Dying for Gold by Ellie Roscher

El Salvador is working to pass a ban against all metallic mining and if they succeed, they will be the first country to do so. Radio Victoria, a community radio in Cabanas, is speaking out in support of the ban. The gold companies are not happy, and lawsuits and death threats surround a vulnerable country and the radio correspondents who are covering the story. This piece,  Dying for Gold, acts as a brief introduction to a complex issue.

Reflections on Mining in El Salvador by SHARE delegate, Bob Werly

I have a short time to make each of you care about a small country thousands of miles away, and to care about one-hundred people in that country who love every one of you.

A big issue in El Salvador right now is an attempt to mine gold in what are now some of the most beautiful mountains you’ll ever see. Up here we’d never think twice about our personal safety if we got involved in environment issues. Down there we met with a twenty-two year old community radio broadcaster opposed to mining. We were told he can’t leave the radio station or his life is in danger. Two weeks before our trip, a thirty year old university student posted fliers about a meeting to oppose the mining projects. The next day he disappeared. His body was found a few days later, tortured and shot twice in the head. I would like to emphasize that though we were face to face with people whose lives are in danger, we always felt safe, thanks to the accompaniment of SHARE.

In our sister community, Buen Pastor, the people dress cleanly and neatly and their children are well-behaved and happy. The people make eye contact, they smile at you, and amongst themselves the joke and laugh a lot. My impression was that as a collective they are happier than we are. It’s easy to see what we do for them, but at least for those of us who have been there, it’s what they do for us internally that holds deep meaning. Near the end of today’s gospel it says, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?” When it came time to leave El Buen Pastor, there were tears coming down the villagers’ faces. Think about it. In your lives, tears have come from only one type of person when you left them: From someone who loves you!

* Thank You  to Jan Morrill, Coordinator for the International Allies against Metallic Mining in El Salvador for information on the international movements involved in this fight.

~Pedro Arrupe, SJ

Futbol Match in El Salvador; Photo taken by Theresa Edwards

My name is Theresa Edwards and I am 16 years old. As a parishioner at St. Patrick’s parish in Seattle, I first traveled to Nueva Trinidad with my family when I was 12. Last summer I was part of the youth delegation going back to El Salvador, which was an awesome experience! Here are just a few highlights.

First, the greeting we received when entering into Nueva Trinidad was unbelievable. It was raining cats and dogs, and as the bus lumbered toward the village we all heard a rhythmic sound that grew louder and louder. When the bus stopped, we were surrounded by people—elderly women offering us their umbrellas, the teenagers of the batucada (drum line), and children grinning from ear to ear. The drumming, fireworks, pouring rain, and radiant smiles of everyone made it an unforgettable welcome.

Some of my favorite memories of my time there are of going to mass at the church, playing soccer and games with the kids, drawing pictures and talking, visiting the school and clinic, and eating lunch with the elderly. We especially had fun playing a huge soccer game for several hours one afternoon. It was also fun to visit the school, which newly includes grades 9 and 10. The kids that I talked with are curious about learning English, and would love to visit the United States someday. Instead of sleeping in the cultural center, we stayed with families in home stays, which I found very eye-opening.

I found that I connected even more with the children and teenagers on my second trip, and I am grateful to Facebook and technology for helping us keep in touch. Currently I have been emailing back and forth with several of the teenagers, and occasionally texting. I feel so lucky to have this kind of instant communication—it makes them seem much closer! In recent months I’ve heard that they are doing okay after the floods, and they’ve told me about some of the fiestas in the area in celebration of Las Posadas, Christmas, and the New Year. Through phones, email and Facebook, it’s been really cool to be able to talk to the kids one-on-one (in Spanish, of course) about our daily lives and hopes for the future.

Upon our return, it’s been life-giving to participate more in our sister parish relationship. Last Fall, St. Patrick’s held our annual Walk-Along to raise money for Nueva Trinidad. I also collaborated on a project of designing 2012 calendars of photos from the trip and tote bags featuring a drawing given to me by one of the teachers. We’ve been selling them for $15 each and the fundraiser has been really successful.It has been lovely to do some more reflection on my time in Nueva Trinidad, thanks for reading!

On February 2, 2012 around 30 members of the community Santa Marta, department of Cabañas, demanded that the Attorney General of the Republic begin a judicial process against Ochoa Perez. “We fully believe in President Funes when he said ‘no people will be free, no people will be happy, no people will achieve peace until the profound pain in their hearts caused by the negation of memory, truth and justice is removed.’ And for that to be possible, for the victims to know the truth, these crimes must be investigated, and those responsible brought to justice,” read the press release given by Santa Marta and ADES. 

Ochoa Pérez with his "hero", Lt Col. Monterrosa, intellectual author of the massacre at El Mozote.

From 1978 to 1982, when Colonel Ochoa Perez was in command of the Second Military Outpost in Sensuntepeque, at least seven massacres were perpetrated against the civilian population of Santa Marta, causing over 900 deaths. 

Santa Marta residents and victims of the horrendous oppression and violence carried out in the region shared their testimonies: a massacre of six women who were making the day’s tortillas for their farmer husbands; young, pregnant women killed and their unborn children ripped from their wombs; the massacre at the Lempa River, as the civilian population fled their homes and left everything behind in Santa Marta to save their lives. 

Now, Ochoa Perez is running for the Legislative Assembly with the ARENA Party.

Santa Marta and the organizations that support justice and human rights made the following demands: “For these abhorrent acts against the population and with the “conviction,” as President Funes said, “that real democracy should be founded in truth and justice”:

• We ask that Col. Sigifredo Ochoa Pérez be investigated and brought before justice for crimes against humanity and the repugnant violations of human rights against the civilian population of Santa Marta in 1981.
• We condemn ARENA’s decision to present Col Sigifredo Ochoa Pérez, implied in acts of genocide against our people, as a Legislative Assembly member candidate.
• We ask the Attorney General of the Republic to create an Ad Hoc commission, made up of people with experience in human rights and of publicly recognized moral and ethics. 

Leonel ended the press conference expressing concern over the recent naming of a military officer as Director of the National Civilian Police.  The history of Santa Marta and tens of thousands of Salvadorans that lived and suffered the war, ongoing impunity for those responsible for crimes against humanity, and continuing death threats and violence against anti-mining activists and journalists in Cabañas are inextricably linked to  further militarization of national security forces.  Further militarization of Salvadoran society will not lead to greater truth, peace or justice, but it may lead to a repetition of El Salvador’s violent, bloody past. 

President Funes visits El Mozote Memorial

 Last November, President Funes removed Manuel Melgar as Minister of Justice and Public Security, replacing him with recently retired David Munguía Paés. On January 26^th El Faro published an interview with Minister Munguía Paés in which he defined his principle goal as getting the gangs off the streets. Munguía Paés claims that the gangs account for 90% of the violence in El Salvador – a statistic that has not been published in any study or confirmed by the police. His security plan includes a curfew to keep minors off the streets at night, special anti-gang police units and judges, and authority for the anti-gang units to search homes without a judicial order. María Silvia Guillen, director of FESPAD, a Salvadoran organization of lawyers working for human rights commented, “This is not just more of the same, this is worse than the same. How do they expect things to change?” Past policies that focused on cracking down harshly on youth, like the Iron Fist and the Super Iron Fist have done little to reduce violence in El Salvador, and have greatly increased youth repression and human rights abuses. These policies simply fight fire with fire and do little to address root causes or other sources of violence.

 In December, Funes appointed Colonel Simón Molina Montoya as second in command of State Intelligence. He also replaced State Intelligence Roberto Linares with Ricardo Perdomo who served as Minister of Economy under the Duarte Administration in 1984-1989 and has no previous experience in intelligence.

 Funes’ most recent and most controversial move has been to replace the head of the National Civilian Police (PNC) with Francisco Ramón Salinas, a military general who retired just hours before his nomination. Under the peace accords, both the Minister of Justice and Public Security and the head of the National Civilian Police must be held by civilians. Creating a new, entirely civilian police force was an important measure implemented under the Peace Accords to remove the military from public security, due to their human rights track record. As a recent CISPES article points out, Article 168.17 of El Salvador’s Constitution states that the President is responsible for, “Organizing, leading, and maintaining the National Civilian Police for the protection of peace, calm, order, and public security both in urban zones as well as rural zones with a strict respect for human rights and under the direction of civilian authorities.”

  Isabel Hernández, director of SHARE’s El Salvador office commented, “Retiring from the military does not stop one from being career military. That is the formation, the background, the perspective career military carry with them. There is no doubt that all of us who have worked for so many years for respect for human rights and a more just society feel indignant and betrayed.”

 Shortly after Francisco Salinas was sworn in as head of the PNC, Inspector General Zaira Navas resigned. Navas was known for her tough investigations and purgings of corrupt police officers.

 At a meeting of communities participating in youth leadership projects in the CCR in Chalatenango on Saturday, community leader Julio Rivera raised a clear query and challenge, “It is urgent that as a social movement we define our role in relation to this government. In the past it has been clear, but now we need to clarify it. There have been so many incoherencies in this government. How can it be that one year the government gives the Jesuit martyrs official homage, then the next year offers protection to their assassins, and names the man who gave them shelter as Minister of Justice?”

 Given the recent signing of the Partnership for Growth between the U.S. and El Salvador, which focuses on more militaristic approaches to fighting gangs, organized crime, and drug trafficking,  questions arise regarding the level of U.S. influence in Funes’ cabinet changes. A recent CISPES article in Upside-Down World explores this connection and provides thoughtful analysis of these changes: http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3426-el-salvador-president-funes-placates-washington-with-cabinet-shuffle-

On January 26^th,  the National Committee of the Central American Coalition for the Prevention of Violence released a position statement in response to the naming of Francisco Ramón Salinas as director of the PNC, expressing their indignation. This coalition includes a broad range of organizations and coalitions working for youth, women’s, and human rights, amongst them SHARE partners ORMUSA, IMU, FESPAD, and the Institute for Social Democracy (ISD). Here is an excerpt:

 Given the country’s situation of insecurity and generalized violence, we EXPRESS that:

• The involvement of the armed forces in providing security the last two and a half years has not had an impact on the reduction of crime. Official crime data show that while the number of military personnel active in public security has doubled, the wave of violence has sharpened. According to the PNC, in 2010, 3,987 homicides were committed, while in 2011 the statistic rose to 4,354 deaths.

• Contrary to what was hoped for, since the naming of the current Minister of Justice and Security, there has been a significant increase in homicides.

• The naming of a career military man as director of the National Civilian Police contradicts the regulations of the Constitution of the Republic and the spirit and letter of the Peace Accords, thus it represents a gradual and risky to the repressive model of National Security.

• Since its creation, the National Civilian Police was conceived as a democratic civilian institution. And as a “professional body independent of the the Armed Forces” that will be under the direction of civilian authorities, according to articles 159 and 168, section 17 of the Constitution.

•Given these reasons, we manifest our disagreement with the decision taken by President Mauricio Funes to name General Francisco Ramón Salinas Rivera as Director of the National Civilian Police.

 Because of this, we reiterate that Public Security should be under the direction of capable professionals, with civilian training, committed to the democratization of the security institutions. Thus WE DEMAND

 1. That security policies respect the Constitution and the rule of law.

2. The discontinuation of the application of a repressive, militaristic focus as the solution to the problems of violence and crime in this country, and to initiate programs shown to be successful in violence prevention.

3. To name a civilian as the new Director/a of the National Civilian Police, dedicated to democracy and respect for human rights. 

4. We demand that the current government follow through on its campaign promises in which it emphasized the need for an holistic approach to violence and crime, focused on prevention and improving citizens’ living conditions, especially those of children, adolescents, and youth in situations of vulnerability.

5. That in coherence with the discourse the President gave on the 20^th anniversary of the Peace Accords in which he expressed, “Never again to human rights violations, never again to the use of violence, never again to the abuse of institutions, never again to the use of repression to silence ideas,” that the dignity of victims and their families be respected by compling with those accords and restoring the PNC to civilian hands.

6. We ask that the Supreme Court of Justice, the Legislative Assembly, social organizations, and the Salvadoran population to be ensure the fulfillment of the Constitution and the Peace Accords.

 7. We alert social organizations, labor unions, community associations, associations of women, youth, campesinos, and veterans, churches, and the general population that you must make your voice count and speak up to prevent a return to the past of repression, torture, and forced disappearances which the members of the armed forces participated in.

 “Violence creates more social problems than it resolves, and because of this, it never leads to a permanent peace. .” Martin Luther King.

San Salvador, 26 enero de 2012.

Leaders from the Central American community gathered in Houston on January 29th and 30th to launch the national campaign.

Central American Organizations throughout the U.S. Launch Campaign to Push for Permanent Residency for Central Americans with Temporary Protected Status in the U.S.

Houston, TX, January 26, 2012- On Monday, January 30^th at 11:00 AM at the Mickey Leland Federal Building in Houston, Texas, community, religious, labor, and civil rights representatives from all around the country held a press conference to announce a campaign to push for Permanent Residency for the approximately 300,000 Central Americans with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the U.S.

Nearly 14 years ago, Central America was hit with several devastating natural disasters which had a significant impact on entire communities throughout the region and led to hundreds of thousands of Central American families establishing roots in the United States.   In 1998, Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest hurricanes in Central American history, ravaged Honduras and Nicaragua and resulted in the loss and displacement of thousands, as well as a collapse in the physical infrastructure.  Due to this devastation, TPS was designated to both countries in 1999.

The 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador resulted in the loss of over 1,000 lives and resulted in the displacement of thousands more, in addition to extensive destruction of the physical infrastructure and severe damage to the country’s economy.  Reconstruction efforts have been slowed and hindered by subsequent Hurricanes, including Stan (2005), Felix (2007), Ida (2009), and most recently,  Tropical Rain E12 (2011). Consequently, Salvadorans who were granted TPS status in 2001, continue to fall under this status.

Very recently, all of the countries were extended their designation for Temporary Protected Status for another 18 months. The Secretary of Homeland Security determined that an extension is warranted because the conditions that prompted the initial designation of TPS continue to be met, in particular inadequate or fragile infrastructure and weak economies which at this moment would be unable to adequately handle the return of its nationals from the U.S. 

TPS has allowed its beneficiaries to remain in the U.S. since then with mandatory renewal every 18 months to maintain this status. The costs associated with this renovation are high and burdensome for many families. Thousands of families who have lived here nearly a decade or more are in a state of limbo, because they do not know what could happen to them after the 18 month period that their status is valid. The only way to secure a more stable and safe future for them is to enable them to become Permanent Residents and which will consequently, put them on the path to U.S. Citizenship. Currently, TPS beneficiaries form Central America include:  approximately 64,000 Hondurans, 212,000 Salvadorans, and 3,000 Nicaraguans.

As a comprehensive immigration reform is not foreseeable in the near future and the current administration has adopted a step-by-step approach in tackling the broken and confusing immigration system, community organizations from all throughout the country have formed a coalition and are launching a campaign to promote Permanent Residency for TPS holders from Central America. We are here, as TPS beneficiaries and supporters, to advocate for legislative action that will allow them to stay in the U.S. as permanent residents. TPS, an important yet flawed immigration benefit, is not the path towards self-sufficient, stable immigrant communities. Permanent Residency is the only solution to ensure the progress of our families, communities, and nation, and end the uncertainty that these thousands of families are living every day.  

 We must come together to support vibrant futures for families that have not only contributed to our national economy, but have been a critical and positive force in the reconstruction of their home countries by sending remittances to family members. TPS holders are productive members of our society with the same dreams and hopes as many of us, and have worked very hard to provide for their families, buy their first home here in the U.S., or open their own business. Every 18 months during the renovation process, they have gone through background checks and have proved that they are law-abiding and of good moral character and that they pay their income taxes every year.

The coalition held a press conference on Monday, January 30^th at 11:00am in the Mickey Leland Federal Building in Houston, Texas, located at 1919 Smith Street. The press conference announced the launch of this campaign and will invite our TPS community, legislators, community organizations and activists, congregations, unions, and all those who support a fair and viable solution for immigrant families in the U.S. to participate and support this initiative.

The campaign is a joint effort of the following organizations:

The Share Foundation (Berkley, CA), Causa Oregon (Salem, OR), CARECEN-DC, CRECEN-Houston, CARECEN-LA, Centro Romero (Chicago, IL),  Sunflower Community Action (Wichita, KS),  East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (Berkley, CA), CEUS (Union City, NJ), Centro Hispano Cuzcatlan (Jamaica, NY), America para Todos (Houston, TX), Voluntarios por El Salvador (Houston, TX), Comite Amigos en Acción (Houston, TX), Comites de Oriundos Salvadoreños (Houston, TX), Centro Cívico Salvadoreño (Dallas, TX), Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights(ICIRR), North Carolina Latin American Coalition (Charlotte, NC), SALEF (Los Angeles, CA), and Immigrant Rights Program (Newark,NJ).

 CONTACT: Jose Artiga PHONE: 415-558-8634 EMAIL: jose@share-elsalvador.org

March 24, 1982: Press Conference at University Lutheran Chapel in Berkeley, California. Launching of the National Sanctuary Movement

On March 24, 1982, the second anniversary of the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, five Berkeley congregations declared public sanctuary simultaneously with the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona!

Over the next decade, more than 500 congregations and thousands of people stood in solidarity with our Central American sisters and brothers seeking political refuge. The Sanctuary Movement challenged unjust immigration policies and the U.S. foreign policies that fueled the exodus. We thought and acted locally and globally. We crossed borders and made covenants in search of the Common Good. We were transformed.

At the heart of the public sanctuary movement: the refugee, and their story of suffering, struggle, faith and hope in the face of persecution and grave injustice. The Central Americans’ suffering and courage inspired millions to defy the federal government’s policy of criminalizing and summarily deporting Salvadorans and Guatemalans.

In 1985 the Sanctuary Movement filed a class action law suit challenging the U.S. government’s refusal to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Salvadorans and Guatemalans and accused the government of denying them “equal protection” in their claims for political asylum. In 1990, the Sanctuary Movement declared victory when the Federal Government settled the case, committing to reopen all Salvadoran and Guatemalan political asylum cases that had been denied since 1980 (98% of all cases were summarily denied). More than half a million Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees benefited from the lawsuit! The impossible became possible.

In 1997, the Clinton Administration changed the TPS status into a DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) and later many Central Americans were allowed to apply for permanent residency through NACARA the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act. Another victory! A dream come true.

Today, the challenges facing immigrants, workers, and the 99% are more daunting than ever. Yet groups across the country and the globe are fighting back. In the U.S., students have fought for and won the Dream Act in Maryland and California. Young people, unions and people from all faiths from Wisconsin to Egypt, from India to Spain, from Chile to Israel, are spotlighting the grave discrepancies of the “haves” and the “have nots” and the politics of greed. The cry that “A New World is Possible” echoes across borders and inspires movements.

One concrete effort is a new, national campaign to grant residency to Central Americans and Haitians who currently have “Temporary Protected Status.” These 300,000 brothers and sisters have been in the US for ten to twenty-five years and are a great example of hard work and dedication to their new home; their children are going to school and college, they are starting small businesses, they are paying their taxes; they are an asset to the community.

Join us through 2012 with activities to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sanctuary Movement with Central Americans, and:

• Sign on and promote the Call for Residency for Central Americans & Haitians with TPS. (see enclosed)
• Share a written reflection of your own past and present sanctuary story. We are compiling these reflections to publish them on-line and deposit them at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) at the University of California at Berkeley’s Sanctuary Archive.
• Remember Archbishop Oscar Romero and the Sanctuary Movement at services on the weekend of March 24th.                                                                                           
• Commemorate the Sanctuary Movement throughout the year with other activities that are relevant for your community’s history.

In so doing, we affirm the politics of love, hope and the Common Good over the politics of fear, hate and division. We draw strength from the centuries old tradition of struggle for human rights.

As our brother, professor and director of the MLK Institute at Stanford, Clayborne Carson says the last 250 years of human history is the story of the movement of peoples from peasantry to citizenship, from slavery to freedom.. We are a people in motion from South to North and from East to West in search of freedom and the dream. We do not act alone, but in human solidarity.

The arc of solidarity stretches from the Palestinian Jewish family seeking refuge in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago to the Underground Railroad in the 19th century, the numerous freedom struggles of the 20th century, to today.

We mark the 30th anniversary of the Sanctuary Movement by continuing to tell the story and to live the story, so that “hope and history rhyme.”

Que vivan los 30 años del Movimiento de Santuario! Que vivan!

In Solidarity,

Eileen Purcell, Sanctuary Oral History Project & Labor Organizer, IBEW 1245

Sister Maureen Duignan, OSF, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant

Jose Artiga, SHARE Foundation

Reverend Jeff Johnson, University Lutheran Chapel

Reverend John Fife, Southside Presbyterian Church & No More Deaths

A Call for Residency for Central Americans & Haitians with

Temporary Protective Status TPS.

I/we commit to support and promote the national campaign to grant residency to Central Americans and Haitians who currently have “Temporary Protected Status” TPS. These 300,000 brothers and sisters have been in the US for ten to twenty-five years and are a great example of hard work and dedication to their new home; their children are going to school and college, they are starting small businesses, they are paying their taxes; they are an asset to the community.

On the year of the 30th anniversary of the Sanctuary Movement we affirm the politics of love, hope and the Common Good over a politics of fear, hate and division. We draw strength from the centuries old tradition of struggle for human rights.

In the spirit of the Sanctuary Movement, I/we commit to support small and large steps to protect, advocate and defend the rights of immigrants in our midst.

Name:

Congregation/Title:

Address:

Email:

Telephone:

Please return this Call to: Jose@share-elsalvador.org or to the SHARE Foundation: 2425 College Ave. Berkeley, CA 94704. Tel. 510-848-8487

On Friday, January 20th, Father Neftalí Ruiz, Salvadoran Catholic Priest, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Cabañas Environmental Committee, and member of the National Working Group against Metallic Mining, opened his home to a group of university students who had expressed interest in his work.  He was then tied up, intimidated, and robbed. The young men did not take anything of value other than Father Neftalí’s computer, and stated numerous times that they were looking for information.

At a Press Conference held by the National Working Group Against Mining on Tuesday, January 24th, David Pereira of CEICOM emphasized: “These acts are meant to intimidate us to weaken our resistance.”

Alluding to past cases, in which the Attorney General and police have tried to blame cases of death threats and violence against activists on common delinquency or gang violence, Father Neftalí explained that he has no enemies. “The only work I do is to defend mother nature, to preach the Gospel, and denounce injustices.” Catholic Bishop Monsignor Francisco Sol added: “We have shown that in our country, it is a crime to defend the interests of the vast majority.”

Finally, Father Neftalí had a direct plea: “I ask the National Civilian Police and the Attorney General, what are they going to do in this case? Since 2008 and 2009 I have reported death threats. What are they waiting for? For there to be more deaths, more bloodshed?”

This is not the only case of violence and intimidation against defenders of human rights.  Radio Victoria in Cabañas are once again receiving death threats. According to Cristina Starr, founder of the Radio:

“Last week the mayor of Victoria put up a large ARENA party flag in the middle of Santa Marta, which made a lot of people angry because of past history; ARENA’s connections to death squads, military force and repression as well as implementing policies that favored big businesses and the wealthy elite during the 20 years they ran the government.

After the mayor put up the flag in Santa Marta about 3 busloads of community members went up to Victoria to protest this disrespectful act.

A few days later Radio Victoria members began to receive death threats, again, and nocturnal visits to their remote rural homes.

You all can imagine how this wears on us.. Radio members can not go and stay in their homes, they cannot be with their families and they always have to be wary and careful wherever they go and whatever they do.”

On the 20^th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords, President Funes asks forgiveness for past human rights atrocities and calls for peace with justice.  Meanwhile, violations of human rights and political repression go without investigation, unpunished.   Marcelo Rivera, Ramiro Rivera, Dora Alicia Sorto, Juan Francisco Duran.  There has been no real justice in these cases; the intellectual authors have not been brought to trial, investigations have not been carried out. Impunity reigns as violence and intimidation continue. 

SHARE El Salvador and other solidarity organizations will be creating an action alert to demand that the Attorney General and National Civilian Police carry out complete, exhaustive investigations of these most recent acts of violence and intimidation towards leaders of the social movement. Please stay tuned: Radio Victoria, the Cabañas Environmental Committee, and the anti-mining movement in El Salvador need your solidarity!

Read the full press release: The National Working Group against Metallic Mining Denounces New Aggression. 

Is the transition of the country to democracy durable and irreversible?

Madre Guadalupe

Madre Guadalupe-

“There has been a transition because now we have the space to speak up and say how we feel, however we are living in the same conditions. To have peace people need to be able to fulfill basic needs, like food. If you are hungry, you are not at peace. If you are scared of violence, you are not at peace. If you are under economic stress, you are not at peace. When you have been a victim, you are not at peace.  When these conditions exist you cannot speak of peace.”

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Chapultepec Peace Accords, what are your thoughts on the state of peace in this country and the extent to which the state has complied with recommendations of the Peace Accords/Commission on Truth?

Isabel Hernandez-

Isabel Hernandez

“For the Salvadoran people, the peace agreements meant an end to 60 years of military dictatorship and space for the construction of a new democratic system that respects freedom of thought. The main achievements were the dissolution of the ill named security forces (Treasury Police, National Police and National Guard) that were used to repress the people, the armed forces assumed its role of protecting the state and ceased to engage in political affairs. Also, there was a great reduction in  military personnel. Some constitutional amendments were made, including the legalization of the FMLN as a political party, the National Police was created with a new doctrine of  civil service to the public and the Humans Rights Ombudspersons Office was created to ensure that the state does not violate human rights.

There are areas of the peace agreements that are pending compliance and others that have not advanced at all. For example:

In the economic sphere there was a social and economic forum created, consisting of employers, workers and the government to discuss and propose economic changes. That initiative did not work.

The governments of Cristiani, Calderon Sol, Francisco Flores and Saca did not promote or support policies to improve the agricultural sector. Therefore, there has been no progress in Argarian reform. Another debt of the Peace Accords is the lack of justice for victims and their families.”

What does the 20th anniversary of the Peace Accords mean to you?

Isabel Hernandez-

“20 years ago, the peace accords put an end to 12 years of armed conflict, generated by the lack of democracy. Repression and social injustice thrived with the support of friendly governments. The peace agreement silenced the guns but left more than 75,000 people dead. This led to family disintegration, migration, and so on. Since then many of the causes of conflict have deepened. After 20 years, my reflection is that the peace accords stopped the war, but that does not mean we have peace.”

Madre Guadalupe-

“For me and for the families who are victims of war and those of us who fight for the truth, there has not been significant progress. The families whose loved ones were disappeared, tortured and murdered deserve reparations. In the 20 years since the peace accords, through successive governments, not one president would sit down and meet with us (insert link to CODEFAM), not one president took concrete steps to comply with recommendations made by the Commission for Truth(LINK), such as a monument, a national day of remembrance and a proposal that 1% of the International aid received by the Salvadoran Government be reserved for reparations to the families of the victims. The government has an obligation and a debt to the people and the people who suffered have a right to reparations.”

What is the current reality when it comes to impunity?

Isabel Hernandez-

“Implementing the recommendations of the Truth Commission on human rights violations is the largest debt that state has to the victims. With the passage of the amnesty law, all human rights violators were not held accountable for crimes against humanity and to this day  remain unpunished, as in the case of Monsignor Romero, the Jesuits, the massacres of Sumpul and El Mozote, etc. President Funes has apologized for these atrocities but that is meaningless if he does nothing to punish those responsible for these acts.”

Madre Guadalupe-

“When it comes to justice our country has made no progress. There has been no justice because those who have the power do not have the will. For example, we have provided documentation/reports of the people and places people were massacred but nothing is investigated.”

Is the transition of the country to democracy durable and irreversible?

Isabel Hernandez-

“In our country there are sectors of the right that work everyday to further strengthen their powers to the detriment of the majority and the political infrastructure exists to support this. Additionally, they have a great amount of influence and media control. They are the owners of large companies. Any process can be reversed, that is why it is important to strengthen civil society organizations and the political structures that accompany these processes. We must  continue to work to overcome setbacks and move forward to a country with democracy and social and economic justice.”

What are the ways in which Salvadoran people are seeking reconciliation?

Isabel Hernandez

“For true reconciliation we must know the truth about all of the acts of barbarism committed during the war, give reparations to the victims and continue to build a real democracy that rejects exclusion and marginalization because of differences of thought.”

Madre Guadalupe

“Well, if we speak abut the victims they want to know the truth. They want to know exactly what happened to their loved ones and where are their remains. Also justice, because without justice, these atrocities will be allowed to happen again. People also want to live better lives with better health, both physical and emotional and for that we need reparations, because without reparations there will be no reconciliation.”

In this moment, what impact does the destruction of Fernando Llorts Mosaic on the Metropolitian Catherdral have?

Isabel Hernandez-

“This act has caused great indignation. The mosaic was a beautiful work of art made by one of the best artists of this country and the explanations provided by the church are not enough. I believe that people see it as an irresponsible act that the Church hierarchy does not value art and the culture of our artists. Furthermore, this was an arbitrary and undemocratic act because nobody asked-  the church simply made the decision. The hierarchy of the Church is an authoritarian power and as such functions in this way.”

Madre Guadalupe-

“I cannot fully express what they have taken away from us. It has a tremendous impact. This mosaic was dedicated to peace, it was a symbol for those of us who have fought so hard for peace. They have ripped down not only the physical mosaic but also in doing so made our efforts invisible. This is truly difficult for all of us who long for peace. A symbol you must respect and this makes you think they do not respect symbols, if they can do this to the mosaic why would they hesitate to destroy the Monument to Truth and Memory? The mosaic belonged to the people, even if it was on the church. I do not know how they had the heart to do this.”

A mere thirty years ago, nearly unspeakable atrocities were common place in this small, mountainous town. Don Lito, a historic leader of Cinquera, shares gut-wrenching tales of torture, rape, massacres, and incredible, cruetly against humble farmers whose greatest sin was to organize for land to work to feed their families. But today, Cinquera has become a model for locally-led, sustainble development with an emphasis on youth, historical memory, and environmental preservation.

In 1991, the civilian population returned to repopulate Cinquera from the refugee camp in Mesa Grande, Honduras. Like so many places in El Salvador, people returned to find a town destroyed. They began to rebuild from the rubble, starting with makeshift homes, then permanent houses, then roads, a school and potable water.

Through the Association for Municipal Reconstruction and Development, ARDM, Cinquera dreamed of a local economy, with local employment, sustinability, and cultural and ecological tourism. Today, the ARDM and other local organizations run a hostel, restaurant, a butterfly farm, a lizard and iguana farm, a fruit dehydrator run off of solar power, and a 12,000-acre ecological park. In November 2011, with the presence of national government officials and international cooperation, the Museum of Historical Memory. In 2012, they will inagurate a youth center, to support integral youth development through culture and organization.

Historic Memory

The Governor of Cabañas, and former President of the ARDM, hopes the Museum will serve “so that our history not be repeated. We have to work to build social justice, because without that, even though the bullets have stopped, the conditions for war remain… We hope that everyone that visits the museum takes a small piece of Cinquera with them, in their heart and mind.” Visitors to the museum learn about the history and culture of Cinquera’s indigenous residents, the founding of the town of Cinquera, the causes and effects of the war, and development in the region today through written materials, maps and charts, historical objects and photographs, and a team of young, enthusiastic guides.

Enviornmental Protection

photo thanks to Alex Early

The people of Cinquera have a deep, personal connection to the enviornment, a sincere love for nature. While in many communities today, people see the land primarily as a resource, something to be used to fulfill human needs, the Association for Municipal Reconstruction and Development, ARDM, has a different vision. René, one of the local forest rangers, shares: “In 1980, when the war started, the hills surrounding Cinquera were bald. There were no trees. We had nowhere to hide from the military. After we let the trees grow in, the forest protected us. For almost 12 years of war, the trees, the mountains, the flora and fauna, the water, were our source of life and protection. When people want to come cut down the forest today, how could we let them? When people come to destroy to forest, to destroy mother nature, how could we not protect her?”

The 12,000 acre forest is divided between four neighboring municipalites, with the only entrance in Cinquera. The forest has miles of hiking trails, rivers that provide drinking water and pools to cool off on hot days, and relics from the war, including a former guerilla hospital. Long before the national government or international cooperation paid attention, the people of Cinquera organized to protect the forest, holding night watches to stop poachers and loggers. Poor, rural farmers, they found ways to buy the land from private owners to found the park. In one of the most deforested countries in Latin America, community efforts to protect and preserve forests, sources of clean water and biological diversity are rare and vital.

Read Don Lito’s history of Cinquera in Don Lito of El Salvador, Orbis Books.