CRISPAZ El Salvador Weekly News and Analysis
Nov. 20-26, 2007

In this edition:
1) Remembering the Martyrs
2) Proposed Water Law Presented Despite Divisions
3) Stringent Visitation Reforms Spur Prison Violence, 6 Dead

Remembering the Martyrs
Hundreds gathered at the University of Central America (UCA) on Saturday, November 11th to honor 2 women and 6 Jesuit priests who were killed on campus by the Atlacatl Battalion on November 16, 1989.  The event began with the traditional candle light procession, followed by Mass and then an all night cultural event that featured different music and dance groups from all over the country.  This year's slogan for the vigil was "the Salvadoran people must make their voice heard."

Last weekend, the School of Americas Watch vigil was held at Fort Benning, Georgia.  Organizers report that 22,000 people gathered in peaceful protest at the army base gates to call for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC. In the recent US elections 20 of the House of Representatives members who opposed closing the SOA/WHINSEC lost their seats, raising hopes of surpassing the 15 vote margin needed to win a Congress vote.  If you didn't make it to the vigil this year, visit www.soaw.org to see how you can support the movement to close the School of Assassins!

Proposed Water Law Presented Despite Divisions
Cesar Funes, President of El Salvador's national water company (ANDA in Spanish) presented the draft for the disbanding of his agency last week to a number of privatization-friendly NGOs.  Groups and religious leaders opposed to privatization largely considered the "presentation" to be a publicity stunt, since the proposal has not yet been presented to the Legislative Assembly. Those groups fear the proposal will open the door to a full scale privatization of water resources.

The November 20th edition of the San Salvador-based weekly, El Faro, exposes deep divisions over the proposed law between Departmental heads of the Saca government. The weekly's previous edition had published an article revealing concerns from the private sector about potential water rate hikes for high volume industrial users.
 
When Federico Colorado, President of the National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) was asked about whether his organization would oppose the proposed rate structure he said, "There is a discussion about that and whether it will have a good or bad impact." His answer hinted at the latter.

But, according to Carlos Flores, of the Salvadoran National Ecological Union (UNES) environmental group, discussion and dissention over proposed water-sector reform are nothing new, "You have to recognize that the government has stepped up the pace [on passing a Water Law] since 1998. .Since then there have been seven or eight draft laws and we don't know how much consensus there is around this one."

The subject of water again came to the fore last week when the Salvadoran office of the  United Nations Development Program (UNDP) released a report exhorting the government to treble water tariffs for all but the poorest 9% of the population. According to the UNDP report, increased revenue should go to extend potable water coverage, improve water quality and create long-term water sustainability. The controversial report was rejected by ANDA President Funes and activists alike, but is likely to remain a central focus of debate as the proposed water-sector reforms head to the Legislative Assembly once the internal disagreements on the bill within the ARENA party are ironed out.

Stringent Visitation Reforms Spur Prison Violence, 6 Dead
Maximum alert was in effect at prisons in Ciudad Barrios, near San Miguel and Chalatenango, violence broke out and left 6 inmates dead. When the dust settled, four inmates were dead in Ciudad Barrios and 2 at Chalatenango. Advocates of prison justice had predicted violence ever since Governance Minister René Figueroa announced a severe prison reform package that limits inmates' visitation rights. Prisoners were limited to one visit every two months and a "visitor" was re-defined under the new rules to mean a "close relative," with proof or relation to the prisoner.

The violence also comes on the heels of a massive transfer of prisoners across jails throughout the system. The Quetzaltepeque prison was completely evacuated, with the majority of inmates transferred to Chalatenango. The evacuation effectively meant the termination of the OPERA organization, which was started with help from CRISPAZ staff and volunteers ten years ago. The group was highlighted in the most recent issue of Salvanet.

According to CRISPAZ Youth Program coordinator Idalia Argueta the impact on OPERA is profound, "Of the ten OPERA board members, six are in Ciudad Barrios and the others are spread out in other prisons. So far, the new rules prevent us from visiting any of them, and they can't talk to each other."

Argueta says that she is coordinating with churches and the prison administration to negotiate a format acceptable all parties to continue the prisoner-organized OPERA programs.
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