Rejections of government celebration of 1992 Peace Accords

Monday, January 16, is the 15th anniversary of the signing of the 1992 Peace Accords which ended El Salvador's 12 year civil war. The government plans celebrations to mark the event and the progress which has been made since the end of the war. Yet numerous civil society organizations are rejecting the celebrations and declaring that the Peace Accords are an unfulfilled promise for the country.

From the Terra news site is an article about a communique from various humanitarian organizations including La Asociación Pro Búsqueda de Niñas y Niños Desaparecidos (Pro Búsqueda) and the Human Rights Commission of El Salvador (CDHES). These organizations protest that human rights violations from the civil war have been allowed to go unpunished:

"Successive governments installed since 1992 have sustained an unacceptable state of impunity that protects those responsible for committing crimes against humanity against the civilian population." The associations declared that "the 1993 Amnesty Law constitutes the most aberrant expression of the perpetuation of this conduct of impunity, whose repeal has been demanded by the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights."

To end impunity, they demand the repeal of the 1993 Amnesty Law, so that crimes that occurred during the civil war are investigated, along with a purge and reform of the judicial system. In addition the establishment of a high level commission to investigate the whereabouts of the civilian population forcibly disappeared or assassinated during the conflict and a policy of the government of reparations for the civilian population that suffered damages by the violation of their Human Rights.

A different theme was sounded by the Auxiliary Bishop of San Salvador, Gregorio Rosa Chávez in his press conference on Sunday, January 7, as reported in a La Prensa Grafica article:
"The people [of El Salvador] are disenchanted and do not feel that peace arrived because each day brings more of the anguish of poverty, unemployment, the high cost of living, and a lack of security," he expressed in the Sunday press conference. For the representative of the church, the true spirit of those accords does not guide what leaders do, as is reflected in the credibility crisis of the politicial system.

The only viable form of obtaining peace in the country, according to Rosa Chávez is reconstructing the social fabric which has been torn by poverty, marginalization, social exclusion and lack of opportunities. "This social fabric cannot be remade with a campaign of Bible reading in the schools nor with with a pretty event in a stadium; ... one must go to where there is pain,' he indicated.

Objective diagnois of the national reality, obtained through an analysis of causes, was the solution that the priest proposed, in order to obtain a political, social, economic and religious reconciliation.

Monsignor Chavez urged the existing government and the political left to make public apologies for the victims and the abuses committed in the past civil war, but emhasized that what was most important is to repair the damage caused.

"Peace is not simply that there are no combatants, but a dignified life for all, " reflected the bishop.

Meanwhile, Diario Co Latino reports on the comments from the Center of Investigations over Investment and Commerce (CEICOM) who also reject the anniversary celebrations as a mere "political show."
Fifteen years after signing, the country has to live on remittances sent from the United States, insecurity is endemic, and there is a great environmental crisis...These facts call into question the pronouncements of the government [being made as part of the commemoration of the Peace Accords].

The Diario Co Latino report also notes that disabled veterans and organizations of widows and orphans from the war plan marches on Monday as well to protest what they view as unfulfilled promises including the need for adequate pensions.
(Any and all errors in translation are mine).


Anonymous said…
The peace accords are nothing more than toilet paper. The current crime problem didn't occur thru spontaneous generation, the mass poverty-massive migration endemic didn't come spontaneously as well. Truth is, that after the so called civil war ended, the regime in power has only worked in one area only: ruin the Salvadoran nation, and turn it into a transnational haven always in favor of transnationals and Salvadoran businessmen (narcotraffickers, death squad sponsoring oligarchies).

Unfortunately, Salvadoran's since the end of Kingping Mob Boss Cristiani's regime, they could've chosen a different path, but have repeatedly chosen to side with impunity, corruption, crime, extortion, decadence and collapse. Why? Because Latin American's enjoy soap operas. We as Salvadorans love the melodrama of our existance, the bitter-sweet agony of being screwed over once and again. That is why for 20 years we've ensured to have the party responsible for the current situation of the country to remain in power (responsibles for mantaining the "status quo" that lead to the 1930s and 1980s war). To the point, that I hope that FMLN doesn't win in 2009, because then I forsee deportations multiplying by 1000 (remittances plummeting below sealevel, narcolords of ARENA escaping country with millions of public funds going to USA for sanctuary. and murders reaching 15 murders a day). Whoever inherits the 2009 El Salvador must be a man made of steal and infinite patience. But unfortunately, because Salvadorans have the memories of a gold fish, will be the target of the blame game of the current situation.

Who has won from the Peace Accords? Not the ex-soldiers, some of them who founded the Mara Salvatrucha, and those who were forced to lead a screwed up life are now in Iraq as mercenaries Only God Knows to what fate, and those who were mangaled by the fight... abandoned by the same system they massacred THOUSANDS (entire communities). The poor? Agrarian reform gave to some land, but not the brains and tools to work on them. So many lands are unworked, people migrate to cities or El Norte. And those that remain practicing sustenance farming are more and more victims of intimidation by the goverment, to cede the land either for mining, or because some criminal wants to expand its hacienda or urbanize (Yet in campaigns ARENA conveniently tells poor analfabetic peasants that if FMLN wins they'll lose their land, something ARENA's predecessors did with Policia Hacienda and Guardia Nacional and continously refused a land reform, established anti-vagrancy laws to hive peanatos to haciendas). Sick people? No medicines in decrepit hospitals as ARENA makes its move to privatize health of the country.

So I applaud this your post and the different views that show that the "peace accords" have been nothing but toilet paper, which ARENA and PCN have used for 20 years, and curently is tainted brown and with a stench of putrefaction... Too bad that FMLN has to be part of such charade and doesn't withdrawn. Specially when you consider that things like Daiblo de Hoy place the usual "kill all guerrillas... peasants, clerics, teachers, doctors, syndicate leaders, students, actvists, nuns, any and all opposition 24/7 that would put incendiary Glen Beck to shame).
Anonymous said…
Blaming The frente or "soldiers" for founding the MS13~! what a joke!

MS 13 was not "founded" by them, even though stating it may support some political views.
gangs have always been in societies,
mau mau, 18, ms13, etc,
ms13 only gets the shaft because they are the biggest, and fbi likes to try and tie them into the war on terror, along with scare tactics media reports,

The MS13, resulted directly from U.S. Involvement in El Salvador, in the 80s, poverty, etc.

Fleeing with families, to LA, etc, Learning gang culture of the U.S., then subsequently 92 peace accords, and deportations 93-97- (and continuing)-replanting MS13 in El Sal-and spreading like a cancer.

I agree with the rest of the post except the FMLN winning in 09. that fear is always propogated in the prensa, that remittances will be cutoff, along with old guerilla pix during elections.

If the frente ever won (I do not think it ever will, it has been fragmented way too much by secret tactics *))-

yes and cristiani should hang.

glen beck vomit.
journalism died back in 1992.

only true journalist was
john hoagland.
Anonymous said…
I'm perfectly aware of the 1,000,000,000s of gangs and mafias that there are in the US. And obviously that is where the MS-13 started. Just like any other several of the other gangs. Marginalized not able to adapt and conveniently harazed by an older group. And MS HAS and IS expanding itself thanks to the ranks of resented teens throughout the region. But check the link, man. MS 13 was FOUNDED by ex-soldiers.

After the war, the army was reduced by 50%, and as usual with a dumb regime like ours, those 50 did not what the hell to do. Some migrated to El Norte (unfortunately for them, they weren't generals and coronels, cause after the war them folks made thousands of dollars from US aid). And those groups that offer "being part of something, protection" have hit jackpot in Central America where social injustice leaves potential recruits up for grabs. Hell, I even went Tejutepeque in Cabañas about two weak ago, and it seems like gangs are everywhere.

Btw, nice to see that we agree on two very important issues: that Cristiani should hang and that GB is nauseating.
El-Visitador said…
People keep calling it a "civil war."

Just a few days ago, the Socialist former Prime Minister of Spain openly confessed that Castro shared with him detailed military plans prior to "guerrilla" attacks.

Goes to show this was a communist agression against the Salvadorean people.

The "guerrillas" were either useful fools or opportunistic, bloodthirsty mercenaries who killed thousands of Salvadoreans.

I am not excusing any bloodthirsty military who responded in kind, but can we stop calling the thing a "civil war" already?
Tim said…
If not a "civil war," what would you call it? When there are two armed forces, both made up of citizens of the country, that fits my definition of civil war.

I don't think anyone should be surprised that Cuba was providing support to the FMLN any more than anyone would be surprised that the US was providing dollars and military support to the government. The existence of such support doesn't make it any less a "civil war."

The problem I have with your choice of language about "communist aggression," is that some (not necessarily you) have used that as justification to excuse the massacres of civilians and the assassinations of priests and an archbishop and labor leaders. I hope we can agree at this point, 15 years later, that the bulk of atrocities against the civilian population were committed by the army and right wing death squads and not by the FMLN guerrilla forces.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, and the communist aggression probably deserves the purging of "communists" and communists sympathizers from El Salvador, just as it occured in Indonesia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Chile, right visitador? Please don't try to hide your real self. You probably believe that the scorched earth tactics employed by Salvadoran army was NEEDED to counter the Red Tide that threatened to strip away land the narcolords of El Salvador had illegally amased over the years.

Your kind of rhetoric fills the pages of Diablo de Hoy and Prensa Grafica (where monsters like Luis Gómez Zárate are kings). So called lovers of democracy, peace, brotherhood, liberty, justice freedom, but in reality big backers of corruption, impunity, marching under the tune of a "death squad hymn", and that are too eager of making every damn Latin American country into nothing more than a few men's massive haciendas.

So, Cuba wanted to finance leftists movements in Latin America? Cuba has NEVERED denied that. And I'm glad they did, thanks to them Somoza was removed and Nicaragua for a moment liberated of his type of filth, El Salvador stopped being the autoritarian regime of narco-fascists, several African countries found independance... More benefit has the world seen due to Cuba's small interventions than through USA's ancestral history of meddling and interventional failures. Of which even now they are paying back for failures made in the 60s,70s, 80s. Iran an "Islamo-fascist" nation? No one else but USA to thank. Alqaeda, mujadajeen? No one else but USA to thank. Alqaeda in Iraq? USA. The list is endless.

Saddest part of all, is that if USA hadn't fed the "neofeudalism and fascism" of Latin American elites with "anti-communist tripe" (communism, being anything from right of the workers, liberty, anti-slavery, education, land reform, whatever, the elites would cede NOTHING that threatened their status as patron and released the "peones a monton"), and stayed away from the whole mess, I'm pretty sure all of Central America would've been very similar to Costa Rica. The region's only success story.

So all I can do is thank Cuba for intervening. Or God forbids, Central America would've been a place where the Victor Carranzas, Somozas, Arnoldo Alemanes are content with keeping their countries living in feudalism back in the 15th century.

BTW, same ARENA tactic. Allow USA intervention into every single political act in their favor (cover ups, propaganda, terror, etc.), but as soon as a leftist decides to support the national leftists... it is foul play.

By the way, thank ARENA for slaying Enrique Alvarez. The only man that had a clue, which lead to those in the guerrillas realize that "hey, maybe pulling an Allende is IMPOSSIBLE in El Salvador, better take to arms before they kill us all". The usual "yes, but no".
Hodad said…
it seems that El Visitador is always a little confused
and obviously propagandacized from some right wing agenda
pal, read what the majority is saying and you must not live in El Salvador or were there in the 80's
Viva El Frente
wake up, see what is going on in Latin America
hopefull most are rejecting the USA crap, and things will certainly be better for THE PEOPLE, the majority, NOT the rich few, where those that have would NOT have without those that do not have
most just want to eat, and have a better life for their children
Bush, will get impeached and hopefuuly his whole crew go to jail and lots of this CIA mess will stop
we started most of this mess with the CIA, the Bush's good ole drug running boys, all from Yale
who goes in and destabalizes countries, promotes coups?, runs drugs, kille positive leaders, tell me

and for 'the american way of life"?
look at the people here now in USA the majority, and especially here in Redneck Riviera where I am from
arrogant, ignorant, 80% obese,[that is a travesty in itself, shows selfishness and greed]
and certainly xenophobic
all about EDUCATION
read the facts, Jack
Anonymous said…
Visitador isn't "confused". He is from ARENA, a sociopathic neo-fascist that pardons the slaughters attributed to the right, pardons drugnrunning from the right, and yearns to destroy the current "El Salvador government" by the so called "neoliberalization" process of privatazing everything and establishing monopolies, because as oppossed to yesteryear, thanks to the war the "Old Guard" doesn't have 100% assured control of the positions of power. So better destroy the government by rendering it weak, small, incompetent, bankrupt. That is why all the mismanagement, and all the Cristianis, Hills, Zablahs, Domenchs, Prietos, Calderon, Sols, Flores leaving their terms in power with millions upon millions of public money (and ironically enough, demanding furhter BID-IMF loans... with all they've stolen, no more loans would be necessary, but they just want more to steal!).

EV is just displaying the Old Guard blues, remembering the days of glory where in the latifundias countless of generations of peasants were enslaved. When people were willing to eat from their extended palm. That they were constantly showered with the phrase of "Si, mi Patron" by eager peasants that would be willing to do anything for them because their lives depend on him.

Too bad FMLN ended the show. Too bad for the Salvadoran people not picking the queue...

Jaragua, Pedro Paramo, Subterra, 100 years of solitude, Facundo and Martin Fierro perfectly encapsulate Latin American "life". EV would've surely played the "villain" in all of em.
El-Visitador said…
Tim, agreed that the military murdered more people than the marxists. I think you and I have agreed on that point before.

Washington support to the government was entirely legal under the O.A.S. Rio Treaty of 1947, ratified by the US in 1947 and ES in 1948.

Communist instigation and support for terrorism was utterly illegal.

I really don't think anyone can excuse Soviet and Castroist arming of Salvadorean civilians.

The Salvadorean military were at least partially and probably remain at least partially a bunch of indisciplined thugs. For 15 years, they have remained mostly confined to their bases.

I pray no other external threat ever causes the thugs to again come out of their lairs.
Anonymous said…
The massacres and the thousands of innocent people executed by the US trained army in El Salvador, wasn't that terrorism? or was that "LEGAL" TERRORISM?
Anonymous said…
External threat my ass. Homebrew guerrillas my man, just as the ruthless maras out there.

You know it wouldn't surprise me said treaty would come underway thanks to the peasant uprising in 1932, the subsequent slaughter (LA MATANZA) of thousands of individuals by the fascist regime that even today persists (a continuation, still same protagonists behind it: the "elites"). Not forgetting that USA had as a "good neighbor" (yeah, right) battle ships near the coasts in case their pawn of Martinez was incapable of handling the barbaric hordes of hapless peasants, natives and communists. His toppling and the persistant threat of a "communist invasion".

Truth is, that USA breaks every treaty it suscribes to, establishes bogus treaties to satisfy its conveniences, as per usually done by a body that doesn't respect the law.

The guerrillas here were homegrown, as I previously said. Sure they got their unity and training in Cuba. Weapons fron Cuba. but I ask you, what were those free-lance liberators supposed to do? Sit around and allow ANOTHER Matanza with US purchased weapons, tanks, planes, Green Beret leaders, military intelligence? Specially considering how the right-fascist government was systematically butchering any and every political opponet of the country?

Truth of the Rio Treaty is that is is a scam. It just enforces USA's idea that they are the supreme owner of Latin America and therefore they have the monopoly of intervening into every single country as they please.

Anyway. Thanks to God for Cuba, cause thanks to them the guerrillas were able to end the fascist dictatorships of yesteryear, now it is up to us to finish off the fascist civilian dictatorship that took its place. Too bad it had to take a war to make the change, cause the idiots in the right never corrected their ways...