<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>SIGEESAL
Unionists Released on Bail<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>CISPES Update<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>September 1<font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'>4</span></font>, 2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>On Sunday, September 9, the eight members of the General
Health Workers Union (SIGEESAL) were released from police detention after the
union leadership mobilized legal support for the detainees. The unionists
had been arrested a week earlier under charges of public disorder and
“damages to private property” for their participation in a July 6
protest against corruption and privatization in the public hospital
system. Although there had been damages to property during the protest
– some graffiti with protest messages got painted on hospital walls
– in the days after the protest the unionists agreed with the hospital
officials to repair any damages. The unionists themselves repainted the
hospital walls long before they were arrested for those
“damages.” The unionists will face trial in approximately
three months, meanwhile the prosecution has time to “investigate”
and look for evidence against them. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The Salvadoran Union Front (FSS) believes that these arrests
represent another threat from the government to unions and other progressive
groups mobilizing against the Saca administration’s privatization plans,
against the high level of corruption and the deterioration of the national
public health care system. The Salvadoran Union Front is also continuing
their support for the eight unionists with legal support and pressuring for the
charges to be dropped. The SIGEESAL arrests come just two months after
the attack on the Suchitoto protest against water privatization. The
terrorism trial against those protestors is scheduled to move forward in early
October, when the state will present its evidence in a hearing. If a
judge rules there is sufficient evidence at that point, the terrorism trial
will move forward as soon as October. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>FMLN launches “Social Open
Dialogue” initiative <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This past Monday September 10, the political commission of
the FMLN held a public event to present their draft Government Program
2009-2014 to various social organizations. The purpose of the event was
to open up dialogue with various social sectors so their input can be
incorporated into the party’s government platform for the 2009
elections. The public consultation process is expected to last a year,
with different sectors of society consulted through a series of meetings,
assemblies, public tribunals, and workshops. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The event was widely attended by social movement
organizations such as the Salvadoran Union Front, the National Vendors
Movement, youth and <i><span style='font-style:italic'>campesino </span></i>organizers,
church and women’s organizations. Well respected journalist
and potential FMLN presidential candidate, Mauricio Funes, was also present at
the event. Many organizations took the opportunity to express their
support for Funes. Over the course of the past month there have been a
series of public conferences and meetings in which social organizations have
called on the Political Commission of the FMLN to offer the presidential
candidacy to Mauricio Funes. Just this past week, there were 5 events in
which various social and community organizations held public events showing
their support for the possibility of a Mauricio Funes presidential
candidacy. In response, Funes assured that for as long as there is
“a demand from the social organizations, groups of professionals, intellectuals,
communities and political parties, it is an opportunity to which I am
open.” The FMLN will officially decide on its candidates at the
party’s national convention later this year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><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>
</div>
</body>
</html>