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Friday, October 28, 2005
Hurricane Stan Fallout
- For the second week in a row, campesinos from the Bajo Lempa and Jiquilisco areas left homeless from Hurricane Stan were blocked by police on Wednesday as they peacefully marched to the Presidential Palace attempting to deliver a letter protesting what they see as abandonment by their government.
- Residents from several municipalities in the department of Cuscatlan and communities surrounding Lake Ilopango stopped traffic on the Panamerican highway Thursday protesting the lack of government response to damage in their communities.
- The Ministry of Education announced 72 public schools will close early for the year because they are either too damaged, too dangerous, or currently serving as shelters for evacuees. The majority of the schools are located in the departments of San Salvador, La Libertad, Santa Ana and Sonsonate.
- As of October 19, the estimated number of evacuees still in shelters was around 24,000. Director of Civil Protection Mauricio Ferrer estimates the number will stabilize at 20,000: “Basically those who lost everything.”
- President Saca says reconstruction from Stan will cost the country an estimated $229 million.
- 680 acres of coffee fields were completely lost.
- Salvadoran communities in the U.S. have raised more than a $100 million in aid.
- The Spanish Goverment has promised $65 million to El Salvador and Guatemala.
Santa Ana Volcano Remains Active
The Salvadoran Geological Studies Service reports that the Ilamatepec (Santa Ana) Volcano remains active following its eruption four weeks ago and may erupt again. On October 1, Ilamatepec spewed ash and rock, affecting nearby communities.
Former Salvadoran Vice-Minister of Defense to Stand Trial in the U.S.
Colonel Nicolas Carranza, a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Memphis, was Vice-Minister of Defense of El Salvador from late 1979 to early 1981. In that position, he exercised command and control over the three units of the Security Forces responsible for widespread attacks on civilians. Despite being removed from his position as Vice-Minister due to U.S. pressure over his human rights record, Colonel Carranza was later brought back in 1983 as head of the brutal Treasury Police, where he exercised command over the members of that group. After being forced out of the Treasury Police, Carranza came to the United States in 1985. He became a U.S. citizen in 1991. In 1984, the New York Times reported that Colonel Carranza had been a paid informant for the CIA.
Five courageous individuals have come forward against Colonel Carranza to bring to light the atrocities that they and thousands of other Salvadorans suffered at the hands of the Salvadoran Security Forces and death squads. They are represented on a pro bono basis by the Center for Justice & Accountability (CJA) and the Tennessee law firm Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC. The trial will begin October 31, 2005 and is expected to last about three weeks.
2005 Homicide Total Already Higher than 2004
With more than two months to go before the end of the year, the total homicides for 2005 have already surpassed last year’s total. In 2004, officials documented 2,762 homicides. Through September of this year, police officials had already reported 2,717 and 63 more by mid-October.
SOA Watch Vigil and Demonstration
The annual vigil and demonstration to call for the closing of the School of the Americas (WHINSEC) is November 18-20 in Ft. Benning, GA. The US Army School of Americas trains Latin American security personnel in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. SOA graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. For scheduling and other information, go to www.soaw.org.
We will have a table selling crafts and promoting CRISPAZ. If you are interested in helping work the table, contact Patty Adams at patty@crispaz.org.
SOA Watch is also hiring a new Operations Coordinator. Click here for a job description.
Send Us Your Info About Events Remembering the Four Churchwomen
We will be posting information about commemorative events in El Salvador honoring the 25th Anniversary of the Four Churchwomen as soon as official schedules become available. Please send us information about events in your area to be posted on our website. Send to salvanet@crispaz.org.
On December 2, 1980, while returning home from the airport, Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel and lay missioner Jean Donovan were stopped by the Salvadoran National Guard, raped and murdered. They were working with the Archdiocese of San Salvador, helping refugees flee the violence of the war.
CRISPAZ Job Announcement Reminder
There are two openings in the El Salvador Encounter (ESE) Delegation Program. We are hiring a Delegation Leader to begin January 2nd and a Delegation Intern to start mid-May. For complete job descriptions, click here.
