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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 class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>July 30, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=5
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt'>Take Action to
Denounce Political Killings in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:
bold;font-style:italic'>Government Officials Fail to Investigate New Wave
of</span></font></i></b><i><font size=4><span style='font-size:14.0pt;
font-style:italic'> </span></font><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Politically
Motivated Assassinations<o:p></o:p></span></b></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=1
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Just six months before
the 2009 municipal and legislative elections in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>, political violence
is heating up. Since March 2006 when Alex Flores Montoya and Mercedes
Peñate de Montoya, two well-known FMLN leaders, were found dead in the
municipality of Coatepeque, at least 23 leaders of the social movement and
FMLN party have been murdered (see <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=440&Itemid=29">FESPAD
chart in Spanish here</a>). 2008 is a pre-electoral year and thus has been
particularly violent for organized sectors of the population. Such
political violence doesn’t contribute to the democratic electoral
process that Salvadoran people desire; rather, it creates a climate of fear
that threatens the upcoming elections.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><strong><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:normal'>On
June 26, </span></font></b></strong>student activist <strong><b><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-weight:normal'>Ángel Martínez
Cerón, coordinator of the January 24 Revolutionary Socialist Student Bloc,
was killed in the city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Santa
Ana</st1:place></st1:City>. Then on July 2 Holman </span></font></b></strong>Riva,
an employee of the FMLN’s municipal government in the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">municipality</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Ilopango</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, was killed along with his
nephew. Most recently, 27 year-old Rafaela Hernández Delgado, whose
husband is an FMLN member of the municipal government of San Pablo
Tacachico, was shot dead in a bus. <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San
Pablo</st1:place></st1:City> is the same town in which FMLN deputy Gerson
Martinez' security guard was shot to death three months ago. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Back in January of
this year, in one of the most high-profile of such cases, the mayor of
Alegría Wilber Funes was killed alongside municipal employee Zulma Rivera.
The young, popular mayor had planned to run for reelection as a member of
the FMLN party in 2009. Such killings could threaten support for the FMLN in
the 2009 elections in several municipalities as people become afraid to campaign
for the leftist party or support the social movement because of the
concerns about personal security. In reference to the several murders that
have taken place this pre-electoral year, FMLN deputy Benito Lara recently
stated that “here we have various cases that remain unresolved,
unclear, and it is difficult for us to accept the theory that these are
merely cases of common crime.” For more information check out the
recent CISPES update <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=28">“Political
Violence Increases in El Salvador.”</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On top of this,
Salvadorans also fear repercussions coming from the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
government should the FMLN win. Back in 2004 – the last time there
were presidential elections – several <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
officials made declarations denouncing the FMLN, including Rep. Tom
Tancredo who threatened to introduce legislation to halt remittances sent
to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>
if the FMLN were to win. Already this year <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
officials (including deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, who visited
<st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region> in June) have
declared that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
government won’t work with governments who have “terrorist
ties”, a clear reference to the right-wing media campaign connecting
the FMLN to the Colombian FARC rebels. Like the fear caused by political
violence, such declarations could affect the opinion of Salvadoran people preparing
to vote in the 2009 elections. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In the context of
this escalating violence and intervention, CISPES joins the Salvadoran
social movement in calling for international solidarity to support an electoral
process free of both <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region>
intervention and political violence. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><u><font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:
bold;font-style:italic'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><u><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:
bold;font-style:italic'>TAKE ACTION!</span></font></u></i></b><b><i><u><font
size=1><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></u></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><u><font
size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:
bold;font-style:italic'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></font></u></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoTitle align=left style='text-align:left'><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>1.
</span></font></b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:normal'>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> and accompany the
Salvadoran people by standing in solidarity with them during their struggle
for REAL democracy. Go to </span></font><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><a
href="http://www.cispes.org/pledge2009">www.cispes.org/pledge2009</a> </span></font><font
size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman";font-weight:normal'> </span></font><i><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-style:italic'><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.5pt;font-style:italic'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.5pt;font-weight:bold'>2.</span></font></b><font size=4><span
style='font-size:12.5pt'> Contact <span class=e>Felix Garrid Safie, Attorney
General of El Salvador, by fax at </span>011(503) 2528-6095or e-mail at <a
href="mailto:fgsafie@fgr.gob.sv">fgsafie@fgr.gob.sv</a> <span class=e>and
tell him to respect <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s democratic process by
carrying out a serious investigation of these political murders. <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>See below for sample letter.</span></i></span><b><span
style='font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold'>------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-variant:small-caps;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-variant:small-caps;color:blue;font-weight:
bold'> </span></font></b><b><font size=2 color=blue><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:11.0pt;color:blue;font-weight:bold'>SAMPLE LETTER</span></font></b><b><font
color=blue><span lang=ES-SV style='font-variant:small-caps;color:blue;
font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=2
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=ES-SV style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>30 de Julio de 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Señor Fiscal General de la
Republica Felix Garrid Safie<font color=black><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Fax (011 503) </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>2528-6095<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Estimado Señor Fiscal General
Felix Garrid Safie,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Le escribo con suma preocupación
por el alarmante incremento de asesinatos motivados políticamente que han
ocurrido en El Salvador durante este año pre-electoral de 2008. En los
últimos dos años, la represión política contra los sectores organizados ha
alcanzado niveles muy altos. En los últimos años han habido un sin numero
de arrestos ilegales, desapariciones, asesinatos de activistas del
movimiento social y miembros y líderes del partido FMLN. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-TRAD
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>El caso mas conocido de todos
estos asesinatos es el del</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
lang=ES-TRAD style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> alcalde del FMLN
Wilmer Funes, en la municipalidad de Alegría, Usulután, quien fue asesinado
junto a la empleada municipal Zulma Rivera. La investigación de este caso
continua sin ser resulto al igual que la gran mayoría de </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>asesinatos motivados políticamente </span></font><font size=2
face=Arial><span lang=ES-TRAD style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>que
viene ocurriendo desde el 2006. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Mas recientemente, <strong><b><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Ángel
Martínez Cerón, estudiante y activista, fue asesinato el pasado Junio 26 en
la ciudad de Santa Ana, de forma similar. Martínez Cerón, coordinador del
Bloque Estudiantil Socialista Revolucionario 24 de Enero, fue balaceado
ocho veces antes que sus asesinos le asestaran el tiro de gracia en la
cabeza. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></strong></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><strong><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></strong></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Este proceder es similar a las
acciones paramilitares del gobierno que ocurrieron durante el conflicto
armado en El Salvador, las cuales todavía se encuentran el la impunidad. Esta
impunidad en que se encuentran los casos de Funes y <strong><b><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Martínez
Cerón, entre otros, no contribuye a una estabilidad democrática, ni ayudan
a que el proceso electoral promueva la estabilidad democrática tan deseada
por la población de El Salvador. Le hacemos un urgente llamado a que
investigue estos asesinatos motivados políticamente; un contexto libre de
represión y violencia es necesario para que El Salvador pueda tener un
proceso electoral transparente y democrático. </span></font></b></strong><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-TRAD
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>El garantizar la libertad de
expresión, y particularmente la expresión política, es esencial en
cualquier democracia. Ahora, en este año pre-electoral, es crítico que el
gobierno de El Salvador demuestre su compromiso por la defensa del derecho
de todas y todos los salvadoreños y su expresión política.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-TRAD
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=ES-SV
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Atentamente,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>__________________ (name)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>__________________ (state, country)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=blue face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:blue;font-weight:bold'>Translation<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Dear Attorney General Felix Garrid Safie,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I am writing to you extremely concerned about the high
number of political motivated assassinations that have been happening in <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>
during this pre-electoral year of 2008. In the last couple of years there
has been a high amount of political repression against Salvadoran
organizers, such as illegal arrests, disappearances, and murders of leftist
activists and FMLN leaders and members.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The most well known of these murders is the
assassination of Wilber Funes, FMLN mayor of Alegria and his co-worker
Zulma Rivera on January 9, 2008. This investigation is still unresolved as
well as many others that have occurred since 2006. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>More recently, student activist <strong><b><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Ángel
Martínez Cerón was killed in a similar fashion on June 26 in the city of <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Santa Ana</st1:place></st1:City>. Martínez
Cerón, coordinator of the January 24 Revolutionary Socialist Student Bloc</span></font></b></strong><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>,</span></b> was shot eight times before his
assassins delivered a final bullet to the head. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Such murders recall para- military practices that
occurred during the armed conflict of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>, which still remain
in impunity. The impunity of the cases of Funes y <strong><b><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal'>Martínez Cerón</span></font></b></strong>,
among others, do not contribute to the process of democratic stability
desired by the population of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>. We urge you to
fully investigate these cases because in order to have a transparent
democratic process in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>, it must be free of political
repression and violence. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The guarantee of free expression, and particularly
political expression, is essential in a democracy. Now, in this pre-electoral
year, it is critical that the Salvadoran government demonstrate a
commitment to defend the rights of all Salvadorans who seek to express
themselves politically.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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