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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT";
font-weight:bold'>Nine Student Protestors Followed and Brutally Arrested After
Peaceful Protest <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>CISPES
Update<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>February
2, 2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>More than a thousand
students and members of youth organizations mobilized outside of the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> on Wednesday in a protest
against the Anti-Terrorism Law and to demand an increase in government spending
on education, specifically for the public university. The youth marched
peacefully to the Legislative Assembly where they called for the repeal of the
law and for increased funding for education. They then marched to the Supreme
Court to demand the court declare the legislation unconstitutional, since it
defines legal means of protest as “terrorist” acts punishable with
decades in prison. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>Police presence during the
protest was minimal, creating an image of the police as keeping order and
looking out for the well-being of even the protesters. However, after the
activity finished, police followed leaders of the youth organizations and
coordinators of this protest to the surrounding municipalities where they
live. There, the police arrested 9 of the youth including one minor. One
youth leader was badly beaten before they were transferred to a police station
in yet another municipality. The protesters are being charged with public
disorder, carrying of weapons and resisting arrest. Those detained are still
in police custody, with 2 lawyers handling the case. The youth organizations
that coordinated the activity will be holding a press conference on Monday
demanding the immediate release of the 9 captured. Social movement
organizations are circulating electronic denouncements on the criminalization
of youth protest and for the release of those arrested.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on"><b><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Futura Lt BT";font-weight:bold'>U.S.</span></font></b></st1:country-region></st1:place><b><font
face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-family:"Futura Lt BT";font-weight:bold'>
Officials Urged Application of Repressive Laws<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>Days before, outgoing <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
ambassador Douglas Barclay applauded the ARENA government’s achievement
of approving the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Law against Organized Crime.
Barclay also urged government officials to apply these laws and to create more
repressive laws – including authorization for domestic surveillance of
phone calls – under the pretense of fighting crime. The new <st1:country-region
w:st="on">US</st1:country-region> ambassador to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Charles Glazer, was
officially accredited by President Saca behind closed doors Wednesday. There
was also a public welcoming ceremony where Glazer expressed his enthusiasm to
maintain and strengthen the good relations between both countries.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>Additionally, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> intervention in Salvadoran politics was
evidenced by the announcement of a bilateral agreement between the Attorney
Generals Safie, from <st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region>,
and U.S. Attourney General Alberto Gonzalez in a meeting held in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place>
on January 26<sup>th</sup>. The agreement included the sharing of information
between the agencies about those deported from the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> with any police records,
although they were not clear about what this information will be used for.
They also agreed that the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
would send three permanent anti-gang advisers to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>. There will be a
second meeting on February 5<sup>th</sup> between US and <st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region> Attorney Generals in <st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region>, this time with the participation of
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Honduras</st1:country-region> and <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Guatemala</st1:country-region></st1:place>
officials, to further discuss the operative mechanisms for the implementation
of these joint projects. Salvadoran officials have also said that they want to
sign more anti-crime agreements with the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>,
but that that Gonzalez is asking that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place> change its penal code
to include life sentences and the death penalty.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><font size=3
face="Futura Lt BT"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT";
font-weight:bold'>Government and Social Movement Present Contrasting Proposals on
Water Administration<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'>The president of the
national water administration office, Cesar Funes, announced that the
government’s National Water Law proposal that would lead toward
privatization has been handed in to the President’s “Technical
Secretary,” which is the final step before it will be presented to the
Legislative Assembly for its approval. Water workers and other social
organizations had days before presented their own proposal that would guarantee
the equal and sustainable access to water for the people of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>. Additionally, the
water workers’ union has been holding regular public forums in
municipalities around the country as a means of public consultation and to
present their proposal. The focus of the union’s work has been to
increase awareness of the water crisis in the country and promote organization
as the solution for defense and demand of water as a basic human right.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><font size=3 face="Futura Lt BT"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Futura Lt BT"'><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>
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