We are an independent group of citizens convinced that social protest is a human right. We are concerned that the government of Costa Rica is violating the right to protest by sentencing the innocent farmer Orlando Barrantes.

On the 16th of September 2015 he was sentenced to 15 years for events that occurred in the year 2000. At that time he was protesting with other farmers asking the government to keep the promise of its compensations for diseased workers caused by contact with Nemagon which was used in the 70s on plantations belonging to Del Monte, Chiquita and Dole. Even today workers are suffering under the health consequences.

The protestors were attacked by riot police on the pretext that they were blocking traffic. Since then the persecution of Orlando Barrantes never stopped, although during the fifteen years long process some judgments confirmed his innocence.
Orlando Barrantes was an honest and fair head of the trade union of banana workers and during their fight for justice he was occasionally victim of the government which allows the use of highly toxic pesticides, reneges on promises and criminalizes those who claim their rights.

He was arrested without evidence, only because he is a social activist fighting for the rights of Costa Rican farmers.
Today, more than ever we must raise our voices and demand that the government recognize the innocence of Orlando Barrantes and the right to protest.

German version: https://www.change.org/p/zarella-villanueva-pr%C3%A4sidentin-des-obersten-gerichtshofes-costa-rica-freiheit-f%C3%BCr-orlando-barrantes#petition-letter

Spanish version: https://www.change.org/p/sra-zarella-villanueva-presidenta-de-la-corte-suprema-de-justicia-de-costa-rica-costa-rica-libertad-para-orlando-barrantes