COSTA RICA: POLICE HARASSING GAYS & LESBIANS

On February 6, 1993, plainclothes police conducted a "cleansing
operation" in the city of San Jos, targeting the popular gay &
lesbian nightclub La Avispa.  Three days later, the police
stationed themselves outside the club in a pickup truck and
arrested ten patrons, parading them through the streets before
taking them to the Third Commisariat. There, they were forced to
enter a room, one by one, where five policemen waited for them.
One of the detainees reported having to strip naked and walk in
circles with his legs spread apart while the police insulted him.
Another man, who resisted arrest, was taken to a different place
and refused to comment about what happened to him there.

During the same period, prompted by press reports of President
Clinton's promise to lift the ban on gays in the U.S. military,
the Minister of Security, Luis Fishman, announced his intention to
expel any known homosexual from the police force (Costa Rica has
no army). Minister Fishman was quoted in a major Costa Rican
newspaper as saying "homosexuals do not conform to the moral and
social principles of Costa Rica."

Colectivo Gay Universitario in San Jos reports that the gay,
lesbian & bisexual community is concerned that there may be a
return to the intimidation tactics used during the 1989 Latin
American Feminist-Lesbian Conference held in Costa Rica. During
that conference, houses were put under surveillance and
threatening phone calls were received.

The office of the Defense of Human Rights, a branch of the
Ministry of Justice, requested an investigation into the events of
February, but this request was blocked by the government.

Please write to the President of Costa Rica, requesting him to
conduct a full investigation into the February harassment of
homosexuals in San Jos and to instruct his Minister of Security to
publicly rescind his inflammatory and discriminatory remarks
directed at gay, lesbian, and bisexual citizens of Costa Rica.
Write to Minister Fishman expressing your outrage over his
homophobic remarks and your strong objections to the blatant
discriminatory dismissal of homosexual members of the Costa Rican
police force. Postage to Costa Rica from the U.S. is $.50 per
half-ounce.

Write to:

Excelentisimo Seor Presidente de la Republica Lic. Rafael A.
Calsderon Fournier Casa Presidencial Apartado 520 - 1000 San Jos,
Costa Rica fax: 011 506 53 90 78

Minstro de Seguridad Pblica y Gobernacin Lic. Luis Fishman
Apartado 4768 - 1000 San Jos, Costa Rica fax: 011 506 26 07 26