El Salvador

Environmental Network for Central America

Over the past three years ENCA has supported an impressive variety of projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. They include environmental educational campaigns involving local radio broadcasts in Honduras and World Environment Day celebrations in El Viejo, Nicaragua; donations to banana workers in Managua; solar equipment for a clinic diagnosing pesticide poisoning among sugar and banana workers in support of legal actions: help for a eco-tourism centre; seed funding for organic production in Nicaragua and Costa Rica; and support for the Environmental Movement of Olancho (MAO) in Honduras which is at the forefront of environmental protests that have been met with serious threats and assassinations. Our donations are usually modest but we are always amazed by how much can be achieved.

Nicaragua

LATIN AMERICA

Cautious optimism greets Obama victory 

Congratulations poured in from Latin American leaders, media and the general public in response to the election of Barack Obama to the White House in November. For Latin Americans, the victory represented a capacity and desire for change many had believed impossible under the previous inertia of the US electoral system. Afro-American communities in Latin America celebrated with extra enthusiasm.

There is cautious optimism the new administration will end the divide-and-rule
bullying of the Bush administration, which attempted to coerce Latin American
countries to accept the Washington economic model through “free trade” agreements and foreign policy initiatives driven by counter-terrorism and the war on drugs.

Cynthia Orchard says election scare tactics may be losing their power

Between two and three million Salvadorans (nearly a third of the total population) live in the United States, with some 229,000 residing there legally under Temporary Protected Status. Many send money back to their families in El Salvador, and in a country with very low wages, few job opportunities and rising prices, many Salvadorans rely on these remittances to meet their basic living expenses.

In January, El Salvador holds elections for its legislative assembly, local municipalities and the Central American Parliament, followed by presidential elections on March 15. Can the FMLN, the leftist party of former rebels, win power for the first time since the bloody 12-year civil war ended with peace accords in 1992?

Camilo Melara Vides reports on what the opinion polls say

Electoral observers wanted in El Salvador

The Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS) is organising two election observer missions in 2009. The first will be from January 12-20 to observe the mayoral and legislative elections, and the second from March 9-17 for the presidential elections. CIS is looking for volunteers to help contribute to free and fair elections and generate a safe environment for democratic participation.