CISPES: ACTION ALERT

Armed ARENA Groups Attack FMLN, Seriously Injuring Activists
Act to Demand ARENA Stop the Electoral Violence in El Salvador!

Armed ARENA contingents attacked FMLN activists in four separate incidents over the course of two days last week, with more than a dozen suffering serious wounds and at least two hospitalized due to the beatings. The first incident was in Armenia, in the department of Sonsonate, last Tuesday night, where FMLN activists were gathered at local party headquarters to begin campaign postering when a group of ARENA members arrived at the scene and, without exchanging a word, proceeded to assault the FMLN activists. Eight activists were seriously injured, including the pregnant wife of FMLN mayoral candidate who had to be hospitalized.

A similar incident occurred early Friday morning in the municipality of Zaragoza, department of La Libertad, when a brigade of about 30 ARENA members attacked FMLN activists with rocks, machetes and sticks while the activists were doing campaign postering on the outskirts of town. Jaime Burgos, FMLN mayoral candidate for Zaragoza, is among eight injured. José Salvador Palacios, FMLN municipal council candidate, was beaten unconscious and is currently hospitalized with doctors working to repair his dislocated shoulder and numerous lacerations and bruises. At the same time, two other FMLN brigades were attacked in San José Villanueva and Ciudad Merliot, both in the department of La Libertad.

The FMLN charges that ARENA has organized a contingent of more than 100 individuals and ordered them to attack and injure FMLN activists, with National Civilian Police (PNC) complicity. “They are mobs organized by the Minister of the Interior, and sent by President Saca,” said FMLN deputy Salvador Arias. The violence is likely to escalate as the March 12 municipal and legislative elections near.
The FMLN is calling for widespread denouncement of the attacks and demanding an investigation in order to put and end to electoral crime. Send faxes to President Saca to demand an investigation and let him know that people are watching El Salvador closely, and join CISPES’s international electoral observation in March.

TAKE ACTION!

1. Write to President Saca to demand that he assure a full investigation and that justice be done in these cases, and that he guarantees a safe climate for the elections.
Fax-011.503.2243.9947 or

email-casapres@casapres.gob.sv,

www.casapres.gob.sv/prescartas.htm

2. Attend the March 2006 CISPES Elections Observing Delegation to El Salvador and promote fair elections as an accredited international observer! Accompany the Salvadoran people by standing with them during their struggle for true democracy. Apply for the delegation by contacting your local committee, or downloading the application at http://www.cispes.org/english/Delegations.

The application deadline is February 1! *help with fundraising is available*

- If you cannot travel yourself, donate money or frequent fliers miles to CISPES, in order to help finance those who want to go but cannot afford it:

https://secure.people-link.com/~cissecure/

COMMITTEE IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF EL SALVADOR
130 West 29th St 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001 • 212-465-8115 • FAX: 212-465-8998 • cispes@cispes.org •

13 de enero, 2006.

Presidente Saca:

Le escribo con suma preocupación por los ataques violentos hacia activistas del partido FMLN de esta semana. Como presidente, es imperativo que Ud. asegure una investigación completa y transparente que lleve a la justicia de una manera rápida en estos ataques violentos. Además, es crítico que se tome una posición firme en contra de cualquier clase de violencia electoral, y que la Policía Nacional Civil se dirija y se asegure a parar cualquier violencia electoral en el futuro. Finalmente, el partido ARENA debe hacer una declaración pública expresando su consternación por los ataques y llamando a los que apoyen a su partido a que se abstengan de cualquier tipo de violencia en los días anteriores a las elecciones y el día del 12 de marzo.

El garantizar la libertad de expresión, y particularmente la expresión política, es esencial en cualquier democracia, ahora en la víspera del 14 aniversario de la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz, es crítico que el gobierno de El Salvador demuestre su compromiso por la defensa del derecho de todas y todos los salvadoreños y su expresión política.

Atentamente,

_____________________(name)

_____________________ (state, country)



(translation, send Spanish version)

January 13, 2006

President Saca,

I am writing to you very concerned about the violent attacks on FMLN party activists this week. As President, it is imperative that you assure a complete and transparent investigation that leads to rapid justice in these violent attacks. Furthermore, it is critical that you take a strong stand against any kind of electoral violence and direct the National Civilian Police to stop any electoral violence in the future. Finally, ARENA must make a public apology for these attacks, calling on your party’s supporters to refrain from any kind of violence leading up to the March 12th elections.

The guarantee to free speech and political expression is essential to any democracy, and on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords, it is critical that the government of El Salvador demonstrate a commitment to defending all Salvadorans’ right to political expression.

Sincerely,

_____________________(name)

_____________________ (state, country)