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<p class=MsoNormal><b><i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Note: please have your
organization sign on to this <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=396&Itemid=29">International
Statement Regarding the Assassination of Hector Ventura and Political Killings
in El Salvador</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-style:italic'>For more information about the case go <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=392&Itemid=28">here</a>.
To find out how to take action go <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=393&Itemid=27">here.
</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></i></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 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=5
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Right-wing
Taking Further Steps Toward Electoral Fraud in 2009<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><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></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>May 21,
2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Also in this update: <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><b><span style='font-weight:bold'><a
href="#_More_neoliberal_measures">More neoliberal measures to
“alleviate” economic crisis</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><b><span style='font-weight:bold'><a
href="#_Attacks_instead_of">Attacks instead of solutions</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In a press conference held on May 9,<sup> </sup>Walter Araujo,
president of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), announced that the TSE is currently working
on the creation of new restrictions on international observers for the
municipal, legislative and presidential elections of 2009. Aruajo is the
representative of the right-wing governing party, ARENA, on the TSE.<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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Araujo explained that the new restrictions being developed “intend
to regulate that no group of observers come and take part in political activity
in the country.” Araujo threatened that “meddling in the electoral
process” will result in expulsion from the country. The absence of a
clear definition of “meddling” could leave the door wide open for
the arbitrary application of these new restrictions. <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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Meanwhile, the ARENA government recently announced the result of the
national census that was compiled in May, 2008. The census results were
released 6 months later than originally promised. The FMLN party and other
social organizations, including the legal organization FUNDASPAD, have
questioned the results of the census, asserting that the results have been
manipulated and do not coincide with population records of municipal
governments. Citizen Action (ACD) – a coalition made up of various
Salvadoran legal and election-focused groups – also raised questions
about a report made by the Organization of American States (OAS) last year that
was not made public by the government but which raises serious concerns about
the electoral registry. <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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Among the problems with the new census are inconsistencies identified
by officials from the northern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">municipality</st1:PlaceType>
of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Las Vueltas</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, in the
department of Chalatenango, who criticized the fact that the census attributes
only 940 habitants to the town, while the population reflected in the central
government’s Solidarity Network program is 1,491. The difference of 551
people between the results of the census and other official records is believed
to be a result of manipulation to favor the governing party in the upcoming
elections, and may also result in a reduction of governmental funds awarded to
some municipal governments. Las Vueltas, governed by the FMLN since 1994, is
part of a list of FMLN municipalities whose populations have been reduced in
the official census. Especially alarming are the cases of large cities like
Santa Tecla, with a supposed 34% reduction, and Soyapango, which shows a 19%
decrease. The FMLN has denounced the “coincidence” of having many
FMLN municipal strongholds experience a significant reduction in population.
Even the right leaning Christian Democratic Party (PDC), through its deputy
Mauricio Rodriguez, has questioned the results of the census.<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>
<h3><a name="_More_neoliberal_measures"></a><b><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>More
neoliberal measures to “alleviate” economic crisis</span></font></b><font
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In the context of the economic crisis and the outcries of the
agricultural sector, Salvadoran President Antonio Saca is pushing for the
prompt approval of the Land-Lease Law, which seeks to “legalize”
land tenure and thus increase local production of basic grains. Various
campesino and social organizations, such as the National Agricultural Workers
(ANTA), have denounced that the law is a “step back” from the land
reform of the 1980s.<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>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>Equipo Maiz</span></font></i>, a
popular education organization, explains that this law is part of the ongoing
implementation of the neoliberal economic model in the rural areas of <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>.
Under the proposed new law, President Saca intendes to promote establishment of
<i><span style='font-style:italic'>maquiladoras</span></i> (textile manufacturing
plants) in rural areas, export-oriented fruit orchards, and transnational
hotels. These sectors would promote neither national food sovereignty nor local
production. The ARENA party’s policies have worked to legally concentrate
landholdings among large national and international corporations, which tends
to work against local production, food sovereignty, and the interests of
cooperatives and <i><span style='font-style:italic'>campesino </span></i>workers.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<h3><a name="_Attacks_instead_of"></a><b><font size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Attacks instead of
solutions<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The mixed public-private<b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;font-style:
italic'> </span></i></b>enterprise established by FMLN municipal governments
known as “Energy for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>” (ENEPASA) continues to come
under attack by the ARENA central government. Instead of recognizing the direct
benefits ENEPASA, a program created under the Latin America-wide ALBA trade
initiative that imports subsidized oil from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:country-region></st1:place>, the government seeks to
further politicize the issue and distort those benefits.<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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>According to the Economy Minister Yolanda de Gavidia, ENEPASA is an
example of “disloyal competition,” given that major gas stations cannot
offer the same low prices that ENEPASA does. However, ENEPASA president and
mayor of Soyapango Carlos Ruiz defended the transparency of the enterprise and
has reiterated its openness to a possible government investigation.<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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>In just four months, ENEPASA has provided savings to Salvadorans
through its low gas prices and contributed over $5 million to the
government’s budget through taxes paid. Currently, the concrete solutions
presented by the FMLN party to the economic crisis in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place> are subject to attacks
and investigations by the central government, which has at the same time been
strongly criticized for its lack of initiative and ability to offer solutions
to the crisis. <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>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Even founding members of the ARENA party such as Hugo Barrera have publicly
alerted their party that they should focus more on the problems facing the
nation, rather than attacking the FMLN. Mr. Barrera made these comments
in relation to Saca’s latest smear campaign, which seeks to link FMLN
leader Jose Luis Merino to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Barrera warned both ARENA presidential candidate Rodrigo Avila and the
party’s leadership to “not go around talking about [relations
between the FMLN and the FARC] anymore.” However, ARENA has continued to
assert such connections through the national media. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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