SHARE EL SALVADOR
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Our Model
    • History >
      • Going Home Campaign
      • Land Transfer Program
      • Seeds of Hope
      • Women’s Literacy Campaign
      • Sister Parish Program
    • Supporters
    • Staff and Board
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
  • Our work
    • Scholarship Program
    • Advocacy
    • Roses in December
    • Grassroots Partnerships
  • Campaigns
    • El Salvador >
      • Women Sowing Seeds of Hope
      • Cancer Prevention
  • Delegations
    • Major Delegations
    • Sistering Delegations
    • Youth Delegations
    • Tours >
      • U.S. National Tour: Spring 2018
    • Theological Seminars
  • Blog
  • Donate

In defense of Father Miguel Vasquez, parish priest of Arcatao - Chalatenango 3/19/2021

5/18/2021

1 Comment

 
PicturePadre Miguel, Photo Diario CoLatino
The Association for the Development of El Salvador (CRIPDES) and the Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango (CCR), the signatories, express to national and international public opinion our deep concern about expressions of hatred, acts of intimidation, and threats of political violence against Father Miguel Vásquez, priest of the Parish Fray Bartolomé Mártir in the municipality of Arcatao, department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.

Father Miguel, as he is commonly known by his parishioners, has been a fundamental pillar of the Arcatao community since the 1980s, and a spiritual and moral reference that, from his position as a parish priest, promotes the development of healthy, organized and thinkers’ communities in the department of Chalatenango.

Since the end of the year 2020, Father Miguel has denounced the harassment suffered by the communities by prominent military personnel in the municipalities of Nueva Trinidad and Arcatao with the excuse of preventing cross-border trafficking due to the COVID 19 pandemic.  Also, this has echoed the complaints against the militarization of these municipalities and their actions violate the right of the mobility of the communities of Salvadorans living in the Ex-Bolsones located in Honduras, these communities depend on crossing the border for trade and access to services basic.

During the last electoral campaign for mayors and deputies in El Salvador, Father Miguel also denounced numerous irregularities that occurred in Arcatao, such as the history of corruption of the mayoral candidate by the New Ideas party, and he claimed to have documented the buying and selling of votes by Salvadoran citizens abroad who are financiers of the party in power. In addition to the complaints made public in a letter, Father Miguel called on the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to investigate irregularities in the Arcatao local campaign, the New Ideas party won only by a margin vote, and requested that the allegations of vote-buying, the sources of financing of the campaign, and the reason why the military did not allow the Salvadorans living in the cross-border Bolsones exercise their right to vote and that violations of the electoral code be punished.

Due to his spirit of denunciation of injustice, Father Miguel is now the target of attacks and threats by individuals with questionable political backgrounds that have been strengthened by the politics of hatred that is promoted in the country from the highest political levels. This political violence has also affected other leaders of local political parties: on March 6, the lifeless body of Concepción Varela, candidate for mayor for the Partido de Concertación Nacional (PCN) in the Nueva Trinidad municipality, was found in a pasture after having received death threats and being missing for 10 days.

As social organizations, we are concerned about the systematic attack on the country's democratic institutions and the potential for political violence that is currently manifesting itself in the communities of Arcatao and Nueva Trinidad. We are alert to the escalation of political violence in our communities and we make a call:

  • For the corresponding authorities to guarantee the physical and moral integrity of Father Miguel Vásquez, to investigate irregularities in the electoral process and all expressions of violence against social leaders so that constitutional guarantees and freedoms are respected for all Salvadorans.
  • To the human rights institutions, national and international, to monitor the post-electoral situation in El Salvador and activate their protection and complaint mechanisms against any violation of human rights.
  •  To civil society organizations and sister solidarity organizations at the national and international level to exercise an active surveillance role, defend democratic institutions and denounce all acts of political corruption and human rights violations in El Salvador.

San Salvador, March 15th, 2021

COMUNICADO EN ESPAÑOL

1 Comment
liana link
11/16/2022 11:48:01 pm

thanks for info

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    SHARE EL SALVADOR

    SHARE STRENGTHENS SOLIDARITY WITH AND AMONG THE SALVADORAN PEOPLE IN EL SALVADOR AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY, JUSTICE, AND HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Jobs and Internships
Frequently asked Questions

SHARE El Salvador
2425 College Ave,
Berkeley, CA 94704

Mission
SHARE strengthens solidarity with and among the Salvadoran people in El Salvador and the United States in the struggle for economic sustainability, justice, and human and civil rights.
Vision
To transform society, SHARE increases the capacity of organized communities and their partners through our model of mutual accompaniment.

Contact Us

    Subscribe Today!

Submit
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Our Model
    • History >
      • Going Home Campaign
      • Land Transfer Program
      • Seeds of Hope
      • Women’s Literacy Campaign
      • Sister Parish Program
    • Supporters
    • Staff and Board
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
  • Our work
    • Scholarship Program
    • Advocacy
    • Roses in December
    • Grassroots Partnerships
  • Campaigns
    • El Salvador >
      • Women Sowing Seeds of Hope
      • Cancer Prevention
  • Delegations
    • Major Delegations
    • Sistering Delegations
    • Youth Delegations
    • Tours >
      • U.S. National Tour: Spring 2018
    • Theological Seminars
  • Blog
  • Donate