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<p class=style3 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=5
color=red face=Garamond><span style='font-size:18.0pt'><br>
</span></font></b><font face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>CISPES
ACTION ALERT<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'>May 5, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><b><font size=5
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Take
Action to Denounce <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
Intervention in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region> and Attacks against CISPES</span></font></b></strong><font
size=5 face=Arial><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'> From May 5-9 CISPES chapters
around the country are taking action</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> to denounce
U.S. government inquiries into the work of CISPES and to raise awareness
about the U.S. role in ongoing human rights abuses and problems leading up
to the 2009 elections in El Salvador. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> In January CISPES received a letter from the
Department of Justice saying that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> government suspects the
organization of being an “agent of a foreign principal”, which
would require CISPES to register under the “Foreign Agent
Registration Act.” The justification was a claim that the leftist
FMLN party in <st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region>
had hired CISPES to do public relations and fundraising support for its
presidential campaign in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>, but little credible
evidence was provided. You can read more about the <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=55&Itemid=85">CISPES
DoJ case here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Bush and the right-wing Salvadoran ARENA party want
to stop CISPES from providing effective solidarity. We understand that this
threat is meant to frighten us into changing the nature of our work, such
as our campaign against the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">US-sponsored</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">International</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Law</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Enforcement</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Academy</st1:PlaceType> (ILEA), against the
draconian Salvadoran anti-terrorism law, and in favor of the right to free
and fair elections in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>They want to make us think twice about standing with the FMLN as a
leading opponent of <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
dominance in <st1:place w:st="on">Latin America</st1:place>. While we take
the government’s threat seriously, we have no intention of toning
down our solidarity work.</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> Please take a moment to defend CISPES’
solidarity work by denouncing the government’s attempts to stop our
organizing efforts! Organize and join CISPES’ work against the ILEA,
which has brought further human rights abuses to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>! Speak out against
the anti-terrorist law, which is targeting and criminalizing the social
movement! Demand free and fair elections in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>! Your action is
critical in defending the right to organize, in solidarity with those who
are struggling to have REAL democracy in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><b><i><font size=4 color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:red;
font-weight:bold'>Take Action!</span></font></i></b></em><font color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>1. Ask your organization to sign on the
solidarity letter “Tell the Department of Justice to Lay Off
CISPES!”</span></font></b></strong><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> posted on the website of the
Latin America Solidarity Coalition – LASC. Go here to sign on: <a
href="http://www.lasolidarity.org">www.lasolidarity.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>2. Call your Congressional Representative and
demand that they challenge funding for the ILEA,</span></font></b></strong><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> both
through the Merida Initiative and the Foreign Operation Appropriations
bill, by encouraging Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman Elliot Engel
to hold a hearing (see below or go to <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=36&Itemid=31">www.cispes.org/ilea</a>
for talking points). <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><strong><b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>3. Sign onto CISPES’ People’s Pledge
to Defend the Right to Free & Fair Elections in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>
</span></font></b></strong><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>(go to <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/documents/pledge2009.pdf">www.cispes.org/documents/pledge2009.pdf</a>
to download the pledge)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center>
</span></font></div>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><b><i><font size=4
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold'>Stop Repression in El Salvador and shut down the ILEA:
Background</span></font></i></b></em><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> This year, the International Law Enforcement
Academy (ILEA) is being funded through both the Foreign Operations
Appropriations bill and the so-called Merida Initiative, the latter of
which will be voted on in the coming weeks in the U.S. Congress. The
U.S.-sponsored ILEA has been operating in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region> over two years and
has been criticized by social movement organizations and human rights
groups as another potential School of the Americas (SOA), under a new name
and in a new location. Since the opening of this institution, human rights
abuses have increased in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>, from attacks on peaceful
protesters by the National Civilian Police (PNC) to the documented role of
the PNC in at least 8 extra-judicial killings in one year. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> When CISPES started its campaign against the ILEA
Congress was in the dark about this institution; now after public
education, protests, and visits to Congress by CISPES activists, people are
starting to be aware of the issues of repression in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and the nature of the ILEA<br>
In the coming months before the June vote on the Foreign Operation
Appropriations bill we hope to continue to educate Congress by pushing for
a Congressional hearing and challenging Congress to increase oversight of
the ILEA, as part of our campaign to shut down the police academy!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><b><i><font size=2
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-style:italic'>Call the House Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or toll
free at 888-355-3588</span></font></i></b></strong><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>When you call:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>1) Ask the operator for your Representative, and then
ask to speak to your Representative’s foreign affairs legislative
assistant, chief of staff or legislative director.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>2) Tell them you are a constituent and want to know your
congressperson’s position on the ILEA. If they don’t know what
the ILEA is, inform your rep. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>3) Using the description above and the talking points on
the CISPES webpage (www.cispes.org/ilea), explain why the ILEA is another
worrisome project of U.S. training of Latin American police forces and why
groups in El Salvador are demanding that it be closed. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>4) After you make your points, ask the aid what their
position is on this issue. If they are unsure, urge them to call
congressmen Engel’s office to request a hearing on the ILEA at the
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee in order to provide them with more information
about the situation of the National Civilian Police, human rights abuses in
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
and the ILEA.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>5) If the Rep. agrees to help work on the ILEA issue,
send an email to CISPES (<a href="mailto:elizabeth@cispes.org">elizabeth@cispes.org</a>)
with the name of the person you spoke with and your Rep’s name, and
we will send their office more details about the ILEA and our campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Go <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=29">here
for more talking points</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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</span></font><span class=style21><font size=2 color=white><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>© 2008 CISPES - The Committee in Solidarity with
the People of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region></span></font></span><font
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