Hi, All:
For those of you interested in my Human Rights travels, I went to El Salvador March 19-27 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero on March 24, 1980.
A year ago Salvadorans elected Mauricio Funes, a member of FMLN (the former guerillas), as President. That election has made a
considerable difference in official attitudes in that country.
President Funes officially apologized on behalf of the government for the violence against the people. He declared March 24th a National holiday. He dedicated a special mural, "Homage to Monseñor Oscar Arnolfo Romero," by Rafael Varela, at the San Salvador airport on the anniversary. He is moving to take civilian control over police and the military (aware of the possibility of a Honduras-type coup if he moves too fast). Things are looking better.
Despite that, there are still major problems in El Salvador. Crime is still rampant (the Chargé at the U.S. Embassy, with whom we met, said there is no safe place in El Salvador). The latest wrinkle is private extortion, where petty criminals threaten to harm members of a person's family unless regular payments are made. Because of impunity (less than 5% of all crimes are even prosecuted), people have essentially only the choices of paying or moving, and many people cannot move all their family members.
A second problem is the continuing contentions of conservatives that Romero was a Marxist Communist who threatened to turn El Salvador into another Cuba or Venezuela. In Cinquera in the North, where the guerillas were active, a new conservative Priest insulted people at Good Friday processions last year by calling the banners containing photos and statements of Archbishop Romero "garbage." He subsequently closed the Church. On December 23, the local Bishop (who is also conservative) came to "purify" the Church. He ordered a group of nuns who had accompanied him to literally tear the photos of victims of the violence from the Church walls and burn them, which they did. The Bishop then excommunicated the congregation and again closed the Church. At a later date, the Priest showed up with 140 people from other communities to tear down the Church. Church members put their bodies in front of the Church ("If you want to put that pickaxe into the Church, you will have to put it through me first," said one woman), and after hearing from community members, the others left without harming the Church.
Even though the Bishop has now been replaced, the Catholics of Cinquera are still unable to attend and worship at the Church in their own community.
The theme of the delegation was "Romero vive! (Romero lives). In El Salvador, I witnessed that in the people.
Frank Schneider
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Honduras
Hi, All:
To bring you up to date on the deplorable, sad and disgraceful situation in Honduras, government encouraged killings of activists continues to take place in that country. There have been six killings in February and March alone. Since the coup last June, there have been dozens of killings of union activists and of members of the Honduran National Resistance Front (FNRP), which has called for a Constitutional convention and a peaceful change in the political system.
A textbook case occurred on March 23, when hooded gunmen invaded the high school where FNRP member Jose Manuel Flores was teaching and killed him in front of his students. It is unknown whether the gunmen were police or paramilitaries, because the Minister of Government has instituted and maintained the practice of having hooded police participate in raids. It is also known that landowners have imported right wing paramilitaries from Colombia to do their "clensing" of union and other leaders and activists.
On March 27, two investigating journalists were ambushed and murdered.
If you want to protest the situation in Honduras, or call for our government to investigate and speak out against these gross violations of human rights, the Honduras desk at the State Department can be reached at 202-647-3482. I have gone to voice mail each time, but I think it is important that they hear from as many people as possible.
And pray for the people of Honduras, that they may be delivered from this terrible time.
Frank Schneider
To bring you up to date on the deplorable, sad and disgraceful situation in Honduras, government encouraged killings of activists continues to take place in that country. There have been six killings in February and March alone. Since the coup last June, there have been dozens of killings of union activists and of members of the Honduran National Resistance Front (FNRP), which has called for a Constitutional convention and a peaceful change in the political system.
A textbook case occurred on March 23, when hooded gunmen invaded the high school where FNRP member Jose Manuel Flores was teaching and killed him in front of his students. It is unknown whether the gunmen were police or paramilitaries, because the Minister of Government has instituted and maintained the practice of having hooded police participate in raids. It is also known that landowners have imported right wing paramilitaries from Colombia to do their "clensing" of union and other leaders and activists.
On March 27, two investigating journalists were ambushed and murdered.
If you want to protest the situation in Honduras, or call for our government to investigate and speak out against these gross violations of human rights, the Honduras desk at the State Department can be reached at 202-647-3482. I have gone to voice mail each time, but I think it is important that they hear from as many people as possible.
And pray for the people of Honduras, that they may be delivered from this terrible time.
Frank Schneider
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