No visible progress towards canonization of Oscar Romero

It has been almost a year since I blogged about the progress of canonization as a saint of the Roman Catholic church for martyred archbishop Oscar Romero. The website of America Magazine wonders why the delay:

Jon Sobrino, the Spanish Jesuit theologian based in El Salvador, says the delay in the process of beatification of Oscar Romero is essentially political: namely, fear of its impact on the Vatican's relations with the Central-American state.

The martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, gunned down at the altar in 1980 after denouncing injustices and army oppression, was formally accepted as a candidate for sainthood in 1997, when he was declared a "Servant of God". He survived a theological audit by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2005, and there was talk of beatification following swiftly -- especially if he was declared a martyr.

But since then, it's all gone quiet. March next year will be the 30th anniversary of his martyrdom, but there's no sign coming out of Rome that a declaration is being planned.

In an interview with the Spanish press agency EFE in Mexico, where he is attending a congress on a fellow theologian, Ignacio Ellacuria, also murdered in El Salvador, Sobrino said the problem was essentially "political". A 1993 UN report identified Roberto D'Aubuisson, founder of the ARENA political party, as the one who ordered Romero's assassination in 1980 -- and therein lies the problem, says Sobrino.

"If they beatify Romero, whether they like it or not all that's going to come out. So it's a big problem for the Salvadoran Government and, I guess, for the public and diplomatic relations between the Vatican and El Salvador".

Can this be true? ARENA is no longer in power -- so what's the fear? That the ruling left-wing FMLN party would exploit the furore to embarrass ARENA? That after all these years the country would erupt in violence?

Sobrino, professor at the Central American University (UCA), fears that, rather than being canonised as a martyr, over time Romero's legacy will be watered down.

Efforts to confront violence

A thousand or more university youth marched through the streets of San Salvador to demonstrate their rejction of violence plaguing the youth and all residents of El Salvador. The march was one of black and white -- marchers in white T-shirts were joined by 692 marchers in black to symbolize the 692 young people who are murdered every six months. The march proceeded from the campus of the University of Central America to the Salvador del Mundo monument. The youth delivered the following demands:

• That the government administration commit itself to work on public policies of citizen security and against violence.
• That the institutions charged with the administration of justice work with more commitment to eliminate impunity for crime.
• That an attorney general be named immediately so that the institution charged with investigating criminal acts does not continue leaderless for more time.
• That the posession and carrying of firearms be completely banned since their only purpose is to kill.
• That the Human Rights Ombudsman (PDDH) maintain steadfastly the command of the Peace Accords towards the end of guaranteeing the fundamental rights of the citizens.
• That the system for protection of witnesses be improved in order to encourage reporting of crime and trust in the administration of justice.
• A greater participation and coordination of the municipalities in combatting crime.

In connection with this last demand, LPG reports a meeting Friday betwen president Mauricio Funes and leaders of El Salvador's municipalities promoting the formation of Committees for Violence Prevention in each town and city in the country. The committees are part of Funes' call for cooperation among all social sectors in order to combat the violence in Salvadoran society.

Recently LPG also reported that the European Union has promised close to $16 million to El Salvador for programs to work with youth in those areas where youth are at most risk of becoming gang victims or gang members (or both).

The march and meetings came as the murder toll so far this year approached 2800.

Update on Alex Sanchez case

Two months ago, the executive director of the organization Homies Undidos, Alex Sanchez, was arrested on racketeering charges for his alleged role in a murder and other gang activities. The charges are difficult for many to believe since Homies Unidos works to help young men and women escape the gang lifestyle. National Public Radio broadcast an update on the Sanchez case this week:

Federal prosecutors filed translated transcripts of wiretapped phone conversations in which Sanchez — reportedly also known as "Rebelde" or Rebel — allegedly gave orders to commit murder. As further evidence, prosecutors cite a photograph of Sanchez with a Mara Salvatrucha tattoo on his chest....

Federal authorities say they can't talk to the media as the case heads to trial. But it's clear they're counting on those wiretaps to help put Sanchez away. Meanwhile, Sanchez has supporters from around the world rallying for him.

"I don't for a moment think, 'Wow, there must have been a moment of weakness for him,'" says Father Greg Boyle, another gang interventionist who runs Homeboy Industries. "I don't for one second think he's guilty of even a part of this. Not for one second."

Boyle defends Sanchez as a heroic peacemaker who had to stay in contact with the gangs to do his job. But he says many authorities misinterpret the work.

"There's this presumption that, 'Will these folks ever really change? Don't they always keep if not one foot, then a big toe in?'" Boyle says. "But it's not different from recovery. Is it hard? Yeah. Do people do it? Sure. Do people relapse? Sure. But that's more the gang member who broke up with his lady, and now suddenly, he's back kicking it with his homies again. Not Alex Sanchez. That wasn't a temptation for him: 'Gee, I'll go back to gang-banging.' Are you serious?"

The Homies Unidos website contains this letter to supporters from the organizations' Board:

July 18th, 2009

Dear Friends and Supporters of Homies Unidos,

As many of you know, our Executive Director, Alex Sanchez was named among twenty-three others in a federal indictment charging him with involvement in an alleged gang conspiracy. As long time colleagues of Alex, we are deeply saddened by these serious and unfortunate allegations.

The Homies Unidos board and staff stand in full support of Alex, his family, and believe unquestionably in his innocence.

We deeply appreciate the outpouring of support that has been shown during this difficult time, a testament to just how many lives have been transformed and inspired through the work Alex began over eleven years ago.

At Homies Unidos, we have been working nonstop to ensure that our peace work continues. In Alex’s absence, the board has named Mirna Solorzano Interim Executive Director. Formerly Homies Unidos’ Director of Operations, Ms. Solorzano has been with the organization since it’s inception in 1998, and has worked on the development and implementation of key programs such as the Epiphany Project and Family Wellness workshops. The Board will fully support Ms. Solorzano as she takes on this interim role and has absolute confidence in her ability to lead the staff, further our programs and help guide Homies Unidos toward accomplishing our mission of creating a culture of peace within our communities.

Today our mission continues. We presently have 40 youth awaiting tattoo removal and another 50 ready to begin our 12-week Epiphany Project. Our staff, continue to teach our leadership programs, Family Wellness Workshops and lead Grassroots Political Advocacy on behalf of our community.

We invite you to visit our office, witness our programs in action, and meet Homies Unidos’ dedicated staff. Without you, our work would not be possible.

As we continue on through these trying times, your support is more important than ever. We humbly ask that you make a donation to help Homies Unidos sustain our programs and serve those who need us most. Please enclose your tax-deductible donation in the envelope provided or donate online at www.homiesunidos.org

Sincerely,

The Entire Homies Unidos Board

Photos of a hard life

The National Public Radio website has a photo slideshow of work by photographer Juan Carlos. His work shows a gritty side of the struggle in daily life for many in El Salvador:

"Duro Blandito" (hard soft) is a type of cheese and, in popular Salvadoran speech, an oxymoron expressing the ambiguity of life. For Carlos, the phrase also conveys the difficulty of defining peace in a postwar era. The country had been defined by civil unrest for several decades, culminating in the 1980s and '90s in a civil war to overthrow a repressive government. Peace accords were finally signed in 1992, and with that came hope for the Salvadoran people.

But El Salvador is still among the 10 poorest countries in Latin America. "In various parts of the country," Carlos says, "one can still catch sight of the stillness of time." That is, those regions have remained socio-economically stagnant for the past three decades. While things are changing slowly for Salvadorans, daily life is a struggle for many. The photos in this series say more.

You can see the photos here.

Gilberto Soto case reopened in El Salvador

The legal case over the murder of Salvadoran-American Teamster organizer Gilberto Soto
is being reopened. From Mike Hitchens' blog:

Recently elected Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes ordered the reopening of the case following requests from labor and government officials to follow through on his promise to strengthen the judicial system and crack down on crime in El Salvador by bringing Soto's murderers to justice.

"President Funes has taken an important first step in strengthening human rights in El Salvador," [Teamster President James] Hoffa said. "The violence against trade unionists in El Salvador and across Central and South America has been allowed to go unchecked for far too long. Gilberto Soto's murderers must not be allowed to remain free if the Salvadoran government seeks to make significant strides in strengthening democratic institutions."...

In an interview with a Salvadoran newspaper, former Salvadoran Human Rights Ombudswoman Beatrice Allamani de Carrillo expressed her satisfaction with the reopening of the case, indicating that it confirms the findings in a report she and her staff originally submitted to authorities.

"Now the Office of the Attorney General has the responsibility to conduct a sound investigation," said De Carrillo, who has long contended that Soto was murdered because of his trade union activities.

Soto was shot in the back and killed while visiting Usulutan on union business on November 5, 2004. To date, the police have done little to apprehend what appears to be a death squad that killed the union representative. In fact, in De Carrillo's report, the former ombudswoman charged that the police had perpetrated a cover up rather than conduct an exhaustive investigation. A prominent figure involved in organizing port drivers in the United States, Soto was visiting El Salvador on behalf of the Teamsters to meet with Central American trade union leaders and port drivers.

Solar panels bring electricity to the poor

This YouTube video from La Prensa shows a project where solar panels are bringing electricity for the first time to some poor households in a section of Apopa, El Salvador

Second gold-mining arbitration

Although most of the attention has been on the Canadian gold mining company Pacific Rim and its international arbitration suit against the government of El Salvador, there is a second US gold mining venture which has also commenced an arbitration. The Commerce Group and San Sebastian Gold Mines filed a notice to demand arbitration under the DR-CAFTA trade agreement. The companies, which are both headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, assert that El Salvador has a de facto ban on the operation of gold mines in El Salvador by foreign companies and that this has deprived Commerce and San Sebastien of their investment interests from operation and exploration of gold mines in the country. They claim damages exceeding $100 million.

On July 2, 2009, the companies commenced their arbitration against El Salvador. In announcing the commencement of arbitration, the Commerce Group's 8-K filing states:

The Company contends that the government of El Salvador has frustrated its efforts to develop its mining interests in the country of El Salvador in violation of CAFTA-DR. On September 13, 2006, the government of El Salvador, without justification or any forewarning, revoked the Company's permits which it had issued for the San Sebastian Gold Mine exploitation concession and the San Cristobal Mill and Plant, effectively terminating the Company's right to mine and process gold and silver. On October 28, 2008, the government of El Salvador denied the Company's application to extend its exploration permits in connection with the New San Sebastian Exploration License and the Nueva Esparta License.

The risk for the government of El Salvador in these cases, is that it does not appear to have followed its own set of rules. Rather than going through the steps of evaluating environmental impact statements and then issuing a decision about the environmental impact which denies a mining permit, both Pacific Rim and Commerce allege that licenses were simply revoked or not granted without explanation. That's a mistake by the government. An international arbitration panel is not going to second-guess El Salvador's evaluation of the environmental evidence, even if that evaluation seems flimsy. However, the arbitrators can understand and rule against a government which does not go through the motions and issue an explanation for its actions. In other words, a wrong decision is more defensible than no decision at all.

Asylum from gang violence

A case making its way to the highest level of the US court system deals with the story of Salvadoran teens who fled their homeland to avoid the gangs of El Salvador. Recently the US Supreme Court temporarily blocked the deportation of three Salvadoran teens living undocumented in Minnesota so their appeals could be heard. A story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune describes the case:

Three recent high school graduates from South St. Paul who fled gang violence in their homeland of El Salvador are in the middle of a deportation battle that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case is expected to set a national precedent on whether resisting forced recruitment into violent gangs in other countries is grounds for asylum here.

Pablo, Rene and Silvia Mira left El Salvador in 2004, illegally crossing the border to live with their mother in Minnesota. Arrested by immigration agents shortly after entering the United States, they argued they were fleeing recruitment by the notorious MS-13 gang, whose criminal activities include drugs, human trafficking and murder.

Although their case was still making its way through judicial appeals this summer, the Miras were unexpectedly seized at their family apartment July 6. Deportation was slated for this week -- until their appeal was referred to the full U.S. Supreme Court by Justice John Paul Stevens.

"It was a miracle,'' a still-astonished Rene Mira said of the court order that led to the temporary halt of their deportations. "To return to our county would be so dangerous. You can't even go out at night, because you don't know if you'll come back,'' he said while sitting in the family's small apartment with his twin brother, Pablo, and sister, Silvia.

The Miras' hopes to stay depend on how the Obama administration applies traditional definitions of asylum -- protection for people fleeing persecution based on race, religion, nationality and political beliefs -- to people claiming to be members of social groups that are targeted for reprisals by violent elements in the homelands.

You can read the Petition for a Stay which convinced Justice Stevens to block the deportation, at least temporarily, here.

This is an important case. I have written before about lawyers who write me asking for information on Salvadoran gangs to help support their clients' asylum claims. The Washington Office on Latin America published a Gang Asylum Guide, to assist lawyers.

The circumstances are ones I know firsthand as well. I knew a young man in El Salvador, growing up in a gang area. Maybe he joined once, maybe he didn't, but he grew fearful and decided his only option was to flee to the US. He didn't make it very far, and was picked up by border patrol and held in a detention facility close to the Texas border. We received his lonely letters from there. His asylum claim, based on a well-founded fear of what the gangs might do to him, was turned down. He was deported back to El Salvador. Someone died as a result.

I'm not saying that the US can or should open its doors to everyone in El Salvador who is not a member of a gang. But either the gang problem must be solved or the US must consider adding compassion to some of its immigration policy.

Remittances and migrants slow but not stopping

Remittances, the money which Salvadorans working abroad send home to El Salvador, have dropped by 11% over last year according to an AP story:

El Salvador's central bank says the money citizens living abroad sent home during the first seven months of this year dropped 11 percent compared to the same period in 2008.

The bank says remittances between January and July reached $2 billion in the Central American country compared to $2.2 billion during the same period last year.

In a report issued Monday, the bank blamed the decrease on rising unemployment in the United States, especially among Latin American immigrants.

Remittances represent the largest source of legal foreign income. About 2.5 million Salvadorans live in the United States.

Despite the unemployment in the US and the increased border enforcement, some Salvadorans still see the trek northward as their only chance to better their family's economic situation. A story on the Voices of America website interviews some Salvadorans making that journey to sneak undocumented into the US:

With the American economy failing to produce jobs in the wake of the recession, and the dangers for undocumented workers along the route to the United States increasing, the rewards of making the long trip north from Central America are lower than ever. But there are many still willing to risk their lives for a better future....

Back at the migrant house, [a migrant identifying himself as] Jose agrees that the flow of would-be immigrants has decreased in relation to his four previous trips along this route, the first of which he made in 1998.

"The times before, it is a lot of people. I do not know what happened. I remember my first time, I found maybe 700, or maybe 1,000 people, they go on train. But now, a few; it is nothing. This house, the time before, it is full, maybe 70 people, 80 people," he said.

Jose says he and other migrants realize finding work in the U.S. in the midst of a recession will be difficult. But those facing the trip unanimously agree that they will find some sort of employment north of the Mexican border, and that the risk of the trip is justified.

Juan, another Salvadoran on his second attempt to reach the United States, says he knows his chances of finding a good job when he arrives will be far better than those in El Salvador.

"Remember something - the situation in Central America is hard. I understand, somebody said, the situation, it is hard in USA.. But you cannot compare it to Central America. Never. I know it is hard, but it is more hard in my country," he said.

If the US wants to cut down on immigration, it must help the countries of Latin America improve their economies so person like these workers won't feel driven from their countries by economic circumstance. Until there is economic improvement, El Salvador will continue to live on the remittances sent back by the workers who are its chief export.

More violence in Cabañas targets a mining opponent

Activists in the anti-gold-mining movement report another attack on a leader in protests against mining in El Salvador. Ramiro Rivera is a leader in the movement opposed to opening gold mining in northeast El Salvador. He was shot eight times in the back and legs, while riding his horse and directing his few cattle. Ramiro Rivera is President of the local Community Development Association (ADESCO) of Nueva Trinidad, a small community located in Cabañas Department. Rviera and ADESCO have been noisy opponents to the gold mine which Pacific Rim wants to build in the surrounding area.

Is the attack against Rivera related to his opposition to the mines? Certainly anti-mining activists assume so, and they have added his name to the list of other recent victims who were active in the anti-mining movement. The continued silence of the government, prosecutors and police on these cases, continues to provoke suspicion.

Funes' honeymoon will be challenged by the economy

Seventy-five days into the administration of Mauricio Funes, he is still enjoying a honeymoon with the Salvadoran public. A recent poll by the CID-Gallup organization reports that Mauricio Funes enjoys a favorable rating by 86% of Salvadorans -- a rating which is the highest of any government in Central America for the past 10 years according to Univsion . Even 68% of ARENA party members have a favorable opinion of Funes.

As an essay at the digital periodical ContraPunto points out, the challenge for Funes to keep these high approval ratings will be dealing witht the country's economic crisis. Poverty increased from 2007 to 2008 so that now 40% of Salvadoran families live in poverty or extreme poverty. Unemployment and under-employment is also in the range of 40% at the same time that fewer dollars are flowing back into the country as family remittances.

Funes has announced a Global Anti-crisis Plan which involves spending $587 million designated to improve some 25,000 houses, support of agriculture and the generation of jobs. To support this project, El Salvador has a loan from the World Bank for $250 million, of which $100 million is for social spending and the rest is for the generation of jobs, improving the condition of rural homes, and improving management in the public sector.

Stengthening farms in El Salvador

One of Maurcio Funes' campaign promises was to strengthen the country's agricultural sector and its ability to produce its own food needs. The website Inside Costa Rica describes how the new government is working on implementing this measure:

San Salvador - The Salvadorian government started a program on Thursday to revitalize the former strength of agriculture, increase production and legalize land possession.

"We want to turn the countryside into the driving force of the country's productive development," President Mauricio Funes said in the ceremony to launch the plan, and recalled that the sector had been forgotten for years.

By vitue of the new policy, the authorities will speed up handing over title deeds of lands to farmers, until reaching 3,000 in the first 100 days of the new government.

The Executive has granted 934 title deeds since it assumed power on June 1, to families that had been for over 20 years awaiting legalization. Simultaneously to that measure, production of essential grains will be increased, by means of handing over fertilizers and packages of improved corn, bean, rice and sorghum seeds.

This measure will benefit 600,000 farmers and will allow increasing national production in 10 percent in the 2009-2010 period.

A story behind the numbers

During the August festivals in El Salvador, the already high murder rate surged even more. A total of 88 persons lost their lives to violence between August 1 and August 6, an average of almost 15 per day.

A regular reader of this blog, who wishes to remain anonymous, sent in this essay about one of those 88 murders:

There can be no details in the story. It is too dangerous for the families left behind. But in the wee hours of the morning, a knock at a door in a small community ended with another young man laying dead in the pathway outside his home, leaving a girlfriend without her soul mate, a daughter without her father, a mother and father without their son, an extended family without their wage earner, a community without a leader, a church without a role model.

This story is not unique.

But this story is different for me because this man was like my son.

We met when he was a teen. He was being cool, flaunting a bit of English that he was learning in school. He became my unofficial guide to the community and we had fun trying to communicate. He squeezed in with the rest of his family in a small bed so I could have a spot to sleep. His first taste of peanut butter and jelly was with me. He drew me pictures that I keep in a scrap book. His mom is a dear friend.

One night, during our first visit together, he read something to me, so proud to read a bit of English:

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far way in dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep
Cuz I'd miss u baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
Cuz even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing

As the teen grew into a young man, I worried. He lives in a place where one Salvadoran gang or the other do not give boys a chance to grow into men. He made a few style changes--fingernails, hair, clothing--that somehow gave him the appearance of being someone who he really was not and provided him a measure of safety.

He finished high school, worked steadily in a few different jobs. During one of my visits he wasn’t around much and his mom was worried. He was working as the fare taker in a micro bus on a route known for being dangerous to bus drivers. We thanked God when he got a job in a shoe store.

All grown up, my Salvadoran son moved in with his childhood sweetheart and after a while they had a baby. He was a tender and loving dad. His daughter looks just like him.

And now he is gone.

It’s complicated. He wasn’t supposed to be killed. It was a mistake. He did everything right; he was a good boy and a good man, and because of where he lived and the violence in his neighborhood--violence fed by poverty, injustice, and lies in the darkness--he is dead. Another innocent victim.

It’s complicated. Will there be justice for this young man? Will his death bring more violence or will something be ignited in the hearts of the people in his community to rise up and be a force for change, a force for peace?

I don’t know. But, I’m sad and I’m angry.

I’m missing you, baby.

A Congressman's suggestions for investigations in El Salvador

This story is not new in El Salvador, but I can't find any record that any English language blog or news source has covered it.

On June 8, 2009, Congressman James McGovern of Massachusetts wrote a letter to newly inaugurated Salvadoran president Mauricio Funes. After extending his congratulations to Funes on ascending to the presidency, McGovern turns to the question of weaknesses in the investigation of high profile criminal activity in the country. In particular, the Congressman asks Funes to turn his attention to three cases. Congressman McGovern requests that Funes "seriously consider":

1. A more vigorous investigation of the murder of Katya Miranda that includes an investigation of Mr. Godofredo Miranda's alleged cover-up of this heinous crime;

2. A re-examination of the alleged suppression by Mr. Godofredo Miranda of evidence against the Perrones Gang brought by the Costa Rican government in an effort to curtail drug trafficking through Central America;

3. Directing the Justice Ministry to open and pursue an investigation into the probable culpability of lower-level members of the Perrones Gang in the November 2004 murder of Gilberto Soto, an American Teamster labor organizer in Usulutan; and

4. Expanding the investigation of top-level Perrones Gang members who are currently in jail for drug trafficking and who arc allegedly still involved in moving drugs across borders and money laundering.

The police official mentioned, Godofredo Miranda, was the head of the anti-narcotics division of the National Police until he was removed from the position in December 2008. He is also the uncle of Katya Miranda. Godofredo Miranda, who is now a police official in Chalatenango, has blasted Congressman McGovern in statements to La Prensa Grafica, denying there is any evidence for McGovern's charges.

A year ago, I pointed out a column written by Ernesto Rivas-Gallont, who had suggested back then, the possible link between the Soto murder and the Perrones drug-trafficking ring.

It's a regular theme in this blog -- the lack of credible investigations by El Salvador's police and prosecutors makes impunity possible and leaves major questions in high profile cases for years to come.

Only in El Salvador

LOL. Lidieth Arevalo, a Salvadoran living in Southern California has produced this video, titled Solo en El Salvador -- Only in El Salvador, which takes a very humorous look at some sights you may see in daily life in El Salvador. This video is the third of a three part series, and I think it's the best of the three.

Increasing violence against women in El Salvador

A radio report on the Free Speech Radio News links an increase in violence against women in El Salvador to the current economic crisis. You can listen to the report at this link. The Salvadoran government has been criticized in the past for making little effort to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of violence against women in the country.

August Festivals

El Salvador's patron saint festivals, which run from August 1 through August 6 are in full swing. See La Prensa's coverage of the week including videos of the opening parade in San Salvador here. La Prensa has another nice photo gallery of images of the famous central San Salvador buildings this link.

Well worth reading again are the two guest posts by our friend Carlos about "La Bajada," the culminating religious celebration of the festival week. You can find what Carlos wrote here and here.

Intimidation in Cabañas

The murder of Marcelo Rivera, and other recent incidents of threats and intimidation against journalists and activists in Cabañas, are troubling. Unknown persons or groups are waging a campaign of intimidation against environmental activists and reporters in the region.

More than 100 international organizations signed a letter to El Salvador's acting attorney general demanding that a more thorough investigation of the Marcelo Rivera murder and its possible political motives be conducted. The letter concludes:

As members of the international community in solidarity with the people of El Salvador, we are calling on the Office of the Attorney General to carry out an impartial, exhaustive, and effective investigation in order to bring to justice the intellectual and material authors of this horrendous crime. If Marcelo’s murder is left in a state of impunity, it will generate a climate of intimidation and uncertainty for social leaders and activists, undermining the advances in the democratic process in El Salvador.

Journalists covering the Marcelo Rivera murder have received death threats. According to Journalism in the Americas:

[Oscar Luna, the Ombudsman] for the Defense of Human Rights in El Salvador has asked for protective measures for three radio journalists who have received death threats, ANSA reports.

According to the Diario CoLatino, José Beltrán, Ludwing Iraheta, and Vladimir Abarca – reporters for Radio Victoria’s Cabañas office – have received several telephone threats following coverage of the disappearance and recovery of the body of a well-known environmental activist in the region. “You’re next,” they have been told.

The director of Radio Victoria said that due to the social nature of its broadcasts, it has received threats for several years. They have increased since the coverage of the environmentalist, however, which prompted the complaint.

The Radio Victoria station has reportedly been sabotaged twice in recent nights.

Another activist in the region, Father Luis Quintanilla, reports receiving death threats and then escaped a kidnapping attempt:

The priest, who was driving his vehicle on the road from the City of Victoria to Sensuntepeque (Department of Cabanas), was intercepted by four armed and masked men, who took him from his vehicle with the intention to kidnap and murder him. However the criminals did not achieve their objective, and the Priest was able to escape by jumping into a ravine.

This incident happened one month after the kidnapping, torture and murder of the environmental activist and social leader Gustavo Marcelo Rivera, and only a few days after the public denouncement of the death threats received by four Radio Victoria reporters.

Father Luis Quintanilla, like Marcelo Rivera and the journalists of Radio Victoria, has played a protagonist role in the defense of human rights and the opposition to all projects against the environment and democracy, like mining exploitation and electoral fraud in San Isidro.

Like the reporters in Radio Victoria, in recent days the priest had receive phone messages that threatened him with death, some of them said “there will be an end to the damned reds dressed up as priests” and “Keep quiet if you don't want what happened to Marcelo to happen to you,” making reference to the assassination of Marcelo Rivera and demonstrating the ties between these incidents of intimidation.

Many are saying these events are the product of the successful opposition to gold mining in the Cabañas region. One article looking at those links and other developments in El Salvador is Clfton Ross's Return to El Salvador in Counterpunch.