From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: SALPRESS 4/2-4/7
Date: 9 Apr 92 22:46:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: mont.1992Apr9.224645.11533
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Organization: PACH
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu

/** reg.elsalvador: 198.0 **/
** Topic: SALPRESS News 04/02/92 **
** Written  9:14 pm  Apr  8, 1992 by salpress in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
                NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR
                for THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1992 

                A Special Service of SALPRESS

TODAY'S TOPICS:
CRISTIANI ACCUSES FMLN OF HIDING WEAPONS
CYNICAL DEATH SQUAD ACTIVITY ALLEGED

CRISTIANI ACCUSES FMLN OF HIDING WEAPONS

President Alfredo Cristiani accused the Farabundo Marti National Liberation 
Front (FMLN) yesterday of hiding weapons in violation of the peace accords.  
According to the president, a cache of rifles and ammunition uncovered by 
National Police on March 31 at the Bethania refugee camp in Zaragorza shows 
that the insurgents have not been sincere with their arms inventory.  The 
arsenal discovered at the camp 15 miles outside of the capital included a sub 
machine gun, seven M-16 and Ak-47 rifles, and ammunition.  Police arrested 
Jose Sixto Pineda, Antonio Baires and Maria Mirian Rivas in the operation.  
The peace accords stipulate that both the government and guerrillas must 
provide a full inventory of all weaponry to the U.S. peace verification 
mission, ONUSAL.  But rebel commander Joaquin Villalobos denied that the 
weapons confiscated from Bethania are property of the FMLN and said the 
government's accusations are part of a campaign against the peace accords.  
Villalobos indicated that the campaign includes charges that the insurgents 
are behind gang activity and recent strikes, such as a now four-day-old 
teachers' strike.  "The government's campaign isn't against the FMLN but 
against the (peace) accords," he said.  "There are people in private 
enterprise, the government and the Armed Forces who are interested in 
returning to the past, who live on war and don't accept tolerance," he added.  
The rebel stressed that reconciliation means the coexistence and tolerance of 
divergent interests.  "If every time someone protests in this country, holds 
a march or a stoppage, (it's viewed as) being an attack on reconciliation, 
then we haven't made democracy," he said.

CYNICAL DEATH SQUAD ACTIVITY ALLEGED

Salvadoran peasant leaders charged yesterday that death squads are 
threatening rural workers with messages signed "FMLN".  Soroteo Perez, leader 
of the farm workers' association, ANTA, displayed the text of a threat sent 
to a co-worker, which demanded money in exchange for the man's life.  Perez 
attributed the message to members of the Armed Forces who oppose the peace 
process and discarded the possibility that the rebels had authored the 
threat.  The rural activist called on human rights groups to keep watch over 
activities that threaten the safety of organized labor in El Salvador and 
urged the verification mission, ONUSAL, to send observers to Amaquilco, in La 
Libertad province where the farm workers have been threatened.  The peasants 
group also called on ONUSAL to investigate the March 27 murder Manuel Dubon, 
a farm worker with La Palma Hacienda.  ANTA has been negotiating purchase of 
that property with the Land Bank.  Dubon's slaying is added to four other 
murders mentioned in ONUSAL's third report on human rights violations 
committed since the end of hostilities on Feb. 1.  The international mission 
notes that the courts and other Salvadoran authorities have shown passivity 
in pursuing solution of those cases.


                                 -30-

NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR is a special service of SALPRESS, available 
Monday through Friday.  For more details on information included in this 
summary, contact SALPRESS: 011-525-705-6532 (fax) or 011-525-592-2184 
(voice).
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

/** reg.elsalvador: 199.0 **/
** Topic: SALPRESS News 04/05/92 **
** Written  9:15 pm  Apr  8, 1992 by salpress in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
                NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR
                WEEKEND SUMMARY for APRIL 3-5, 1992. 

                A Special Service of SALPRESS

TODAY'S TOPICS:
CALENDAR COULD BE MODIFIED
CHURCH QUESTIONS WILL TO RECONCILIATION
TEACHERS THREATEN TO EXTEND STRIKE
MILITARY REASSIGNMENTS

CALENDAR COULD BE MODIFIED

Deadlines for implementation of some peace accords could be altered, 
according to San Salvador's auxiliary bishop, Gregorio Rosa Chavez.  Rosa 
Chavez, an observer with the national peace commission, COPAZ, told SALPRESS 
on Saturday that the commission is discussing adjusting the calendar to fit 
the rhythm of actual implementation, although no agreement has yet been 
reached.  "It's preferable to adjust a calendar than to always be saying 
we're a month behind--as long as there is the will to comply with the accords 
and I think that will exists," the prelate said.  Regarding the possible 
postponement of the date for the rebels' disbanding of their military 
structure, he said that would imply also putting off conclusion of the cease-
fire period, now set to end on Oct, 31.  Also on April 4, Vice President 
Francisco Merino hedged on meeting accords implementation deadlines, linking 
compliance with some accords to the availability of international funding.  
The leader did not specify which accords are being held up for a lack of 
funds.  Recently, The United States, Japan, the European Economic Community, 
and other nations and world financial institutions approved $800 million in 
reconstruction aid to El Salvador.  The Salvadoran vice president played down 
the importance of a delay in the convocation of a government-business-labor 
joint economic forum, saying the holdup needs to be viewed in a "global 
context" in which some accords have been implemented ahead of schedule.  The 
forum was supposed to be convened on Feb. 16.  Grassroots groups, opposition 
political parties and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) 
insist that the assembly should be called immediately because of pressing 
national economic and social problems.  According to Merino, accords 
compliance is generally proceeding well.  He said it is not important if the 
expected changes, stipulated in the peace settlement, have not been enacted 
by April 15, as long as the FMLN is "completely disarmed, demobilized and 
incorporated" into civilian life by Oct. 31, the date the cease-fire ends.

CHURCH QUESTIONS WILL TO RECONCILIATION

The Catholic Church "seriously" doubted the government and FMLN's will to 
reconciliation and urged the two sides to overcome obstacles, keeping in mind 
the "common good."  In his Sunday sermon, Auxiliary Bishop Gregorio Rosa 
Chavez wondered "what good us a reconciliation campaign when the actions, in 
reality, are not reconciliatory?"  The prelate referred to mutual 
recriminations between the government and FMLN which he described as "quite 
hasty."  By way of example, Rosa Chavez criticized President Alfredo 
Cristiani's allegations that rebels are manipulating student "hoards," 
responsible for disturbances, as well as striking teachers.  "It's better to 
take maximum advantage of established mechanisms for discussing problems in 
peace accords compliance," he said.  The bishop expressed his disapproval of 
the teachers strike begun on March 30, although he termed some of the 
educators demands as "totally fair" and criticized the Education Ministry for 
rigidity in its positions and a failure to be conciliatory.  Nevertheless, he 
said that the teachers should resort to dialogue.

TEACHERS THREATEN TO EXTEND STRIKE

A work stoppage by 20,000 Salvadoran teachers could become a strike of 
indefinite length if Education Minister Cecilia Gallardo de Cano does not 
respond favorably to educator demands, according to union leaders.  The 
teachers stayed off the job all last week to demand a $50 per month salary 
raise, medical benefits, classroom supplies, and the hiring of 11,000 more 
instructors.  The stoppage, combined with others by agricultural and 
livestock ministry workers and medical residents at Rosales Hospital in the 
capital, threaten the Cristiani government with one of its worst crises only 
two months after the signing of the peace agreement with the insurgents.  
Julio Portillo of the Salvadoran Teachers Front (FMS) charged that the 
government intends to rebuild the nation with "teacher's hunger," and by 
putting hundreds of demobilized army and rebel combatants in the street and 
turning public schools over to private ownership.

MILITARY REASSIGNMENTS

The Defense Ministry announced on April 3 that Col. Nelson Ivan Lopez y Lopez 
will become chief of the Third Infantry Brigade in San Miguel to the east of 
the capital.  Lopez, who participated on the government's cease-fire design 
team during negotiations with the FMLN, replaces Ivan Reynaldo Diaz who will 
now head the Territorial Service Authority.  The ministry also revealed that 
Col. Jose Alan Turcios will direct the General Transit Authority, replacing 
Col. Ebelmore Anaya Mejia who becomes deputy chief of the Armed Forces Study 
Center (CENFA).  The Defense Ministry's Transit Authority appointment 
provoked objections from FMLN chieftain Raul Hercules, who noted that the 
office is a division of the National Police and according to the peace 
settlement, its director must be named by the president or the national peace 
commission, COPAZ.  

                                 -30-

NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR is a special service of SALPRESS, available 
Monday through Friday.  For more details on information included in this 
summary, contact SALPRESS: 011-525-705-6532 (fax) or 011-525-592-2184 
(voice).
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

/** reg.elsalvador: 200.0 **/
** Topic: SALPRESS News 04/07/92 **
** Written  9:16 pm  Apr  8, 1992 by salpress in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
                NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR
                for TUESDAY, APRIL 7 1992

                A Special Service of SALPRESS

TODAY'S TOPICS:
PEACE PROCESS IN GRAVE DANGER, FMLN WARNS
BACK TO SCHOOL

PEACE PROCESS IN GRAVE DANCER, FMLN WARNS

El Salvador's peace process is in danger because of government and army non-
compliance with accords, Schafik Handal, of the Farabundo Marti National 
Liberation Front (FMLN) General Command, said yesterday.  In a San Salvador 
press conference, the top insurgent called on the Salvadoran and 
international public to take note that a crisis is building around compliance 
on a number of points in the peace settlement.  Included on the list of 
alleged government non-compliance, Handal noted that the National Guard and 
Treasury Police forces, supposedly disbanded on March 2 as decreed by the 
peace accords, have only been given new names and remain at their same 
barracks.  Those two forces, along with the National Police, are broadly 
implicated in human rights abuses and were to be dissolved according to the 
negotiated peace settlement.  The Armed Forces are to be confined to 62 sites 
nationally "and these do not include the members of those barracks," Handal 
said, adding that 85 percent of rebel forces have moved to their 
concentration points.  The cease-fire arrangement stipulates that insurgent 
forces are to be concentrated in 15 sites, while the Armed Forces, which 
includes the Former National Guard and Treasury Police, are to be limited to 
62.  The rebel also characterized the government's plan to induct 4,500 
National Guardsmen and Treasury Police into the National Police to fight an 
alleged increase in crime as an illegal maneuver to preserve those forces 
destined for demobilization.  Handal also criticized a holdup in the training 
of recruits to the new National Civil Police (PNC), a civilian-run body that 
will replace the army-dominated National Police.  According to the rebel 
leader, the compliance crisis can only be remedied by "a big fight by the 
Salvadoran people because the accords belong to the nation."  He said the 
FMLN is "pushing all its levers" at the United Nations, with the verification 
mission, ONUSAL, and with countries pledged to support the peace process.  
Contradicting recent claims by the auxiliary bishop, Gregorio Rosa Chavez, 
Handal rejected the possibility of altering the accords compliance calendar, 
although he said the insurgents are aware that many dates have been missed.  
He denied that the FMLN is guilty of non-compliance, a charge made recently 
by Defense Minister Fen. Rene Emilio Ponce who accused the rebels of turning 
in only worn out and useless armament.  Handal called the official's 
accusations a "smoke screen," reminding reporters that the guerrilla armament 
is to be destroyed at the rebel concentration points, rather than "turned 
in."  

BACK TO SCHOOL

Salvadoran teachers ended a week-long work stoppage yesterday.  Some 25,000 
educators boycotted their classrooms beginning on March 30 to demand a $50 
monthly salary increase, classroom supplies, medical benefits, and the hiring 
of 11,000 new instructors to cover national education needs.  Union leaders 
said the measure was intended to pressure Education Minister Cecilia Gallardo 
de Cano, who refuses to bargain with the teachers.  The government condemned 
the stoppage, blaming the measure for a wave of youth gang activities and 
drug addiction.  But Jose Raul Barillas, a teacher for the last 27 years, 
insisted the educators demands are necessities and rejected authorities' 
allegations.  According to Barillas, Juvenile delinquency is a result of the 
"transculturation" brought on by 12 years of war and the U.S. presence in 
that conflict.  The veteran educator also rejected the Education Ministry's 
assertion that 1.5 million students were harmed by the strike, explaining 
that missed classroom time will be made up at the end of the school year. 

                                 -30-

NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR is a special service of SALPRESS, available 
Monday through Friday.  For more details on information included in this 
summary, contact SALPRESS: 011-525-705-6532 (fax) or 011-525-592-2184 
(voice).
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive