[Cispes-update] Salvadorans Prepare to Protest on Third Anniversary of Saca's Presidency

[CISPES National Office]

Salvadorans Prepare to Protest on Third Anniversary of Saca's Presidency

CISPES update

May 30, 2007

 

June 1 marks three years of President Antonio Saca's presidency in El
Salvador, and many social organizations, along with the FMLN party, are
taking the opportunity to denounce his administration's failure to resolve
the main problems facing the country.  A coalition of social movement
organizations - including the Popular Social Bloc (BPS), the Salvadoran
Union Front (FSS), and the national CD-DVD Vendors Movement - released a
statement in preparation for protests on June 1 asserting that Saca's
policies have in fact aggravated the crisis of poverty and unemployment
through the implementation of the neoliberal economic model, while also
increasing corruption and violent crime.

 

This week the Salvadoran Technological University released the results of a
public opinion poll which shows that 70.5% of the Salvadoran population
thinks that Saca is not doing anything to resolve the problems of the
country. 66.1% of those polled believe that the biggest problem in El
Salvador is the increasingly high cost of living; also, based on the crisis
created by the failure of CAFTA and other economic policies, 67% of those
polled said they want to emigrate outside of the country.  Another
Technological University poll found that 30.4% of Salvadorans say they will
vote for the FMLN in the next elections, next to 28.2% for ARENA.

 

Such statistics are not surprising given the sense among most Salvadorans
that the situation in the country is getting worse.  The Jesuit University
(UCA) released a separate poll showing  that 51% of the population believe
that crime has actually gone up in this last year, despite Saca labeling
2007 the " Year of Peace."  In fact, El Salvador now has the highest
homicide rate in all of Latin America, and a study by the UCA shows that the
number of monthly homicides has nearly tripled since Saca took power in
2004.

 

The FMLN and the social movement are organizing a series of protests on June
1 at different points throughout the country to denounce Saca's repressive
and exclusive model of governing, and to counter the president's
presentation of an official report giving him high marks on governing over
the last 3 years.

 

FMLN proposes legislation in favor of market vendors

 

FMLN deputies in the Constitutional Law and Issues Commission of the
National Assembly presented a proposal which would reform Article 26 of the
Penal Code in order to reduce punishment for informal vendors arrested on
charges of selling unlicensed CDs and DVDs.  The FMLN's proposal also calls
for the elimination of Article 184, which would prevent jail time for
vendors arrested under the Intellectual Property laws passed as part of the
implementation of CAFTA in 2005.  The proposal has yet to be analyzed by the
other members of the commission. 

 

As the vendors continue their struggle, reaching new parts of the country to
organize the ever-growing informal sector, more leaders within the movement
are being threatened.  Martin Montoya, a leader of the National CD-DVD
Vendors Movement, recently expressed concern about death threats and other
attacks to the movement. "We are under permanent threat of either massive
confiscation of our products or of arrests from the authorities," said
Montoya.

 

ARENA uses RCTV closure in Venezuela to attack the FMLN

 

ARENA's fear of the possible FMLN victory in the 2009 elections was shown
once again as Saca and his associates in the right-wing media sought to
manipulate the controversy surrounding the television station RCTV in
Venezuela in order to attack the FMLN.  On May 28 the Venezuelan government
allowed the license for RCTV - a promoter of the 2002 coup attempt against
President Hugo Chavez - to expire, prompting rallies both in favor and
against of the government's decision.  The main right-wing newspapers have
been filled with anti-Chavez propaganda over the last week, making subtle
and not-so-subtle links to the Salvadoran elections in 2009.  Cesar Funes, a
top leader of the ARENA party, sent a warning to the Salvadoran people
stating, "It's sad that there are parties that support the suppression of
freedom of speech.  Salvadorans have to open their eyes and see that the
FMLN is the enemy of freedom and is friends with Chavez."

 

Meanwhile, the FMLN and the Salvadoran Committee in Solidarity with Cuba
organized a solidarity rally on Sunday in front of the Venezuelan embassy.
FMLN General Coordinator Medardo Gonzalez spoke at the rally and extended
the FMLN's support to Chavez, clarifying to the Salvadoran press that
Chavez's decision to not extend the RCTV license is a sovereign one, and
that in El Salvador those that are against the decision "don't recognize
freedom of speech."

 

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