This is an open letter to Mr. Duane C. Butcher, Chargé d'affaires ad interim at the Embassy of the United States of America in Bucharest.
Dear Mr. Duane C. Butcher,
my name is Malina Chirea and I am born, raised and living in Romania. I am 30 years old and a social entrepreneur.
Many of my friends and including my father, are immigrants. I myself, refused to leave my country. Although I am well aware of the problems we are dealing with in this country - lack of education is something which fuels corruption, so often found in Romanian institutions - I prefered to stay here and change the my country into something better.
Nowadays, I am confused and thinking that maybe I made a bad decision to stay here. I am also scared at the thought that I may have to leave my country and my family, in order to live in a country were Human Rights are respected.
Mr. Butcher, at the present moment you are the official representative of the United States of America and I would like to bring to your attention the abuses made by an American company, called Chevron, in my country.
On the early morning of December the 2nd, before sunrise, over 250 gendarmes entered the village of Pungesti, destroyed private property, arrested 50 villagers, beat 2 people up to hospitalization, closed down all access roads, refused the access of the press, didn't let the children of the village go to school.
At the present moment, over 1000 gendarmes are guarding the village from anyone who could help villagers. People are scared and have threatened to burn down their homes. You can find out more information on the matter, here. There is also a video in English which will give you a better picture of what happened. You can access it here (the music is a bit dramatic, but that shouldn't disturb you from watching the footage).
This severe violation
