<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:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="Street"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="address"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Times;}
h1
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Times;}
h3
{margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:Arial;}
p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Times;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:158809005;
mso-list-template-ids:1400553956;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:881551442;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-478360620 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:2036424481;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:1584804458 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level3
{mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level4
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level5
{mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level6
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level7
{mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level8
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
@list l2:level9
{mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<h3 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=5 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:18.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=5 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Arial'>120,000 Salvadorans March for
International Workers’ Day<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<h1><b><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<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><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><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600"
o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f"
stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;
margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:212.4pt;height:251.95pt;z-index:1;
mso-position-horizontal:center;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;
mso-position-vertical:top;mso-position-vertical-relative:line'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01CAF36E.096AD970" o:title="" croptop="13464f" />
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=283 height=336
src="cid:image002.jpg@01CAF36E.096AD970" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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><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'><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'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<br style='mso-ignore:vglayout' clear=ALL>
<h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=4 color=navy
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:navy;font-weight:normal'><a href="http://www.cispes.org/">CISPES</a></span></font></b><font
size=4 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:normal'> Update<o:p></o:p></span></font></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=4
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>May
14, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><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><i><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Included in this update:<o:p></o:p></span></font></i></b></p>
<ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4'><i><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:
italic'><a href="#_Metropolitan_Police_Attack">Metropolitan Police Attack Street
Vendors Protesting Forced Removal</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4'><i><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-style:
italic'><a href="#_FMLN_and_Social">FMLN and Social Movement Reject Free
Trade Agreement with European Union</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></li>
</ul>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Times><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><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On
May 1<sup>st</sup>, 120,000 Salvadorans joined with workers around the world to
celebrate May Day, or International Workers’ Day (see photos <a
href="http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=692&Itemid=1">here</a>).
The marchers, including workers, unionists, <i><span style='font-style:italic'>campesinos</span></i>,
students, feminists, militants of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
(FMLN) party and other sectors expressed the unified message that, “The
people achieved the victory, we demand real changes.” This International
Workers’ Day celebration, which had the largest turnout in recent years,
is also the first since <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s first leftist president,
Mauricio Funes, took office on June 1, 2009. During the campaign, Funes formed
a broad alliance with FMLN leadership, other progressive parties and
politicians as well as representatives of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s private
business sectors. Since taking office, he has constructed a “unity
government,” where the FMLN plays an important role in many key cabinet
positions, along with participation of other sectors in influential cabinet
positions.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
120,000 Salvadorans who marched throughout downtown <st1:City w:st="on">San
Salvador</st1:City>, in spite of the rain, sent a strong message that <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
organized social movement is mobilizing to guarantee the changes that Funes
promised on his campaign and to defend the government they elected from private
sector interests. Chants like, “What is the change we want? Structural
not electoral!” expressed that the social movement will not simply be
satisfied with the symbolic right to left shift electoral, but will continue to
demand real changes to the profound power and economic disparities in El
Salvador. Another chant, “With popular participation this government will
get better!” was an important reminder that the social movement wants
more spaces to participate in the government decisions that affect their lives.
Specific demands for the administration included policies to end violence
against women, improved benefits for workers, job creation and that the Funes
government reject the free trade agreements under negotiation with the European
Union and Canada (see last article), which favor the interest of transnational
corporations over the workers and economic health of El Salvador.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Participants
marched to the Plaza Cívica, where festivities continued with speakers from the
union movement and the FMLN; the march was so massive that the last marchers
had not arrived by the time the speakers had finished. Roxana Deras, a leader
in the Salvadoran Union Front and General Secretary of the Electric Workers
Industrial Union, encouraged the social movement to play an active role with
the new administration, calling on the movement to be “strict guards to
guarantee that the [campaign] promises are fulfilled.” Deras also
prompted the social movement to unite forces with the community and the FMLN in
order to consolidate real changes. Vice President of <st1:country-region
w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:country-region> and member of the FMLN party leader
Salvador Sanchez Cerén spoke on behalf of the party, reiterating its commitment
to work alongside <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s workers in building a new
country. “Other forces are participating in the government that are not
from the FMLN, but together we ousted the ARENA (Nationalist Republican
Alliance) party from the government, and today we have the responsibility to push
forward and make change a reality,” proclaimed Cerén. He went on to
stress the importance of popular organizing and mobilizing, not only to hold
the government accountable for the promised changes but also to build
consciousness in the general public to demand more profound changes in the
future.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<h3><a name="_Metropolitan_Police_Attack"></a><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:13.0pt'>Metropolitan <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Police
Attack Street</st1:address></st1:Street> Vendors Protesting Forced Removal<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=3 face=Times><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><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On
Monday, May 10, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">San Salvador
street</st1:address></st1:Street> vendors shut down streets and overturned the
potted plants that had been put in place of their stands to protest the destruction
and forced removal of 215 stands by <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San
Salvador</st1:place></st1:City>’s ARENA Mayor Norman Quijano. Vendors
were forcibly dispersed with teargas canisters by the Corps of Metropolitan
Agents (CAM), <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Salvador</st1:place></st1:City>’s
local security force.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In
recent months, Mayor Quijano has amped up efforts to “reorganize” <st1:City
w:st="on">San Salvador</st1:City>’s historic downtown area, primarily by ordering
the <st1:place w:st="on">CAM</st1:place> to confiscate merchandise and destroy vendors’
stands in the middle of the night, like this last raid which targeted 215
stands. After decades of privatizations, free trade policies and neglected domestic
production, less than half of the Salvadoran workforce holds formal sector jobs.
An estimated 55% of the workforce carves out a living from the informal sector,
with street vendors making up the largest proportion this sector. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Many
of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Salvador</st1:place></st1:City>’s
street vendors recognize that it is necessary to set up stands and markets in a
more orderly fashion, but demand that the reorganization be done in coordination
with the vendors to offer them suitable alternative locations to sell their wares.
Vicente Ramirez, a vendor who led Monday’s protest, explained that the
vendors want a space for dialogue with the mayor’s office to ensure that
vendors are not forcibly removed and left unable to feed their families;
however, the violent reaction of Mayor Quijano’s metropolitan police conveyed
the strong message that the mayor has little desire to negotiate. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<h3><a name="_FMLN_and_Social"></a><b><font size=4 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:13.0pt'>FMLN and Social Movement Reject Free Trade Agreement
with European Union<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h3>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In the
past few months as the Funes Administration continues negotiations for a
Central American–European Union Free Trade Agreement (<st1:City w:st="on">AdA</st1:City>),
begun under the previous right wing Saca Administration, <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">El Salvador</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
social movement and the FMLN have responded with strong denouncements and called
for outright rejection of the agreement. El Salvador’s social movement considers
the AdA nothing more than a tool for transnational companies to exploit the
region’s natural resources, privatize more water resources and
distribution systems and continue the trend set by the US-Central American Free
Trade Agreement, CAFTA, of defending transnationals’ “right”
to profit over the people’s best interests. The Confederation of
Salvadoran Union Workers (CSTS) further denounced the inclusion of the Honduran
government in AdA negotiations, which “requires us to…recognize the
government [of Honduras] of Porfirio Lobo, which was the product of a coup
d’etats in the region,” according to CSTS leader María Carmen
Molina. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
latest round of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">AdA</st1:place></st1:City>
negotiations, held in early May, ended in an impasse when Central American
countries and the EU could not agree on tariffs and import quotas for certain
products. Since then <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">El
Salvador</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s Minister of Economy Hector
Dada has expressed his desire to work with the other Central American countries
to push forward the negotiations and sign the agreement. The agreement, which
would have to be approved by the Legislative Assembly has also been denounced
by the FMLN legislative fraction and leadersiop. In a <a
href="http://www.fmln.org.sv/detalle.php?action=fullnews&id=426">statement
released on May 6</a> by the party, the FMLN called for all Central American
countries to pull out of negotiations since the EU has made clear that it is
negotiating solely in its own interests. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Times><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>