From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: SALPRESS News 8/16, 8/18
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 22:55:11 GMT

/** reg.elsalvador: 143.0 **/
** Topic: SALPRESS News 08/16/92 **
** Written  4:15 pm  Aug 20, 1992 by salpress in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
                  NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR
            WEEKEND SUMMARY for AUGUST 14 - 16, 1992

                  A Special Service of SALPRESS

CHURCH HOPES FOR GOOD NEWS FROM GOULDING'S VISIT

San Salvador's auxiliary bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez said the 
Catholic Church hopes for "good news" from U.N. Secretary Adjunct 
Marrack Goulding's meeting with the government and the Farabundo 
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) to get the country's peace 
process back on track.  The U.N. official arrived in El Salvador 
on August 13 for a "routine" two-day visit, which was prolonged 
an additional two days.  Rosa Chavez said extension of 
Goulding's visit is a positive sign since the officials "isn't 
staying on to go to the beach, but to work, which means there are 
important topics still under discussion."  While President 
Alfredo Cristiani denies that there are serious problems with the 
country's pacification process, the insurgents say the government 
is violating more than 40 accords.  Turning to the issue of a 
wave of attacks against the Salvadoran opposition, the bishop 
wondered "how much of the violence is intentionally provoked to 
sabotage the peace process?"  "This is a question that those who 
have the power to investigate (these crimes) should ask 
themselves," he said.

                             - 30 -

NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR is a service of the Salvadoran 
Press Agency (SALPRESS) available Monday through Friday.  For 
more information, phone or fax:  011-525-21-9096.
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

/** reg.elsalvador: 144.0 **/
** Topic: SALPRESS News 08/18/92 **
** Written  4:16 pm  Aug 20, 1992 by salpress in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
                  NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR
                  for TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1992

                  A Special Service of SALPRESS

TODAY'S TOPICS:
CHANGES IN ACCORDS CALENDAR
ARMY OFFICIALS LISTED AS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS

CHANGES IN ACCORDS CALENDAR

U.N. Secretary Adjunct Marrick Goulding announced yesterday that 
he presented the Alfredo Cristiani government and the Farabundo 
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) with a revised calendar on 
some of the key points of the peace settlement.  Goulding made 
the revelation at a press conference just before his return to 
New York.  The top U.N. official spent four days-two more than 
originally planned-meeting with the two sides in San Salvador to 
try to resolve problems in peace accords implementation.  
Goulding denied that there is a "crisis" in the peace process, as 
claimed by the FMLN, but recognized that serious delays in 
accords compliance have arisen  He specified problem areas as 
cease fire matters, the reincorporation of former combatants into 
civilian life, the Armed Forces, and the creation of the new 
National Civil Police.  Nonetheless, the official said extension 
of his stay in El Salvador owed to progress made in the talks 
with the two sides, rather than any problems.  In addition to the 
above-mentioned problem areas, the revised calendar treats the 
issues of land redistribution and the return of civil authorities 
to once-conflictive areas.  But Goulding clarified that no change 
was made in the peace process' finalization date, October 31, 
1992, by which time the majority of the accords are to have been 
implemented.  the diplomat said that he will present the new 
calendar to the U.N. Secretary General Boutros Ghali for his 
evaluation by September 16.  He said he urged both sides to 
fulfill their obligations with the peace process, because "what 
we want isn't more discussions, more debate, but concrete action 
on the ground."

ARMY OFFICIALS LISTED AS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS

Salvadoran Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mauricio Vargas, is one 
top-ranking officer named on a Salvadoran Human Rights Commission 
(CDHES) list of military officials accused of violating human 
rights.  In a San Salvador press conference yesterday, CDHES 
leader Celia Medrano revealed that the list of 78 officers will 
be submitted to the Ad Hoc Committee, the panel created by the 
country's peace settlement to review the records of military 
personnel.  Those found guilty of abuse and corruption will lose 
their posts.  Other top military officials mentioned on the list 
of both retired and active officers include the deputy defense 
minister, Gen. Juan Orlando Zepeda and the president of the state 
power company, retired colonel Sigifredo Ochoa Perez.  Medrano 
said her group hopes that the Ad Hoc Commission will fulfill 
Salvadorans' expectations.  "The result of its evaluation should 
be to assure a true purging inside the Armed Forces," she said, 
noting that, otherwise, the country faces the danger of further 
institutionalized human rights violations.  Medrano urged the 
review panel to extend work beyond the August 19 end of its 
mandate "because it is important that the commission take on an 
objective, impartial evaluating role" free of direct or indirect 
threats.  She explained that the CDHES has already turned in 
information on 209 well-documented cases of human rights abuses 
by members of the military, committed since 1980.  Medrano 
criticized the army for apparently trying to pre-empt the panel's 
work by granting honorable retirements to officials implicated in 
human rights abuses.  She said the guilty officials have to 
answer for their crimes; it's "their responsibility to Salvadoran 
society."

                             - 30 -

NEWS SYNTHESIS ON EL SALVADOR is a service of the Salvadoran 
Press Agency (SALPRESS) available Monday through Friday.  For 
more information, phone or fax:  011-525-21-9096.
** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

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