Stronghold Newsletter - April to June 2021
A Message From Our Founder
Hi Everyone,
This past quarter has been a time of great loss and a time of great growth for Stronghold Rescue & Relief.
As you’ll read below, two members of Stronghold’s rescue team from Burma were killed during a mission protecting villagers from genocide in Burma.
However, shortly after this tragic loss, Stronghold also experienced a sudden and tremendous outpouring of love and support as a result of a YouTube video talking about Stronghold. The video was made by my friend and former Navy SEAL teammate who is known to his millions of fans and followers as “MrBallen.”
I have pondered for long hours these past few days trying to figure out how best to express to all of you both the immense sadness I feel at the death of my good friends and my overwhelming happiness at Stronghold’s growth and our newfound capacity to increase our current efforts.
The best I can do to describe all of my feelings is with one simple word: Gratitude.
I am grateful to have known such men who would lay down their lives to protect others, and I am grateful for the courage and sacrifice they made in their final hours and minutes on this earth.
I am also grateful for my friend “MrBallen” and his extraordinary kindness and willingness to help spread the word about Stronghold to millions of people around the world.
But, above all, I am grateful to you — our supporters. Every dose of medicine delivered, every meal provided, and every life saved is only possible because of you. And this is something I do not take lightly.
So, thank-you to each and every one of you.
I hope you find this update to be informational, useful, and encouraging!
Gratefully,
Ephraim Mattos
Founder and Executive Director
WARNING: Viewer Discretion Is Advised
These newsletters may from time to time contain written descriptions or photos and videos of the violence, disease, and injuries our teams come across on a regular basis.
Please view at your own discretion.
Two Stronghold Rescue team members killed
For the security of ongoing rescue operations and to protect the anonymity of our teams in the field, we have intentionally redacted the names, date, and specific location of the following event.
For these same reasons, Stronghold’s two rescue team members will be also be referred to by their respective codenames of “Mongoose” and “Stanford.”
The Situation on the ground
Over the course of several days in April, the Burma Army unleashed a series of air and ground attacks on unarmed ethnic minorities in remote parts of Burma forcing hundreds of families to abandon their homes and run into the jungle to escape.
Stronghold’s rescue team in Burma (comprised at the time exclusively of men from Burma) immediately responded by linking up with local security forces to assist in the evacuation and protection of the civilians and to provide these families with food and emergency medicine.
Two of Stronghold’s men present on this mission were Mongoose and Stanford.
the incident
Shortly after dawn several days into the mission, the local security forces and Stronghold’s rescue team members came under heavy machine gun and rocket fire from a large group of Burma Army soldiers on an elevated position less than 100 yards away.
A firefight erupted.
Recognizing that the rest of their team were caught in the open and the nearby civilians would have no one to protect them should the team be overwhelmed, Mongoose and Stanford immediately responded and moved forward under a hail of bullets in an attempt to protect the rest of their team.
As Mongoose and Stanford advanced up the hill toward the same men who had displaced and oppressed and raped and killed so many members of their tribe, they were ultimately cut down by enemy fire.
The Aftermath
The diversion caused by the actions of Stanford and Mongoose gave the local security force commander the precious moments needed to rally and organize his men, respond appropriately, and ultimately force the Burma Army soldiers to retreat away from the civilians hiding in the jungle nearby.
Their final actions in this world prevented additional acts of genocide, and reflect great credit upon themselves, their families, and the Karen tribe.
“Mongoose,” 27, of the Karen tribe, is survived by his loving mother and father. He was a member of Stronghold’s Burma rescue team since 2018.
“Stanford,” 29, of the Karen tribe, is survived by his loving wife and three children. He was a member of Stronghold’s Burma rescue team since 2019.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
Burma
What’s Happening in Burma?
Increasing Attacks on ethnic minorities
Since the February 1 coup by the Burma Army which we discussed in last quarter’s update, the violence and genocide already typical of life in Burma has continued to spread and multiply like wildfire as the Burma Army is now using drones, helicopters, and fighter jets to bomb the village and homes of ethnic minorities.
These attacks have left thousands of families stranded in the jungle, and with the onset of Burma’s monsoon season in late May many of these displaced people are without food, medicine, and shelter.
Communications Blackout
The Burma Army has been creating a communications blackout by cutting internet lines and dismantling cell phone and other communications infrastructure in the areas of the country where the Burma Army is most violent.
This communication blackout makes it extremely difficult for the people of Burma to tell the world about the atrocities being committed by the Burma Army, and it also results in oppressed people not being able to mobilize and organize as effectively to flee Burma Army attacks.
New resistance Groups
The Burma Army’s violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators throughout the country over the past few months has resulted in the emergence of new pro-democracy resistance groups throughout the country who are taking up arms and fighting back against the Burma Army.
While it’s a good thing that the people of Burma are now standing up against the Burma Army in larger numbers, the dis-united new armed groups may cause the country to destabilize and fracture even further. Basically, things in Burma are going to get a lot worse before they get better.
Stronghold’s Work in Burma
Stronghold Rescue Missions In Burma
With the increased violence, Stronghold teams continue to work with local pro-democracy groups in several areas of Burma to conduct evacuations and to assist civilians under direct attack and prevent imminent murders, torture, and rapes.
Stronghold Relief Missions in Burma
In Quarter 2 of 2021, Stronghold delivered emergency food and medicine to displaced villagers in 3 of the most remote and dangerous parts of the country.
The majority of our relief resources, however, were directed toward creation of an early warning system which will be used in more than a dozen villages to allow villagers to coordinate and flee from future attacks.
Photo: An ethnic Karen woman who Stronghold assisted after she was struck in the head by shrapnel during a Burma Army attack on her village.
Venezuela
What’s Happening in Venezuela?
Cartel Violence
Violence escalated this past quarter throughout Venezuela, along the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and along the Brazilian-Venezuelan border as the leader of a major drug cartel was assassinated. The fallout from this assassination has led to internal fighting within the cartel and a bitter power struggle for control of the drug and human-trafficking supply lines both inside of Venezuela and outside.
This violence has affected thousands of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and has made it much more difficult for people to get access to food and medicine.
Continuing Health Crisis and political turmoil
Venezuela’s corrupt regime, which uses drug cartels to enforce its socialist policies, continues to mismanage and oppress the people of Venezuela which has resulted in the continued suffering of millions of Venezuelans.
Thousands of people throughout Venezuela continue to die from preventable medical causes like malnutrition, malaria, fevers, birthing complications, etc.
Stronghold’s Work in Venezuela
Stronghold Relief Routes
Stronghold personnel use underground routes to sneak emergency medicine and food packages past the Venezuelan drug cartels and socialist gangs and deliver the supplies to families throughout the country.
In Quarter 2 of 2021, Stronghold relief teams delivered more than 2,000 doses of assorted medicines to people throughout Venezuela. We also delivered emergency food packages to 7 families in a particularly poverty-stricken area of Venezuela where several children recently died from malnutrition.
Stronghold Medical Teams in Venezuela
Stronghold’s medical teams work throughout Venezuela conducting both medical clinics in remote villages as well as making emergency calls for the severely ill.
In Quarter 2 of 2021, Stronghold medical teams treated a total of 1,643 patients who otherwise would have received no medical treatment at all.
Major Medical conditions treated
Stronghold medical teams discovered and treated 792 people with major conditions in Venezuela.
Intestinal Worms: 169
Respiratory Infections: 207
High Fevers: 407
Wound Cleaning: 9
We treated an additional 851 people for less immediately life-threatening conditions such as diarrhea, bronchitis, and a myriad of others conditions.
Photo: One of the Venezuelan families Stronghold was able to deliver an emergency food package to.
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