Central America Report - Summer 2009

Transcript

Central America Report Summer 2009 Reading revolution sweeps Nicaragua Also in this issue: El Salvador’s first leftist president, economic crisis hits women, and opening up Guatemala’s police archives Editorial Fighting the worst effects of the economic crisis Contents Managua’s barrios in literacy drive Susana Morales coordinates a campaign that’s firmly rooted in the Nicaraguan capital’s neighbourhoods. Economic crisis squeezes Central America Marilyn Thomson reports on how declining garment exports and remittances are hitting women hard. Regional update 3 F OREIGN CORPORATIONS slashing jobs in garment factories and a decline in money sent home by relatives working abroad are just two examples of the consequences of the global economic crisis on the poorest Central Americans. Governments rely on international trade and remittances for a good chunk of their national income, and so falling exports are likely to squeeze social spending – a double hit for those who are already most marginalised. At the same time, as we report in our focus on the Central America Free Trade Agreement with the US (page 7), the pact’s minimal protection for employment rights has had little effect. This means unscrupulous employers continue to abuse workers, stifle union activities and avoid redundancy payments. Women, many of whom work in insecure, low-paid jobs, are particularly at risk as they struggle to support their families amid persistently high food prices. On a more positive note, activists in Nicaragua have managed to secure a minimum wage for factory workers in free trade zones, and are pushing the government to stop foreign companies abandoning their employees. At April’s Latin American edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that while developing countries aren’t responsible for the global economic crisis, they should be part of the solution. He urged the region to propose a new “democratic” financial system establishing controls for all countries. The WEF director for Latin America, Emilio Lozoya, said the focus should be on increasing domestic demand, and many leaders have talked about the need to boost trade within the region. The rise in Latin America’s political and economic power is reflected in the integration initiative, the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). Based on solidarity, respect for national sovereignty and economic sustainability, ALBA was set up in 2006 by Cuba and Venezuela. It now includes Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. This wide-ranging social and economic partnership includes everything from health care and literacy programmes (page 3) to a proposed regional bank, the TV station Telsur and oil at preferential prices. The hope is that ALBA will help shield its member countries from the worst effects of the financial crisis caused by the world’s violent and unjust economic system. Central America Report is online at: www.central-america-report.org.uk For information, magazine subscriptions and article submissions, please contact us at: [email protected] We are looking for volunteers to help us out with producing our print magazine and keeping our website up to date. For further information, please check the website, email us or call 020 7561 4836 (NSC office). 4–5 6–7 FMLN wins Salvadoran presidential election 8–9 What are the challenges facing El Salvador’s first leftist government? Boost for women’s rights The UN’s torture committee calls for changes to Nicaragua’s abortion ban, and a regional human rights court hears its first femicide case. 10 11 Sandinista Revolution 30 years on Nicaraguans reflect on the legacy of the Revolution and priorities for today’s FSLN government. Reading between the lines of impunity in Guatemala 12 The publication of police archives raises new hopes for justice. Plus a corruption scandal sparks mass protests. Book review America’s Backyard: The United States and Latin America from the Monroe Doctrine to the War on Terror Take action A Hampshire school celebrates Nicaragua week, and Honduran activists visit the UK to highlight violence against women. 13 14 – 16 Published by Central America Report, 129 Seven Sisters Road, London N7 7QG Email: [email protected] Editorial committee: Patrick Daniels, Abbie Kempson, Megan Rowling and Helen Yuill Cover photos: A volunteer facilitator assists a student in a literacy class for municipal tree nursery staff (Main). Young people attend training to be literacy facilitators (Top left). A literacy class at literacy point 43, district 6, Managua (Top right). Photos: Jenny Matthews Design: Jane Warring Our thanks to all the contributors for helping to produce this issue of CAR. The articles in this magazine should be taken as having been written in a personal capacity, unless otherwise stated. Any views stated in the articles should not be taken to represent the policy of any of the organisations that support the production of Central America Report. Central America Report: Summer 2009 2 Nicaragua T HE GOVERNMENT plans to declare Nicaragua free of illiteracy as part of July’s celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution. In July 2007, the government launched a national literacy campaign entitled “From Martí to Fidel”, involving 130,000 people from the country’s 153 municipalities. Inspired by a Cuban methodology called “Yo Sí Puedo” (Yes I Can), the programme aims to reduce illiteracy from 25 percent of the adult population to less than 5 percent, which would be the lowest in Nicaragua’s history. The international definition of “illiteracy-free” is an illiteracy rate of less than 5 percent. The United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) will survey 22 municipalities to certify the campaign’s success. Teams will visit 20 homes in each of 188 sample areas, interviewing 12,000 to 15,000 people, and the results will be verified by university professors. Susana Morales, coordinator of the campaign in Managua, visited the UK in April to highlight its achievements. She spoke with CAR about her work. because we represent almost 32 percent of the population. Photo: Jenny Matthews Photo: Jenny Matthews Managua develops a passion for reading Q: What method do you use? A: This project works in the neighbourhoods – not like the national literacy campaign in the 1980s when people from urban areas went to the rural areas. In each neighbourhood, we identify how many people are illiterate and if they want to learn. We talk to local leaders and they promote the campaign and help us identify youngsters to work as facilitators and adults as supervisors. Then we train everyone in the methods. We work across the whole city, so we can free a lot of neighbourhoods from illiteracy in each eight-to-ten-week cycle of instruction. Our people are in constant contact with the leaders, facilitators and supervisors. Elderly woman in a literacy class Q: Have there been any difficulties? A: Sometimes there are people who don’t want to go to the literacy point. We have found this attitude in some old men, because they are machista. The facilitators have to go to their house and convince them to continue. We say that, to work in this project, you have to be in love with what you’re doing, and enthusiastic enough to convince other people. Q: Have you had enough funding? A: So far yes, because we are the capital city but that’s not the situation for the rest of the 153 municipalities. Now we have a new challenge – those people who have become literate need to continue studying. We are doing an adult education pilot project so they can go through primary school in an accelerated way. But our Ministry of Education doesn’t have the budget. Q: How far has the Managua campaign reduced illiteracy? A: When we began (four years ago), the rate was more than 8 percent. Last year, we closed with 1.7 percent. So I think this is a very successful project Q: What has been the reaction among communities? A: People are very enthusiastic...we tell them we are just an engine because they are the ones doing the job. The young facilitators are also convinced of the importance of their work. We tell them they are the heroes of the community because they are helping their neighbours to be better and to improve the conditions in which people live. They don’t get paid. Instead, they have the satisfaction of promoting solidarity between people. Q: What kind of experiences have you had in the UK? A: People told me they feel inspired by what we are doing. We feel rewarded when we see people learning, but in general they don’t express this kind of evaluation, so it’s been great to see how people here are interested in helping us. I went to several places with literacy programmes in the UK. They are doing a great job, especially with immigrants. I was impressed by a class in Edinburgh, where there were people from all over the world – I was astonished. The big difference is that you have resources and specialists to do the job, and we don’t. Here people work to earn a living, but our people just work for the sake of helping others. We have different realities. Interview by Megan Rowling Workers from the Managua municipal tree nursery in a literacy class 3 Central America Report: Summer 2009 Central America Women hit hard by global economic crisis Marilyn Thomson reports on the impact of declining garment exports and remittances. Photo: Courtesy of CAWN A s the global economic crisis unfolds, it is becoming clear that women are already bearing the brunt of the recession in Central America in terms of their employment, livelihoods and security. Their situation is being made even more difficult as the crisis limits their access to resources, goods and services. For example, lack of credit is making it harder for small businesses to keep going, factories are closing down and migrant workers are returning home to add to the unemployed, while others seek new opportunities to migrate. Central America’s economies have seen a rapid fall in demand for their exports, with the garment industry one of the main sectors affected. In Honduras, clothing constitutes 65 percent of exports; in El Salvador 50 percent; and in Guatemala and Nicaragua just below 40 percent. The majority of workers in the textile sector are women, and as they are concentrated in insecure jobs with low wages and few labour rights, they are usually the first to be fired. In 2008, the region’s garment industries lost nearly 52,000 jobs from a total of 411,500, or 13 percent, putting some 33,500 women out of work. Unemployment continues to rise, and in the first three months of this year, 5,455 women in Nicaragua lost their jobs in the textile factories, according to the ”Maria Elena Cuadra“ Working and Unemployed Women’s Movement (MEC). When multinational companies operating in Central America’s export processing zones (maquilas) close down, they often leave without giving notice or paying their workers back wages and severance pay. “About 1,700 people used to work here and all are unemployed now,” says Ana Ruth Central America Report: Summer 2009 Cerna from El Salvador, quoted in a recent Oxfam discussion paper (see below). “Many women were pregnant; many are ill and are left with Women working in a garment factory in Nicaragua nothing. It’s been three months since the factory closed product. The global recession has and we haven’t been paid anything.” already led to a decline in the In addition to declines in economic amounts being transferred, as growth, export income and unemployment rises worldwide. international aid, Central American Forecasts from organisations countries are also experiencing including the World Bank are for the pressure on public spending. downward trend in remittances to Nicaragua has cut its budget for continue this year. The International health, education and other social Monetary Fund expects the global safety nets following the withdrawal financial crisis to have a major impact of an estimated $150 million in on low-income countries in the short development aid in the run-up to term, with Nicaragua and Honduras municipal elections in November, seen as particularly vulnerable. according to Foreign Policy magazine. In Central America, women’s Women – who are primarily organisations are mobilising to protest responsible for ensuring the survival over job losses and infringements of of the family – are already feeling the their rights. In Nicaragua, the annual effects of this spending squeeze and MEC conference in March brought falling incomes. together over 1,200 workers to discuss the impact of the economic crisis on women’s lives, including the “In today’s economic crisis, consequences for the textile industry, migrants are returning to their growing insecurity in the labour villages in developing countries, market and increasing family violence. having lost their jobs in the cities “We women do not endorse the social or abroad. This re-migration and economic inequalities that are means more mouths to feed with happening here,” MEC director less food and less money.” Sandra Ramos told the conference. Kanayo F. Nwanze, “Factory owners say they want to president of the International Fund for freeze salaries to reduce costs – this Agricultural Development is really bad news and so we need to work together (men and women) to Many poor families in Central make sure this doesn’t happen. If there America rely on funds sent home by is a price to pay then everyone in the relatives working abroad, the majority country must pay our share.” in the United States. In Honduras, Workers at the conference also for example, remittances amount to came up with solutions for fighting around a quarter of gross domestic the crisis. MEC is now developing a 4 Central America Photo: Courtesy of CAWN Duncan Green, Latin America and the Global Economic Crisis, Oxfam, March 2009: www.oxfam.org Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Addressing the Crisis. The Central American Isthmus and the Dominican Republic: Economic Evolution in 2008 and Perspectives for 2009, April 2009: www.cepal.org.mx MEC demonstration on International Labour Day, May 1, Nicaragua proposal to reform the labour force and reduce precarious employment for women. In March, the government and maquila employers signed an emergency economic agreement setting a minimum wage for the zones’ tens of thousands of workers. Wages are due to increase 8 percent this year and 12 percent in 2010 and 2011, although these rates could be revised according to the economic situation. “We think this is the way to solve and move forward during this great economic and financial crisis in which we are living," said Alvaro Baltodano, executive secretary of the National Free Trade Zones Corporation. International solidarity and advocacy will be critical in lobbying for the creation of sustainable job opportunities and stimulus for local industries and markets that support women entrepreneurs. It is essential to continue monitoring the gender impact of the crisis, and to ensure that governments in the region protect women’s rights and respond to their needs in the labour market and beyond. Clear mechanisms should be set up to allow women’s organisations to participate in government consultations, and they must be recognised as equal partners in developing responses to the crisis. Crisis in numbers • In El Salvador, some 36,000 jobs were lost between August 2008 and April 2009. In Nicaragua’s export processing zones, 22,000 jobs were cut in 2008 and a further 6,000 in the first three months of 2009, from a total of 90,000. As many as 120,000 jobs could go this year in Central America. • Exports from Central American Further reading Bethan Emmett, Paying the Price for the Economic Crisis, Oxfam, March 2009 countries are down around a quarter to a fifth compared with a year ago. Trade with the United States is particularly hard-hit. How is the credit crunch affecting Central America? The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), a regional UN body, said in April that falling international demand has led to a swift deceleration in exports, hurting economic activity and employment in Central America. Other negative effects of the global crisis are reduced remittances, foreign direct investment and tourism, and restricted access to finance. ECLAC said economic and social conditions are likely to be difficult in 2009, with average GDP growth in the region slightly above 1 percent at best. Employment is predicted to drop between 0.3 and 0.8 percent, affecting more women than men, and contributing to a reversal in the modest social progress achieved in the past five years. The commission has urged governments to prepare for a negative scenario and seek additional financing for measures to cushion the economic and social impact. Regional integration can play a role in minimising the effects of the crisis, it said, with domestic markets taking on more importance. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) warned in April that rural households, and among them indigenous people, are more vulnerable to being pushed into poverty. As overseas demand for Latin American products falls, agriculture needs to take on the role of a socio-economic safety net, it said. “Agriculture should be the backbone of economic development of any country,” commented IFAD president Kanayo F. Nwanze, as it is “the key to food security and a fundamental engine of economic growth and wealth generation”. IFAD noted that some countries have developed agricultural policies to deal with the crisis, but these have been limited to creating temporary jobs or partially subsidising production costs. It said countries also need to take longer-term action, including improving protection mechanisms for rural households and establishing broader strategies to diversify rural incomes. • The decrease in remittances ranges from 10 – 30 percent across Latin America, including 11 percent in Honduras, 12 percent in Guatemala and 15 percent in El Salvador. • Falling remittances imply a decrease in income for smallholder rural households in Latin America of 12 – 25 percent, including 12.5 percent in El Salvador and Honduras, 15 per cent in Guatemala and 20 percent in Nicaragua. • In El Salvador, remittances represented 17 percent of GDP in 2008, and official figures indicate that 381,700 families – nearly 27 percent of the population – receive transfers from abroad. • In rural areas of Latin America, poverty levels are high, with poor people accounting for 52 percent of the population, and extremely poor people 28 percent. Sources: IFAD, ECLAC, Inter Press Service, Envio magazine 5 Central America Report: Summer 2009 Central America Regional update Summit of the Americas After April’s Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, the presidents of Central American countries, plus Panama and the Dominican Republic, held a meeting with US President Barack Obama. Central American leaders called for reform of US immigration laws to protect the 5.5 million Central Americans living in the United States, as well as support for US companies investing in the region to avoid factory closures in export processing zones. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, representing Central America at the summit, said G20 leaders had stated that the financial crisis requires a global solution but failed to take into account the needs of developing countries. He also read parts of a declaration by countries in the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), saying they would not sign the summit declaration because it offered no answers to the economic crisis and excluded Cuba without mentioning the regional consensus to end Cuba’s “criminal” isolation. This prevented the summit from issuing a joint communiqué. In reaction to Ortega’s speech, Obama commented: “I think it is important to remind the leaders here that the US is not the only one that has to change. We all have the responsibility to look to the future.” Migrant flow to US slows The number of non-Mexican migrants stopped by the US Border Patrol has dropped almost 60 percent from 2005, despite increased detention efforts. About 68,000 nonMexican migrants – mostly Central Americans – were detained last year, compared with 165,000 in 2005. NonMexicans make up about 10 percent of all migrants caught by Border Patrol officers. Central Americans travelling without documents now face increased security in Mexico, including checks on trains for stowaways. Hurricane damage to train tracks is also making it harder for them to head north. GUATEMALA US priest killed in robbery A US priest who put an international spotlight on human rights abuses in Brazil in the 1970s was killed in May by robbers in northern Guatemala. The Rev. Lawrence Rosebaugh of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was shot several times by masked gunmen who stopped a car carrying him and four other missionaries to a meeting in Playa Grande. Rosebaugh, 74, had spent 10 years as a missionary in Guatemala, where he ministered to HIV patients. Files show US knew of war abuses The US government was aware that top Guatemalan officials it supported with arms and cash were behind the disappearance of thousands of people during the Central American nation’s 36-year civil war, declassified documents obtained by a US research institute show (see page 13). The National Security Archive, a Washington D.C.based institute that requests and publishes declassified government documents, procured diplomatic and This image from the Honduran Red Cross shows a volunteer assessing damage on an earthquake-hit road in Puerto Cortes. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the north of the country on May 28, killing at least six people, including four children, and injuring more than 50. The tremor destroyed some 60 houses and damaged scores of other buildings. Water and electricity supplies, roads and bridges were also affected. As the epicentre was offshore near the island of Roatan, the quake briefly triggered a tsunami alert for Central America’s Caribbean coast. The quake was also felt in Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala, where it caused minor damage. The Red Cross plans to provide food aid and other basic items for three months to 200 families living in temporary shelters in the worst-affected areas of Honduras. For more information: www.reliefweb.int (English) www.redhum.org (Spanish) Photo: Courtesy of Honduran Red Cross intelligence reports from the US State Department under the Freedom of Information Act and posted them on its website: www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv NICARAGUA US court rules against banana workers Nemagon is a pesticide that was used on banana plantations in Central America, the Caribbean and the Philippines long after it was banned in the US in 1979. An estimated 22,000 Nicaraguans have been affected by Nemagon-related diseases and disability. Male victims suffer from damaged sperm counts, with around two-thirds of Nicaraguan banana workers left permanently sterile. Female victims are plagued with menstrual disruptions, skin discolouration, repeated miscarriages, uterine and breast cancer. In Nicaragua, 466 people have died of cancer caused by the pesticide. As a result of the mobilisation of an association of victims, in 2001 the Nicaraguan National Assembly passed Law 364, laying the groundwork for workers to sue the corporations responsible. But Dole Foods and two other companies found liable under this law in a Nicaraguan court refused to compensate the victims and called for a retrial in the US. This April, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favour of Dole, finding that the two lawyers acting for the workers had presented false testimonies. The ruling is a bitter blow to the victims and their families. In 2007, banana workers set up a camp opposite the National Assembly in Managua, and leader Guillermo Vivas said the group would continue the struggle for justice. Central America Report: Summer 2009 6 Central America EL SALVADOR Municipal and Legislative Assembly elections El Salvador held its Legislative Assembly elections in January. The FMLN obtained 42.5 percent of the vote, taking 35 seats (a gain of three), while the right-wing ARENA party took 38.4 percent or 32 seats (a loss of two). The FMLN remains short of a 43-seat majority, making the PCN (ARENA’s traditional ally) the swing-voting block in the legislature. This leaves the balance of power in the Legislative Assembly unchanged. Voter turnout was 2.2 million, or 54 percent. The municipal elections saw the defeat of San Salvador’s incumbent FMLN mayor, Violeta Menjivar, by ARENA’s Norman Quijano. Overall, ARENA took the greatest number of municipalities, holding 120 to the FMLN’s 95. NGOs call for electoral reform The Social Initiative for Democracy (ISD) and the Foundation for the Study of the Application of Law (FESPAD), two Salvadoran NGOs, have presented a constitutional reform proposal to the Legislative Assembly to make the electoral process more fair and transparent, including changes to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). The TSE has been criticised repeatedly for not fulfilling its role of neutral arbitration of the electoral process by consistently settling electoral administration conflicts in favour of ARENA. Spanish court brings charges for Jesuit massacre The Spanish National Court has formally charged 14 former army officers, including former defence minister General Rafael Humberto Larios, with crimes against humanity and state terrorism for their alleged role in the massacre of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter on November 16, 1989. The judge reserved the right to indict former Salvadoran President and Commander of the Armed Forces Alfredo Cristiani – recently appointed leader of the ARENA party – for covering up the crime. Two army officers were tried and convicted for the murders in El Salvador in 1991, but were released in 1993 after the introduction of a law granting amnesty for crimes committed during the civil war. SPOTLIGHT: Central America Free Trade Agreement Study reveals lack of progress on labour rights A three-year study on the impact of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) on labour rights by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) finds conditions in member countries have not improved nor have violations diminished despite promises to strengthen rights and millions of dollars invested by the US to meet this objective. WOLA also warns the labour situation in Central America will deteriorate further due to the global economic crisis. The report says money channeled into labour projects is insufficient to resolve historical problems and the impunity with which many employers act. Governments have also been slow to approve promised legislation. Labour abuses continue unabated, including obstruction of the right to form unions, illegal dismissals, forced overtime, blacklisting, gender discrimination and the illegal closure of factories. Union leaders continue to be assassinated, with six killed in Guatemala since January 2007. The study says governments should promote respect for labour rights by strengthening enforcement mechanisms and imposing fines on errant employers. It calls on the US government to provide direct support to unions and NGOs that promote labour rights. ”The US should support efforts to strengthen rights and combat impunity in the DRCAFTA countries by renegotiating the agreement, and increasing the weight and penalties for labour violations so they are equivalent to commercial violations,” said report author Vicki Gass. WOLA also urges the Obama administration to apply lessons from DR-CAFTA in pending free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. You can download the study, DR-CAFTA and Workers’ Rights: Moving from Paper to Practice, from WOLA’s website: www.wola.org US pork imports hurt pig farmers One effect of DR-CAFTA is that Nicaraguan pig farmers are being pushed into bankruptcy by cheap US imports. According to the trade minister, nine importers have licenses to import pork under quotas established by DR-CAFTA, which will grow each year until 2020. US agricultural subsidies allow agribusiness corporations to dump products in Mexico and Central America at low prices, undercutting local farmers. Milton Arcia of the National Association of Hog Farmers urged the government to suspend pork imports until falling consumption caused by swine flu recovers. Mining company to sue El Salvador Canadian mining company Pacific Rim, acting through a US-based subsidiary, has announced plans to sue the Salvadoran government over its refusal to issue mining permits for the El Dorado silver and gold mine in the department of Cabañas. An international arbitration court established by DR-CAFTA in 2006 will hear the case. CAFTA rules allow companies to sue governments not just for lost investments but also the loss of potential revenues. This has led to concerns Pacific Rim could seek hundreds of millions of dollars from the Salvadoran government. Many civil society groups have opposed the mine amid fears it could result in cyanide contamination of drinking water. 7 Central America Report: Summer 2009 El Salvador Historic poll victory for FMLN O N MARCH 15, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) won El Salvador’s presidential elections, ending two decades of conservative rule by the ARENA party. Mauricio Funes of the FMLN gained 51.3 percent of the vote against 48.7 percent for Rodrigo Ávila of ARENA. The FMLN was formed in 1980 as an alliance of armed groups fighting against brutal state repression. The party’s success marks a historic power shift in El Salvador, creating the country’s first leftist government. In his victory speech, Funes called for a renewal of the spirit of reconciliation that formed the basis for the 1992 peace accords, which ended El Salvador’s brutal 12-year civil war. He also said his actions would be guided by “a preferential option for the poor”, in homage to murdered Archbishop Monsignor Oscar Romero’s historic speech calling for peace during the war. Around 40 percent of El Salvador’s population live in poverty. Funes also promised profound changes in public management, with greater participation and social and economic justice. FMLN victory poster: “Hope overcame fear – Thank you El Salvador” Policy challenges Funes launched his election campaign on November 14 by declaring: “Twenty years of poverty and exclusion will be defeated next year.” His manifesto focused on proposals to boost social investment and job creation; improving the lives of women by closing the gender pay gap and expanding access to healthcare, education and credit; promoting women’s participation through the establishment of a Women’s Secretariat; giving workers and social activists a voice in policy making; and reforming the electoral system, including allowing non-resident Salvadorans to vote. As Funes takes office in June, his government will face major challenges in realising his election promises. A deep political rift continues to divide Central America Report: Summer 2009 the country, and ARENA and its rightwing allies still dominate in the Legislative Assembly, where the FMLN remains short of a majority. Building consensus and support for innovative policies will be difficult, as will reaching agreement over key appointments – already clear from the controversy surrounding the vacant post of Attorney General. A further challenge lies in the state of the economy and lack of funds to implement the widespread social and economic reforms underpinning the FMLN’s election campaign. El Salvador’s economy has been hit hard by the global economic crisis, with a sharp decline in exports and tax revenues. Gross domestic product is falling and thousands of jobs have been lost in the past year. An electric power subsidy, designed to help families and smaller businesses at a cost of $15.7 million per month to the government, is a recent casualty of the worsening situation. The FMLN will not be able to achieve the transformation demanded by the Salvadoran people without making profound changes to the economic system that privileges the elite. Funes says he plans to fight tax evasion by the wealthy and overhaul the way public institutions are operated. Yet he has also consistently declared he will be a pro-business moderate, espousing a pragmatic and diplomatic approach to relations with the US. It will be a tough task to reconcile the conflicting agendas of civil society and business, while working with the US on free-trade initiatives such as the controversial Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). The US and El Salvador The United States has exerted a strong influence over El Salvador’s domestic and international policy during ARENA’s time in power. The United States is El Salvador’s biggest trade partner, and the money sent home by Salvadorans living in the US is the largest single source of national income. ARENA worked closely with 8 Photo: Cynthia Orchard, CIS El Salvador Washington, supporting US policy by sending troops to Iraq and becoming the first DR-CAFTA signatory. The strong current of anti-FMLN sentiment in the US Congress has had some effect on El Salvador’s elections over the years. In 2004, State Department officials denounced the FMLN, and legislation was put forward threatening to cut off remittances from Salvadorans should the party win. This year’s elections were also subject to a degree of US influence. In a speech to the House of Representatives, Republican Dana Rohrabacher labeled the FMLN a pro-terrorist political party with links to Iran, al-Qaeda, the FARC, Cuba and Hugo Chavez. He called for remittances and temporary protective status for Salvadorans in the US to be suspended in the event of an FMLN victory. Rohrabacher and the group of Republicans who joined him in speaking out against the FMLN made headline news in El Salvador, helping bolster ARENA’s fear campaign. Despite this, President Barack Obama’s election and the new US administration have created an opportunity for a new relationship. The State Department issued a formal declaration of neutrality and expressed its willingness to work with whoever won the election within 48 hours of the Republicans’ statements. Obama has removed all US ambassadors politically appointed by the Bush administration, including the ambassador to El Salvador, Charles Glazer. At the Summit of the Americas in April, where Obama and Funes met for the first time, Obama declared his intention to break with Bush’s policies and forge relationships based on respect and cooperation. Abbie Kempson Observing the elections Cynthia Orchard, Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (Centre for Exchange and Solidarity – CIS) Reaction from El Salvador Gloria Nuñez, community of Nueva Esperanza J UST BEFORE the March 2009 presidential elections, the political atmosphere in El Salvador was very tense. I have been volunteering with the CIS Election Observation Mission since October 2008. In March, I led a team of 15 international observers in the department of Santa Ana. FMLN supporters were very concerned about potential fraud on the part of ARENA, and ARENA supporters were worried about potential violence and what would happen in the event of an FMLN victory – ranging from the country becoming a communist dictatorship allocating citizens just one bar of soap a month to having their coffee farms confiscated. Most fears turned out to unfounded, and the runup to the election and the day itself were largely calm. There were some irregularities. Two days before the elections, we met with FMLN leaders who told us of concerns about illegal border crossings from Guatemala – allegedly Guatemalans were being paid to come and vote for ARENA. We also met members of the electoral boards in Santa Ana who were worried about people seen paying for multiple identity cards. The day before the vote, we heard that roofing materials were being distributed in a nearby town. We verified that this was happening, although the school director – and ARENA member – who was giving them out claimed it was a personal, not a political project. Some of the beneficiaries supported him, but one man said he had been refused because he was an FMLN member. Problems on election day included people trying to vote with illegible, partially destroyed or even photocopied identity cards; voters’ hands not being checked for indelible ink; and voters taking photos of their ballots (presumably to show to whoever was paying them to vote for a particular party). The most serious problems were expected to happen around the announcement of the results. Fortunately, this was also mainly peaceful. Both Funes’ and Ávila's speeches were very cooperative, with Ávila calling for his supporters to work with the new leadership for the benefit of all Salvadorans. What perhaps surprised me most was the way things returned almost to ‘normal’ in the days and weeks after the elections. That they passed so calmly is for me a testament to the fact that most Salvadorans want peace and tranquility. Many, of course, also want a much-needed improvement in their living conditions. Let’s hope they get it. www.cis-elsalvador.org I AM DELIGHTED to write to you in these moments of joy and emotion, after the election victory of the people. During the electoral contest, we had to put up with a vicious campaign from the right-wing party ARENA, and we had to work hard to overcome people’s fear. We have been hoping for change for many, many years – all the time recognising the long political struggle needed to achieve this victory. This has been made possible through the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters who died in battle and the 80,000 or more people – women, children and old men – who were murdered, massacred, tortured and disappeared by the National Guard, police and death squads in the 70s and 80s. On March 15, we were in no doubt that all the martyrs who were part of our struggle were with us celebrating our victory! We come to power in difficult times, amid a global and national economic crisis, but with a government that will use its resources fairly, taking into account the poorest and the most marginalised. We will need the full participation of all sectors of society to deal with the crisis and move forward our “project of the people”. On March 21, we celebrated the 18th anniversary of our community of Nueva Esperanza with greater joy than ever! I believe we are now entering the second stage of the peace accords. We have to work hard to make our dreams reality, and bring about the change that will benefit those who most need it. 9 Central America Report: Summer 2009 Women’s rights UN pressures Nicaragua to modify abortion ban T HE UN COMMITTEE against Torture called in May for Nicaragua to review its ban on all forms of abortion, urging the government to introduce exceptions. The committee said the total ban exposes women and girls to serious violations of their rights, particularly if they are rape victims or forced to continue with a pregnancy that poses a threat to their life. According to Widney Brown, senior director of international law and policy at Amnesty International, which advised the committee, the UN recommendation means Nicaragua will be in breach of its international legal obligations to protect human rights as long as the complete ban remains in place. “Such inaction would show a cruel indifference to the physical pain, psychological anguish and lack of human dignity this law causes women and girls in Nicaragua to suffer by denying and thwarting their access to essential medical treatment during pregnancy,” he said. Vivian Stromberg, executive director of international women’s human rights organisation MADRE, commended the committee’s stand against the ban: “Nicaraguan women’s human rights have been held hostage to this law, and the government must prioritise women's lives over ideology.” Nicaragua’s criminal law imposes prison terms for doctors, women and girls for carrying out or seeking an abortion, regardless of the circumstances. “As noted by the committee, at the moment when doctors need to make vital decisions they are forced to violate their professional ethics,” said Amnesty’s Brown. He added that rape victims who become pregnant face “an unconscionable choice” of continuing with the pregnancy or seeking an unsafe backstreet abortion risking their life, health and possibly imprisonment. “In a country where there are high rates of sexual abuse and at least 50 percent of rape victims are girls aged 18 or under, this is a particularly appalling situation,” he said. The UN Committee against Torture is the fourth UN treaty body to demand that the Nicaraguan government repeal the complete ban on abortion – in addition to the UN Human Rights Committee, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. The legislation came into force in November 2006 under former President Enrique Bolaños, with the support of current President Daniel Ortega. During the 1980s, the FSLN leader defended Nicaragua's limited abortion rights, but after reconciling with the Catholic Church, he became a strident opponent of abortion. Women’s groups have campaigned fiercely against the law, which has been blamed for at least 80 deaths in 2007 alone. To read Amnesty’s submission to the committee: www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AM R43/005/2009/en MADRE’s website: www.madre.org I N LATE APRIL, the Mexican government was taken before the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in Chile for its failure to resolve the 2001 murders of three women in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, in the court’s first case to focus on gender violence. Its resolutions are legally binding. More than 400 women have been killed in Chihuahua since 1993, but despite national and international efforts, impunity prevails in over half of the cases, according to the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). The case involves the deaths of Esmeralda Herrera Monrreal, Claudia Ivette González Banda and Laura Berenice Ramos whose bodies, along with those of five other women, were found in November 2001 in a lot known as the “Cotton Field”. WOLA says the murder investigations have Central America Report: Summer 2009 Inter-American court hears first femicide case been beset with irregularities, beginning with the authorities’ refusal to look into the women’s whereabouts until 72 hours after their disappearances were reported. In 2007, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights petitioned the court to assume the case against Mexico for several reasons, including “the lack of prevention of gender crimes, despite full knowledge of the existence of a pattern of violence that had left hundreds of women and girls murdered by the time of the facts”. According to Frontera NorteSur (FNS), an online news service covering events in the US-Mexico border region, the Ciudad Juarez Citizens’ Network for Non-Violence and Human Dignity has described the case as a “historic opportunity” for femicide victims across the rest of Mexico and the Americas. Following the oral testimony, during which the victims’ mothers retold their stories to the judges, the court will review legal documents and deliberate the case, with a decision expected later this year or early next. For more information, visit the FNS website: www.nmsu.edu/~frontera Articles compiled by Megan Rowling 10 Nicaragua 30th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution On July 19, tens of thousands will gather in Managua to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the overthrow of the 43-year military dictatorship of the Somoza family and the coming to power of the Sandinista government. Here Fátima Ismael Espinoza (photo below), general manager of the coffee producers’ Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (UCA) Soppexcca in Jinotega, and Domingo Pérez, general secretary of the UNE public sector union, discuss the legacy of the Revolution, the role of international solidarity and challenges for the future. Domingo Pérez, UNE general secretary NSC: What has been the most enduring transformation of the Revolution? DP: The establishment of a constitution that recognises social rights at a level higher than national laws – for example, recognition of the rights of the family and the constitutional rights of workers and children. These were maintained even when the FSLN was out of power. NSC: For the FSLN, what are the successes and challenges since winning the 2007 election? DP: The most important success has been the development of organisations at all levels – for children, young people, women, trade unions, agricultural cooperatives. These have given people the ability to fight for and claim their rights. Today we have a revolutionary government, but its hands are tied because the neoliberal system is still in place and will have to be changed to enable the reforms this country needs to lift people out of poverty and offer full employment. NSC: What role has solidarity played during the last 30 years? DP: I believe international solidarity has played a significant role during the 10 years of the Revolution and 16 years of neoliberal policies. This was seen in the reaction to Hurricane Mitch, and it continues at the level of the poor and trade unions. The country has been impoverished by world powers – by Spain when it was a colony, and by the US in recent years. Nations that have enjoyed an excellent standard of living at the expense of others now have a social responsibility to develop solidarity with our people. An association (trade) agreement is now being negotiated with the EU, and compensation is being sought to reduce the inequalities. So we ask that friendly groups and governments support our position. Fátima Ismael Espinoza “The popular insurrection that ended the military dictatorship brought such happiness. We lived the great dream of a liberated country with social justice, equality, liberty and rights for all – a dream that was impossible to realise because of the re-arming of the National Guard (the contra). That was given life by the recruitment of campesinos through ideological campaigns, as well as the negative actions of FSLN members without convictions and respect for people who act or think differently. After the war and so much pain, along came “neoliberalism” disguised as democracy, another attempt to return to the capitalist economic model. However, we still have a great inheritance: land, fewer illiterate and more trained people, greater dignity and a higher level of organisation. The struggle for land and for the right to organise are achievements of the Sandinista government – pillars that maintain unity around common interests and collective needs. It was only the honest and open hand of solidarity that sustained us – those people who helped us by protesting against the war and the blockade. Today, they’re helping through projects of life and hope for the poorest, supporting us with education and training, and through buying Fairtrade coffee. Errors come and go in political life. For the FSLN, perhaps the main ones have been not managing to maintain 11 unity among members, and a lack of humility. A more open and communicative structure would reduce doubts about personal enrichment and lifestyle changes inconsistent with revolutionary principles. The challenges are to maintain a leadership that is positive, inclusive and transparent and generates action for economic, environmental and social development, as well as to govern with respect for the laws and culture of the people who put governments in power and remove them. The work of solidarity in this new era is to maintain a direct link with popular organisations struggling to improve living conditions. They are the ones who transform the base and look after people’s welfare regardless of who’s in power.” www.soppexcca.org/en/ The Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign will celebrate the anniversary after its AGM on July 25 at a public event with a film launch and speakers (central London venue to be confirmed). For details: www.nicaraguasc.org.uk / 020 7561 4836 Photo: Soppexcca Translation: Deborah Cobbett and Graham Dane Central America Report: Summer 2009 Guatemala Reading between the lines of impunity The publication of police archives is providing vital clues for unravelling disappearances, writes Gillian Horne. knew a great deal about the kidnappings occurring at the time, including who was carrying them out and the fact that those picked up were tortured at best, murdered at worst. Edgar Fernando Garcia’s name appears in several of these documents. I Lawyer’s killing sparks mass protests M ASSIVE DEMONSTRATIONS took place in Guatemala in May, organised, promoted and documented by the social media networks Ustream, Twitter and Facebook. Protestors were calling for Guatemalan president Álvaro Colom to step down temporarily so that a judicial inquiry into his alleged involvement in the assassination of attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg could proceed without interference. The Guatemalan bank Banrural is at the centre of the political crisis. Rosenberg had refused a request from the president to serve on the board of the bank, widely known as a money-laundering hub and haven for narco-trafficking spoils. He also represented a finance expert, Khalil Musa, who is said to have declined to participate in corrupt transactions involving the bank. Musa was assassinated in March. After reportedly refusing to participate in the corruption and the cover-up, Rosenberg was also murdered on May 10. Days earlier, he had recorded a video saying he believed he would soon be assassinated by forces acting on the orders of the president. After his death, the video spread virally on YouTube, sparking widespread protests both on and offline. Several days later the police detained Jean Ramses Anleu Fernández, an IT worker, for inciting financial panic on Twitter. His arrest came after he wrote a comment on the messaging platform calling for united action to withdraw funds from Banrural as a result of the information in Rosenberg’s video. For more information in Spanish: www.albedrio.org Guatemalan police archives Patrick Daniels As is common in the rare cases in which the perpetrators of human rights violations during the civil war are brought to justice, it is the foot soldiers who are arrested and tried. This happened with the Rio Negro cases in 2008 and also in 1999, when civil patrollers were convicted. However, it is obvious that such large-scale violations could not have taken place in a vacuum – someone had to sit down and decide how the massacres would be carried out and which targets to pick up on the streets. That is why the genocide case being brought by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) is so vitally important. It is an effort to go after the top brass; the intellectual authors of the crimes – those who drew up the plans but sent others to carry them out. Central America Report: Summer 2009 12 Photo: Robert Guerra N MARCH THIS YEAR, the first of 80 million documents found in 2005 were made public. These old police archives contain evidence of tens of thousands of kidnappings, forced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. This has enabled a breakthrough in the case of the disappearance of Edgar Fernando Garcia, a student and trade union activist who “disappeared” in 1984. A senior police officer and an ex-officer have been arrested, and warrants issued for the arrest of two former officers of the Special Operations Brigade. The case is a direct result of the 2005 discovery of National Police records going back to the late 19th century. The records are slowly and carefully being preserved and analysed, and it was always hoped that somewhere in the huge piles of fusty paper might be some clues as to what happened to those who “disappeared”. The analysis of the documents has been aided by the US National Security Archive, which has recently published some declassified US Embassy documents showing that the US authorities Central America Nathalie Mercier of the Guatemala Solidarity Network reports on the fight for the release of key military archives. O NE NEWS STORY I’ve been following for a while here relates to the release of four military archives – Plan Campaña Victoria 82, Plan Operativo Sofía 82, Asuntos Civiles Operación Ixil and Plan Firmeza 83 – detailing counterinsurgency strategies, including massacres that took place in 1982 and 1983. They could serve as vital evidence in the cases for genocide brought by the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR). The opening of the archives was first ordered in early 2007. An appeal was subsequently lodged, in which it was claimed the archives were state secrets, and their release would have implications for national security. This appeal was overturned and last year, on February 25, Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom promised they would be declassified. Exactly a year later – the Day of Dignity of Victims of the Armed Conflict – the deadline for the release came and went. The defence minister presented the judge on the case with two of the archives – Victoria and Firmeza – claiming not to know the whereabouts of the others. The judge at first refused to accept the “incomplete delivery” of the archives, arguing also that there was a lack of secure storage space for the documents. Days later, it was reported that the minister and his family had received death threats. In mid-March, a supposed copy of one of the missing archives, Sofía 82, mysteriously arrived at the presidential house. It is still in the process of being authenticated by the military, and Victoria and Firmeza have now been accepted. Guatemalans I’ve spoken to about this fit largely into two groups. The first is made up of highly enthusiastic people, expressing their hope that this could be the beginning of the end of impunity in Guatemala. The second is very cynical, containing people who have seen similar hopes raised before and then shattered. But they still continue to seek justice. Understandably, they have become more tired and cynical, but most importantly, with each blow, they are more determined to see their struggle through. Book review America’s Backyard: The United States and Latin America from the Monroe Doctrine to the War on Terror By Grace Livingstone Published by Zed Books in association with the Latin America Bureau, 2009, £19.99 “The whole hemisphere will be ours, in fact by the superiority of our race, it already is ours morally.” US President William Howard Taft (1909 – 13) “When we look around the world we see a number of countries and leaders – Chávez is one of them – who, over the last eight years have become more and more negative and oppositional to the US... The prior administration tried to isolate them...to turn them into pariahs. It didn't work.” Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, May 2009 The huge, open question today is to what extent the Obama administration signals a rupture with the past imperial arrogance epitomised by the term “America’s backyard”? Are the days of Roosevelt’s “talk softly but carry a big stick” approach to Latin America really over? This excellent, wellresearched book comes at a very opportune time, with the waning of US global power and the increasing significance of Latin America as a world player. The cover blurb pinpoints the key issue succinctly, asking: “Today Latin Americans are demanding respect and an end to the Washington Consensus. Will the White House listen?” The declassified documents cited in the book speak for themselves, providing a sense of the relentless, brutal and ruthless direct and indirect intervention in Latin America by the US in its various attempts to shape its “backyard” for its own ends. The consequences of the policy of “democracy if possible, dictatorship if necessary” are graphically illustrated by the array of criminals supported by the US: William Walker and the Somozas in Nicaragua, Pinochet in Chile and Galtieri in Argentina to name but a few. The section on Central America in the 1980s is illustrative of the sheer range of destabilisation tactics employed by the US with catastrophic consequences. They include the economic blockade of Nicaragua to “make the economy scream”, the political support and financing of the contras, the propaganda war (you remember that Soviet submarine base in landlocked Estelí in northern Nicaragua!) and support for death squads in El Salvador. The legacy of the 300,000 deaths and immense pain and suffering inflicted on the region persists today. America’s Backyard lays bare the belligerent siege mentality of the Bush administration in its bumbling attempts to turn back a “pink tide” sweeping north to destroy the US way of life and civilisation as we know it. The last chapter of the book returns to the question of the opportunity the Obama administration has to shape a new respectful relationship with Latin America. How optimistic should we be that there will no longer be a need to publish books entitled America's Backyard and Under the Eagle (a 1980s publication on US policy in Latin America) in 20 years’ time? Helen Yuill 13 Central America Report: Summer 2009 Take action Solidarity and campaign news NICARAGUA ■ Leicester Masaya Link Group (LMLG) The LMLG Food for Thought project (featured in the winter 2008 issue of CAR) draws on the experiences of communities in Masaya to inform the global citizenship curriculum of primary schools in Leicester. The group has compiled a case study documenting the evolution of the project, which was developed with the University of Leicester Botanic Garden and funding from the UK government. The case study was commissioned by the East Midlands Network for Global Perspectives in Schools: www.emngps.org.uk/pages/ progress.htm LMLG is now working on a resource pack that will also be available online. ■ The NEST Trust NEST Trust coordinator Maggie Jo St John reports that the trust‘s Book 2 English materials, including recordings and a teachers’ manual, will be downloadable along with Book 1 from June at www.thenesttrust.org.uk (click ‘teaching materials’ and follow the instructions). While NEST is no longer placing volunteers, it will design and run a 10-month English course for staff at CESESMA, a children’s rights organisation in School celebrates Nicaragua week Masks of Daniel Ortega, William Walker, Christopher Colombus and one of the Somozas, used by the cast of a play depicting a short history of Nicaragua Photo: Louise Banks Dunhurst school in Hampshire has a commitment to promoting partnerships with other communities, developing international awareness and raising children’s understanding of the needs of others. In February, the school held a Nicaragua week inspired by its link with the Union of Cooperatives (UCA) Miraflor. A range of activities provided opportunities for the children to explore Nicaragua’s historical and cultural heritage and the similarities and differences between their own lives and those of children in the coffee cooperatives of northern Nicaragua. Activities included a presentation of a Nicaraguan gigantona parade, music and dance inspired by Nicaraguan festivals, an IT project on the coffee industry, a play on the history of Nicaragua and a video about Miraflor. The Nicaraguan community has used some of the £900 raised by Dunhurst to buy school desks and chairs. Miraflor teacher Marlon Villareyna said: “You have no idea how happy it makes me that a few people can make such a difference to a community.” San Ramon (www.cesesma.org). A long-term volunteer will also continue classes for the ecotourism project at the Union of Cooperatives (UCA) San Ramon, where four people now have sufficient English to act as guides. Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (NSC) ■ Literacy speaker tour Literacy campaign coordinator Susana Morales visited the UK in April to raise awareness about the inspiring work being carried out in the poorest barrios of Managua as part of a government drive to reduce illiteracy in Nicaragua to less than 5 percent (see page 3). Her busy schedule included speaking at celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution in London and Brighton, a Bristol Latin America Forum, and public meetings in Edinburgh and North Wales. Susana also met with community groups and people working on literacy in the places she visited to exchange ideas and information. Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group ■ Young trade unionist speaker tour Karina Gómez works as a trade union organiser in the Federation of Self Employed Workers (CTCP), the informal sector workers’ union, and visits the UK from June 6 – 19. Having worked in a street café as a child, she helped set up the July 19 union of young workers and Photo: NEST Award ceremony for six young people who completed a basic one-year computer course at one of the solar-powered computer centres at the Union of Cooperatives (UCA) Miraflor. Over 50 students are now enrolled on further courses. Central America Report: Summer 2009 14 Take action was elected to the CTCP youth committee in December. She is a member of Sandinista Youth and has been very active in health promotion and the national literacy campaign. www.nicaraguasc.org.uk/nscag ■ EU-Central America Association Agreement Since 2007, the European Commission has been negotiating an agreement with Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, with Panama as an observer), a region where 40 percent of people live on less than $2 a day. The EC is desperate to complete this deal and is piling pressure on Central American countries to finalise it by July. Trade justice campaigners are concerned the agreement will mean job losses, reduced tax income and less access to cheap medicine and credit. To find out how to take action, visit: www.wdm.org.uk Tom Wilmot runs the London Marathon for NSC Tom (photo, centre) says: “Being well over 6 foot has its advantages. I was able to see the thousands of people massed behind and in front of me as we were herded slowly towards the start line. The atmosphere was really buzzing and every pub and street corner was alive with music and cheers. Once I reached the last six miles, it suddenly seemed a long way. It’s difficult to describe the exhaustion. Only in the last mile did the agony turn to joy as I weaved past the collapsed runners to the final section, where I managed to make out my family and friends shouting. The elation that I was actually going to finish, mingled with the pain and exhaustion, was all too much. Only some time later did the delirium begin to subside and reality come flooding back. Looking back, I’m so glad I did it and for such a worthy, grassroots organisation. I would honestly recommend it to anyone. Left, right, left, right – simple!” 15 Central America Report: Summer 2009 Take action Central America Women’s Network (CAWN) March speaker tour: Challenging violence against women in Honduras Since 2004, CAWN and CEM-H (Centro de Estudios de la Mujer – Honduras, Centre for Women’s Studies – Honduras) have worked on an innovative project to tackle violence against women. The project supports women in poor and marginalised communities, including indigenous Lenca and black Garifuna. CEM-H has pioneered self-help groups for women to access services, including emotional and legal support. The initiative also provides training in reproductive rights, HIV/AIDS, selfesteem and income generation skills. The project has trained community leaders, including Maria Amalia Reyes who is standing for office in November’s local elections. Maria survived many years of domestic violence before she managed to escape. She now shares her experiences with other women through self-help groups, empowering them to take leading roles in changing social behaviour in their communities. In March CAWN hosted a speaker tour by CEM-H representatives Maira Amalia and Sara Tome. They participated in meetings with CAWN supporters, NGOs and other women’s organisations in Oxford, Manchester, Birmingham and London to raise awareness and discuss women’s rights in Honduras Activists from CAWN and CEM-H take part in an International Women’s Day event in central London. and Central America. They shared some of the successes and challenges of their work and talked about advocacy efforts to achieve more sustainable services, policies and institutions for women. Sara also provided information on legal cases dealing with severe torture and abuse of women’s human rights. She has been working with other women’s networks to create a Commission on Femicides to lobby the government to develop a law on murders that deliberately target women, following the examples of Mexico and Guatemala. CAWN is organising an international seminar in November, focusing on femicide in MesoAmerica. Women activists from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras will speak in London and Brussels to present the findings of their research and raise awareness of these issues with policy and decision-makers at an international level. Please check the CAWN website later in the year for further details. Katherine Ronderos Women’s Rights Programme Officer, CAWN You can download CAWN’s Spring 2009 newsletter, which focuses on femicide, from the website: www.cawn.org ■ Guatemala Solidarity Network (GSN) • We have been reviewing the 2008 “Beyond Violence” speaker tour which highlighted the links between gangs and gender violence. • We are working with various international committees that support ACOGUATE, the international accompaniment project in Guatemala, to redevelop the way volunteers accompany human rights defenders. • We would like to thank the Reading Quaker Meeting for their generous donation to GSN. Central America Report: Summer 2009 GET IN TOUCH Wales NSC: Betws, Fford Haern Bach, Pen Y Groes LL54 6NY Tel: 01286 882359 Email: [email protected] www.walesnsc.wordpress.com NSC and local links: 86 Durham Rd, London N7 7DT Tel: 020 7561 4836 www.nicaraguasc.org.uk GSN: 6 Marylands, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3JZ Tel: 01444 443401 Email: [email protected] www.guatemalasolidarity.org.uk CAWN: c/o One World Action, Bradley Close, White Lion Street, London N1 9PF Tel: 020 7833 4174 Email: [email protected] www.cawn.org 16 Photo: Courtesy of CAWN