrines. Marcelo was our host. He was the founder and leader of ASIC (Asociacion Amigos de San Isidro), a local non-profit that focuses on community development.
In addition to helping local communities address basic infrastructure needs, Marcelo and ASIC led opposition to the incursions of the Canadian mining company, Pacific Rim, into the area. This is a highly politicized campaign, fraught with violence. Marcelo fought for preserving the region’s watersheds and for the basic rights of the local population. He publically denounced the municipal government’s collusion with Pacific Rim and significant irregularities surrounding local elections in January.
Marcelo was a sober and sometimes dour man. He was serious about the work we did because he knew how much having proper sanitary facilities would positively impact the health conditions of this impoverished community. He was meticulous in providing us with healthy food, scolding the good-natured cook for any possible lapses. He slept in a hammock in front of our door to make sure we were safe during the night.
Marcelo went missing on June 18th. His body was discovered 12 days later at the bottom of a well, and showed unmistakable signs of torture.
We read in the Torah that we should not stand idly by when our neighbor bleeds. The truth is that this kind of political intimidation, this kind of murder, this kind of evil happens every day around the world. We know that. But perhaps we don’t really feel that these nameless poor people are our neighbors. But Marcelo was literally my neighbor for that week in El Salvador. He slept in front of my door. He provided my food. He arranged my meaningful work. We spoke every day about how the day had gone. I am responsible for him and his destiny.
I am angered, horrified and heart-broken at what happened to Marcelo. The people who killed him thought that by breaking him, they would destroy his ideas. I hope they are wrong. The students from University of Michigan Hillel are already planning what they will do in memory of Marcelo when they return to campus in the fall. If you too are concerned with ending poverty, protecting the environment, defending democracy, strengthening community and working for justice, I hope you, too, will tell people about Marcelo Rivera. He did not deserve his fate.
For more information, please go to these links:
http://ajws.org/who_we_are/news/ajws_gustavo_marcelo_rivera.html
http://www.share-elsalvador.org/news/070709marcelorivera.htm
http://adessantamarta.codigosur.net/leer.php/5040851
http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=610&Itemid=28
