CALL TO ACTION: WILPF Action Alert: An Urgent Call From Costa Rica's President for an End to the Massacre in Gaza and the Lifting of the Blockade

Newly elected president of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis, accompanied by visiting Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, called for an immediate cease fire in Gaza. As a result Costa Rica is joining 5 other Latin countries – Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, El Salvador and Bolivia – who have taken action by condemning the attacks and recalling their ambassadors from Tel Aviv, Israel.

A few hours after the short declarations in front of Costa Rica's Foreign Ministry in San Jose, two officials were surrounded by Costa Ricans holding the Palestinian flag and clamouring for respect of human rights and international law.

60 Palestinians were killed, adding to the 1500 deaths, and thousands have been left wounded and displaced. The newspaper La Nacion on the 2nd of August described bodies of women, children and the elderly lying in the streets, while the wounded screamed in agony with no ambulances available and the hospital evacuated due to Israeli tank fire. Immediate emergency relief is needed to care for the wounded and to prevent more deaths.

Ultimately, the blockade must be lifted and the 47 year old occupation by Israel ended, in accord with over 100 United Nations resolutions.

Ban Ki-Moo describes this merciless Israeli aggression as “unjustifiable” and “inacceptable.”

We urge everyone to join the Costa Rican peace movement and ask President Luis Guillermo Solis to exercise his leadership and take further diplomatic actions against Israel.

Please include your message to Juan Carlos Mendoza Garcia – Costa Rican Ambassador to the UN: miscr-un@rree.go.cr and Christian Guillermet Fernandez- Costa Rican Ambassador (alterno) in Geneva: cguillermet@rree.go.cr