[Marxism] CISPES/FMLN picket at Salvador Consulate in Boston

[Greg McDonald <sabocat59@xxxxxxx>]

Myself, an ex-CISPES activist, and a former FMLN combatant drove from  
the Berkshires to Boston early Monday morning to attend the FMLN/ 
CISPES picket in front of the Salvadoran Consulate there. The picket  
was called to protest the repression and arrest of activists in  
Suchitoto who were militating against the privatization of water in  
El Salvador by Haliburton and the ARENA government. Although the 13  
political prisoners were released, they are still subject to legal  
punishment and jail terms under the draconian anti-terrorism  
legislation passed recently by the Arena-controlled government of El  
Salvador, in the wake of the Mario Belloso debacle.  A joint  
delegation met with the Consul at the embassy while a spirited  
planton of 50 or so people chanted outside. The picket ended with  
statements from Lorena Pena, FMLN deputy of the Central American  
parliament, and a CISPES spokesperson, as well as a member of the  
ACLU. We then watched some street theatre by the CISPES compas, and  
chatted a bit with the FMLN delegation who had gathered behind our  
banner, which read "privatization of water is terrorism".

I had the privilege to speak directly with Lorena, or ex-commandante  
"Rebecca" of the FPL, after the picket. Members of the FMLN in El  
Salvador are unified as never before, acording to this deputy of the  
Frente, and have coalesced in a political project to accompany the  
popular movement in their daily struggle and to win the presidential  
election in 2009. Although the Suchitoto protest was led by the  
renovadoras, social democrats who had split from the Frente way back,  
the FMLN has since led the movement to win the release of the 13  
political prisoners, in true non-sectarian spirit. Saca and Arena  
thought the people would be afraid and thus disperse after the  
repression and arrests, and they were not counting on such a  
groundswell of support for the political prisoners, Lorena told me.  
All in all, it was a successful action, and the compas are waiting  
for an official response to their demands for the charges to be  
dropped against the Suchitoto 13, and for the water privatization  
plans to be scrapped. 

________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism