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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><font
size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-weight:bold'>FMLN
mayor assassinated in Usulután<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><span
class=pn-normal><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
14.0pt;font-weight:bold'><img width=315 height=173 id="_x0000_i1025"
src="cid:image001.jpg@01C8545F.485363B0"><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>CISPES Update<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span
class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>January 11, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Wilber Moises Funes,
mayor of Alegria, Usulután, was assassinated on January 9 while visiting
community projects in the Las Casistas area of his municipality. A member of
the FMLN opposition party, Funes was shot along with municipal staff member Zulma
Rivera. Rivera was killed immediately, while Funes died in transit to a
hospital in Santiago de Maria. Wilber Funes, one of the youngest mayors in the
country, was dedicated to creating projects for the benefit of the poorest
communities in his area while defending the interest of public services still
owned by the municipality. The FMLN and civil society organizations denounced
the killing and demanded that Salvadoran Attorney General Felix Garrid Safie authorize
an immediate, independent, and objective investigation into the assassinations.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Incidentally,
Funes’ government in Alegria was the victim of a privatization scheme
following its election in 2006. Immediately before leaving office, the
preceding municipal administration, from the right-wing ARENA party, handed
over the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Laguna</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Alegria</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Natural</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> to a community
development association called ADESCAM. The privatization of this valuable
resource was part of a broader ARENA strategy to leave newly-elected FMLN
municipal governments without the resources to function. (See previous CISPES
update at <a href="http://www.cispes.org/">www.cispes.org</a>) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>2007 closes with increased social and
economic insecurity<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span
class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>El Salvador</span></font></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span
class=pn-normal> emerged from 2007 in even worse economic condition than at the
start of the year, due largely to ARENA’s poor government management. Despite
President Antonio Saca’s discourse about economic growth and the positive
results of his violence reduction plans, the reality for most Salvadorans is
that the economic and social crises intensified in the last year. In terms of the
economy, the fact that more than 500 Salvadorans attempt to migrate to the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> every
day undermines whatever economic growth Saca’s administration boasts
about in the media. Remittances from family members in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> continue to sustain the economy, but even
that source of income has come under risk, as more Salvadorans were deported
from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in the first 6 months of 2007 than during the entire year of 2006. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>The dramatic rise in deportations is causing many to question
Saca’s description of U.S.-El Salvador relations as healthy. The
much-hyped renewal of Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for some Salvadorans covers
only a small portion of the 2-3 million who live in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> Meanwhile,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region> continues to be
the only Latin American country with troops in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Despite ARENA’s “tough on crime”
rhetoric, 2007 saw more than 3,500 homicides - an average of nearly 10 per day.
At least 10 bodies were found dismembered, reminding Salvadorans of the
atrocities of the civil war. Politically-motivated killings were commonplace
in 2007, as well. The vast majority of homicides remain unsolved.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Another controversy highlighting ARENA’s failure
involves a $460 million “donation” by the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC – a <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
government institution) to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>. A recent study revealed that <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>
fails to meet 9 of the 17 criteria required for MCC funds to be awarded,
including areas such as a lack of social spending, limited protection of
natural resources and the failing justice system. In terms of social spending,
the MCC requires recipient countries to spend a minimum of 1.88% of their GDP on
education, while <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>
barely spent 1.4%. In terms of the justice system, more than 80% of criminal
cases do not get resolved, according to San Salvador Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez.
Saca’s government insists it is implementing plans that will reverse the
situation. A failure to do so would force the U.S. Congress to cut the funds.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>ARENA consolidates control of
electoral system, but struggles to produce presidential candidate<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>In the last days of December 2007, The Organization of
American States officially approved its audit of the Salvadoran electoral
registry. According to ARENA’s legislative Chief of Fraction Guillermo
Gallegos, the “registry is trustworthy.” However, both social
organizations and the FMLN believe that these results cannot be trusted. <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Furthermore, the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ)
recently ruled that right-wing PCN party member Julio Moreno Nińos may continue
serving on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). The ruling comes almost three
years after the FMLN presented an unconstitutionality claim against <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moreno</st1:place></st1:City>’s position
on the TSE. According to 2004 election results, the position should have belonged
to two smaller parties, the CDU (now known as CD) and the Christian Democrat
Party (PDC). However, the right-wing bloc once again maneuvered so that a PCN
member would sit on the TSE, leaving 3 out of 5 votes in the TSE to the right wing.
The FMLN will appeal this case to international court, as it illustrates what FMLN
deputy Jorge Jimenez calls the “macabre alliance of the right wing and
the Supreme Court of Justice.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Meanwhile, ARENA is struggling to select its candidate
for the 2009 presidential elections. After months of changing dates and putting
forth a long list of possible candidates, ARENA president Antonio Saca announced
this week that the official date of inscription for those interested in
competing for the presidential candidacy will be January 21. ARENA’s most
talked about presidential possibilities, businessman Roberto Murray Meza,
Security Minister Rene Figueroa, and Water Administration president Cesar Funes,
all declined this week to participate in the race for the nomination. Some
members of ARENA insist the process should be sped up, given the advantage the
FMLN has gained since selecting its presidential ticket last year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Desperate ARENA accuses Chavez of
financing FMLN campaign<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=pn-normal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>The internal divisions within ARENA have led to
increased attacks on the FMLN. ARENA has criticized the FMLN municipal
government in <st1:City w:st="on">San Salvador</st1:City>, led by mayor Violeta
Menjívar, for soliciting a loan from the Social and Economic Development Bank
of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
which ARENA believes will be used for the FMLN electoral campaign. However,
the loan is being requested to help alleviate problems with garbage collection
and its processing. The $10 million loan is for the purchase of garbage
compressors and to finance a recycling awareness campaign. Negotiations for the
loan are in their initial stage, as the bank is doing reinvestment analysis while
the municipality is carrying out an environmental study. According to the Rolando
Mata, general manager of the municipal government, “ARENA is in full
campaign mode. Since they have nothing to offer, the only thing they can do is
attack Dr. Violeta Menjívar”. </span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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