Elections, March 1997: Hope for El Salvador

From the Editor – José "Chencho" Alas

Nobody was expecting the results of the March 1997 elections in El Salvador. We knew in advance that there would be an increase in the number of representatives and mayors elected by the FMLN, but nobody was predicting a major defeat for the leading ARENA party. While the right-wing parties still hold the presidency and a slim majority in the national assembly, the other parties now have a degree of actual electoral power. In 1994, ARENA won 39 and the FMLN 14 of the 84 seats in our National Assembly. This year, the FMLN nearly doubled their representation with 27 seats to ARENA’s 28. The new results prove that Salvadorans want to follow the path of political pluralism and give the left an opportunity to build a better society. It also shows that the people are rejecting ARENA’s platform of putting the privatization and globalization of the economy before the national interests.

March by farmers demanding negotiations to resolve the land debt: Photo by Jonathan Heller

The result of the elections of mayors was also very positive for the FMLN. The FMLN went from representing 15 smaller municipalities after the 1994 elections to controlling 53 towns and cities across the country. This includes virtually all of the large cities including San Salvador, the political, administrative and cultural center of the country. Now more than half of all Salvadoran’s have an FMLN mayor for their town.

The new priorities in politics:

One characteristic of political parties in power in Latin America has been their obedience to the international financial institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the Latin American Development Bank. Recently, these institutions have been pressuring for privatization of the economy which includes selling off state enterprises such as energy, telephone, hospitals, prisons, and so on. El Salvador, under the ARENA party, has been following that path. It has turned the banks and the distribution of electricity over to private companies, and it has been in the process of selling the telephone company, ANTEL. With the new National Assembly that process has been halted. The decree that permitted the selling of ANTEL has been abolished and a new law is under discussion. The new representatives of the National Assembly are forcing a new discussion on the merits of privatization.

Another battle for the new National Assembly is land ownership and debt. Since the Peace Accords were signed in 1992, only 35,990 of the 700,000 people eligible have received land. Furthermore, of those who have received land, none have yet received titles, which means they still have no security that they will be allowed to stay. Also, the majority of cooperatives that received land in 1980 through the agrarian reform program have severe financial problems. The land debt from this program is $88.5 million, and it is owed by 1,224 individuals and cooperatives. The poor farmers can not pay their debts and the rich former owners now control the banks that are holding title to those lands. The FMLN's representatives are in favor of condoning the debt. The ARENA's representatives are against this move, since if the cooperatives default on their loans, the rich can buy it back for less money. In the months ahead we will see the results of this political struggle.

The NGOs and the new political context

It is clear to us that the processes of democratization of El Salvador offer new opportunities to all our people, especially the poor. If there is freedom, the political parties and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can play a very important role to improve the social and economic conditions of the majority. Certainly, the NGOs constitute one of the best instruments to help people become organized to achieve development and security, because they provide technical and financial support, something that has been denied to our communities.

ITAMA Project Update: Solidarity in Action

Environmental Rehabilitation, Protection, and Education

In the municipality of Moncagua, in the North of the department of San Miguel, ITAMA has received $100,000 from The Americas Initiative Fund to benefit three cooperatives: El Platanar, Tongolona and La Estancia. The objective of this project is to fortify and preserve the groundwater table, to create and protect 300 acres of native forest, and to diversify agricultural production. The members of the three cooperatives are doing all of the actual work as well as participating in workshops to receive training about the environment. They must be able to manage their water, soil, and forest resources to achieve true self-sufficiency.

For generations, the people of El Platanar, Tongolona and La Estancia have grown maguey and jute: natural fiber plants for making rope, burlap, and sacks for agricultural products. To process the maguey and jute, they extract the fiber and dump the green waste and by-products of the plants in the river and soil. As a result, they have severely polluted the river and area surrounding their processing plant, and that of course, hurts their health and the health of the environment. ITAMA and the cooperatives are doing a study to determine the possible uses of the waste products. They are producing 500 cubic meters of compost as a demonstration project to be used in family gardens, for fruit trees, and in the forest. They are also investigating other ways to mitigate the impact of the waste products on the environment.

The cooperatives are growing 170,000 small native trees to be transplanted in protected areas. Many of these tree species are in danger of extinction due to the severe deforestation which has gone on in all parts of the country. They are also building 15,000 meters of irrigation ditches to prevent further erosion of soil which is a big problem stemming from the deforestation. As there is the need to do a laboratory work, The Agronomic Center of Tropical Research and Teaching (CATIE), which is based in Costa Rica, is giving assistance. Also, The National Center of Agricultural and Forestry Technology (CENTA) is helping us. In order to protect the existing forest ITAMA has contacted the new Civilian Police.

This project is benefiting directly the members of the three cooperatives, women and men, and indirectly 17,000 people who live in this region. ITAMA is gaining experience that can be shared in other regions of the country, especially in North San Vicente and South Usulután where we have other projects.

Food security project

ITAMA-sponsored iguana farm "The Change", in Usulután. Photo by Jonathan Heller

W.K. Kellogg Foundation continues financing family gardens and microenterprises in the South of Usulután. Up to the present we have received $237,000 for food production. During 23 months of work we have financed 51 small enterprises and 472 family gardens. The families are producing vegetables, rice, beans, plantain, papayas, citrus, yucca, sesame, medicinal herbs, etc., and some are raising chickens, iguanas and other domestic animals for meat. With this project we are introducing a new culture in the food consumption, that certainly is contributing to improving the health of the people. The peasants are subject to enormous physical efforts: they work with their whole bodies, an exercise that consumes much energy. Yet they have historically had a very poor diet, lacking the necessary calories and nutrients. This has lead to high infant mortality, low life expectancies, and generally poor health. ITAMA is not only giving technical assistance for the family gardens and the small enterprises, but also teaching them how to have healthy diets and hygiene.

The local zone of peace project

This is an unending project and our jewel. With the assistance of the Institute of Human Rights, we have had more then 75 workshops about human rights and democratic security, and about strengthening the democratic organizations of the 109 villages that participate in this project. ITAMA specifically is contributing by organizing the Coordinating Committee (LA Coordinadora) of the Local Zone of Peace Project.

We have set up a date for our big MARCH FOR PEACE to officially proclaim to the world the creation of this local zone of peace. It will be held March the 24, 1998, to commemorate the death of two of our martyrs killed during that month: Archbishop Oscar Romero, March 24, 1980, and Fr. Rutilio Grande, March 12, 1977. WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE. PLAN YOUR TRIP TO EL SALVADOR TODAY. The US-based Foundation for Self-Sufficiency (formed to support ITAMA’s work in El Salvador) is organizing a delegation to attend the ceremonies and demonstrate our support for this important work. We will participate in the march and festivities, as well as tour the country and some of the other ITAMA project sites. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone with an interest in El Salvador or Peace issues to visit the country and participate in this historic event. If you would like more information, please contact our Texas office at (512)388-7957.

President of the Foundation for Self-Sufficiency, Harold Baron, signing a document pledging support for the Local Zone of Peace Project. Photo by Jose Alas

The role of the international community

What is happening in El Salvador has no parallel among countries that have suffered social unrest and war. Since the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992, we have followed a path of real democratization of our political and social structures. The left, the right and even the military have contributed to that process, in part because the international community has been putting pressure on our government and has been advising the left. What we need now is to receive more support from around the world to continue these changes in the right direction. We received much needed support from people around the world to sustain life for the poor during the twelve years of war. Now that the war is over, it is more difficult to raise the donations we need to continue our work. We need your help now more than ever. The support that we need now is to build the foundation of peace, that is social, economic, cultural, and political development; in other words, self-sufficiency. Please help with a tax-deductible contribution today.