CRISPAZ El Salvador Weekly News and Analysis
Jan 15-21, 2007

In this edition:
1) Salvadorans Debate Fifteen Years Since Peace Accord Signing
2) Foro Sao Paulo X 13
3) Tension Continues in Wake of Apanteos Prison Riot

Salvadorans Debate Fifteen Years Since the Peace Accord Signing
Fifteen years ago, El Salvador closed a difficult chapter of its history with the signing of the Peace Accords between the Salvadoran Government and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN in Spanish) on Jan 16, 1992 . The Accords officially ended the armed conflict and allowed for the FMLN to convert from a guerilla army into an established political party.

This past weekend, events commemorating the signing rang throughout the country—and as far away as Spain . More are scheduled in the coming days. Social organizations, politicians and human rights activists used the opportunity to reflect on the promise of the Accords and the reality in which Salvadoran society finds itself today.

Separate and distinct celebrations marked the past week. The celebrations reflected the divergent visions of what “peace” means within various sectors of Salvadoran society.President Tony Saca and Minister of Security Rene Figueroa spoke at a Government-sponsored event on Saturday Jan. 13. Platitudes were plentiful at the celebration, which was held in the “Magico” Gonzales soccer stadium. The stadium scoreboard blared with the message: “That we all be builders of social peace.”

Saca attributed the war that gripped the country between 1980 and 1992 as the principal cause of the current violence and the explosion of gang activity in El Salvador . He called for a “national commitment to peace.” Figueroa echoed Saca, saying that Government alone cannot create peace.

Some religious leaders, such as Anglican Episcopal leader Martin Barahona, participated in the event. Opposition FMLN representatives did not. FMLN Director Ramiro Vasquez said the party opted out because the event was designed to advance the image of Saca, Figueroa and the ARENA party, rather than commemorate the Accords.

Human Right Ombudswoman Beatrice de Carrillo issued a statement on Monday that warned that, “Over these 15 years, the process of strengthening democracy … has been stalled and, of late, has rapidly deteriorated without signals of improving…”

For its part, the FMLN planned a number of events for Tuesday, Jan. 16 th, the anniversary of the Accords including a plenary discussion featuring Mnsr. Rosa Chavez, FESPAD Director Silvia Guillen, and independent human rights expert David Morales will be held at the Hotel Intercontinental. A commemorative concert will follow in San Salvador ’s Civic Plaza .

Foro Sao Paulo X 13
Representatives from countries throughout Latin America attended the 13th San Paulo Forum, held in San Salvador this weekend. The Forum, which was begun in its namesake city, is a gathering of organizations dedicated to social and economic justice from throughout
Latin America .

Participants celebrated a year in which left-leaning Latin Americans were elected or re-elected president in Venezuela , Nicaragua , Brazil and Ecuador . For Forum-goers, those victories mean a greater challenge to “free trade” policies championed by Washington and the European Union. Major topics in the forum included: hemispheric security, social movements and leftist governments, the Peace Accords, and Colonialism.

Tension Continues in Wake of Apanteos Prison Riot
One week after a riot in the Apanteos prison left 21 prisoners dead, red alerts were called in the Ciudad Barrios and Gotera prisons. Prisoner support organizations accused the government of being aware of explosive conditions at Apanteos in the days leading up to the riot, which lasted 12 hours over two days. Others criticized the police response, which was delayed

Visiting hours were suspended at all three prisons and there was no mention of when the gates would be re-opened. Many women with small children slept outside the Apanteos gate waiting for news about their loved ones inside.

“We’ve been here all night and they haven’t given us any information. I can’t handle it anymore. I want to know how my kids are, and they say that only after Jan. 21 will I be able to see them, said Sara Villalta, quoted by the La Prensa Grafica newspaper.

Authorities offered only theories for what motivated the violence, noting that none of the victims pertained to the famed “18” Street Gang, which has a large presence in the prison. Prison Director Roberto Vilanova suggested that the confrontation was a result of the mixing of “18” members with non-affiliated prisoners, a policy begun in October 2006, with a series of mass transfers that sent the system into chaos. Since then, analysts

Human Rights Ombudswoman Beatrice de Carrillo criticized the mixing policy, saying that it provokes violence in the penal system. Vilanova defended the policy of mixing gang members with non-affiliated prisoners saying, “We are going to continue (with mixing), because we are not going to create exclusive prisons for gang members.”

(Sources: La Prensa Grafica, Diario Co-Latino, Diario de Hoy, printed ads and personal contacts)