In this issue:
Amendment to Cut SOA Funding Fails in Congress
MARN: Water Law to be Presented Soon

Amendment to Cut SOA Funding Fails in Congress
On Thursday June 21, the Democrat-controlled US Congress failed to cut funding for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), known colloquially as the School of the Americas or SOA. An amendment to cut funding for the SOA offered by Rep. McGovern (D-WA) failed 203-214.

The SOA is a combat training facility for Latin America military and Police located at Fort Benning , Georgia . More than 60,000 military officers have graduated from the institute, 11 of which have become dictators in their respective countries.

Activists opposed to the school were boosted in their hopes to close the school when Democrats gained control of Congress last November, but yesterday’s vote demonstrated that there is still much grassroots lobbying work to be done: 42 Democrats voted against the McGovern Amendment.

WHINSEC/SOA In El Salvador
The School of the Americas has an illustrious history in El Salvador . During the civil war (1980-1992), the Salvadoran Army brass, and other high-ranking Army officials trained at the SOA. Human rights activists have long held the SOA responsible for training tactics such as torture and forced disappearance. According to the women’s rights group Co-Madres, more than 8,600 people disappeared at the hands of the Salvadoran military during the twelve year conflict.

“This is a sad day,” said CoMadres’ Alicia de Garcia, “Salvadorans have suffered greatly due to the teachings of this school. As a mother whose son “disappeared” I ask, demand that the USA close down this school of death and torture immediately.”

The US-based School of the Americas Watch (www.soaw.org), which spearheaded the lobbying effort behind the Amendment, lamented the vote, but remained positive. According to a statement published on the group’s website:

“The mobilizing effort was tremendous: Tens of thousands of emails, faxes and calls flooded the halls of Congress over the past three days. Students, clergy, union members and veterans traveled to DC and visited with hundreds of Congressional offices to communicate clearly that there is no room for institutions like the SOA in the future that we want to see. Despite this, 214 Members of Congress missed the chance to stand up for human rights, justice and democracy, and voted to keep the funding for the SOA flowing.

“Together we educated hundreds of Representatives and staffers about the School of the Americas . We built new relationships and strengthened long-term ones."

MARN: Water Law to be Presented Soon

The director of El Salvador ’s natural resources and environmental agency this week announced that a General Water Law could be presented to the Legislative Assembly before the end of June. The announcement marked the next in a long series of similar proclamations from officials in water-related agencies dating back two years.

The [draft] Law is moving forward,” said Carlos Guerrero, who directs the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).

“Many of the aspects of the proposal have been discussed and we hope to have it ready soon. At the end of this month, we hope to present it to the Legislative Assembly.”

A previous draft of the Law which was never presented to the Assembly, shows that the Government intends to disband the current water Administration, ANDA. The draft plan instead proposes the creation of a new water agency, ConAgua, which would focus on the oversight of locally managed concessions of water services. Local rates would be negotiated as part of each concession.

A large movement has grown in opposition to the plan which, opponents say, amounts to a virtual privatization of the resource. Social organizations have argued local municipalities have few resources or technical understanding of water management would be at the mercy of companies that win concessions. Many groups have argued that previous privatization schemes, rates have gone up uncontrollably without proportional increases in service, quality or coverage. Nothing in the current government proposal, they argue, addresses rate controls or benchmarks for service or the quality of provided water.

According to government statistics, less than 60% of Salvadorans enjoy potable water in the home. A recent study done by the UNES environmental group found fecal coli form in 98% of tested samples.

Salvadoran officials have anticipated the presentation of the water bill since last August, but no proposal has yet been presented. Social organizations opposed to water privatization chalk up the government’s reluctance to a well-organized public that has applied sustained pressure.

In February, however, the El Faro online newspaper published an investigative report revealing that a sector of Salvadoran industrialists accustomed to paying little to none for water procurement wanted assurances that any new Law would not disturb those privileges.