{The U.S. wants a police academy in El Salvador to
train police in exactly the same way the SOA trains
the Latin American military in Georgia at the SOA.
Please take action to stop this incredible
intervention. Mil Gracias! CISPES-L.A.}
C I S P E S
ACTION ALERT November 28, 2005
Salvadoran National Assembly to Vote on ILEA!
Act to stop the U.S.-backed Police SOA in El
Salvador!
The International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA)
is a US-funded police training school that is slated
to open in El Salvador. The ILEA agreement will come
up for vote in the Salvadoran National Assembly
tomorrow, Wednesday November 30th. The agreement to
build the school has already been signed and the pilot
project is underway, but in order for the operation of
the training site to be legal, the ILEA must be
approved by the Assembly. The long history of
US-supported repression in El Salvador through
military aid and training is grim, and many
Salvadorans recognize the ILEA as the latest attempt
to exert US military dominance over the entire region.
Furthermore, in the past year government-backed
political repression including murders,
disappearances, and publication of black lists has
been increasing in El Salvador.
The Salvadoran social movement has been working
to stop the imposition of the ILEA, but the right-wing
ARENA party has decided to move ahead despite the
opposition. The Salvadoran constitution establishes
that international agreements require a 2/3 majority
vote in the National Assembly. However, like with
CAFTA, the government is moving forward to pass the
ILEA with a simple majority vote despite the
illegality of the maneuver. ARENA together with its
closest ally party the PCN has enough votes to
reach a simple majority.
The installation of the ILEA, on top of the
already alarming rate of political repression, is a
roll-back of the 1992 Peace Accords and a move towards
consolidating power by the right-wing Saca government.
The situation is urgent, and the construction of the
ILEA police school will only exacerbate matters and
give security forces more tools and incentive to use
repression against those who are resisting. Say NO to
the ILEA, and demand that the Salvadoran-backers of
the ILEA stop being compliant with the U.S.
governments imposition of this police training school
on El Salvador.
TAKE ACTION!
1. Send a fax to Rafael Machuca, PCN leader
(011-503-2281-9272), and Rolando Alvarenga, ARENA
leader (011-503-2281-9433), demanding their parties
vote NO to the ILEA Wednesday.
If you cant send a fax, send e-mails to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] and
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Cut and paste the text of
the sample letter in Spanish below.
2. Write to the State Department demanding it
stop its plans to build the ILEA in El Salvador. For
information and sample letters, see the action alert
at www.cispes.org/ilea.
3. Join CISPES in the campaign to stop repression
and US intervention in El Salvador, including the
March 4-15 solidarity delegation! For more information
check out www.cispes.org/delegation.
Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
130 West 29th St 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001
212-465-8115 FAX: 212-465-8998 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(sample letter, for translation see below)
Rafael Machuca
Jefe de Fraccion del PCN
(or Rolando Alvarenga
Jefe de Fraccion de ARENA)
Presente
29 de Noviembre de 2005
Estimado Lic. Machuca, (or Estimado Sr. Alvarenga)
Le escribo con suma preocupación sobre su
intención de instalar una Academia Internacional para
la Aplicación de la Ley (ILEA) en territorio
Salvadoreño. Esta Academia se negoció en secreto con
el gobierno Estadounidense, se empezaron a impartir
clases en Julio de forma ilegal y, además, la historia
demuestra que la capacitación de policías y militares
Latinoamericanos por parte de los Estados Unidos ha
contribuido a violaciones graves y sistemáticas de los
Derechos Humanos.
El pueblo Salvadoreño ha manifestado su
oposición a la ILEA, señalando muchos problemas. El
acuerdo no prohíbe instructores o estudiantes
militares y le brinda inmunidad diplomática extensa al
personal Estadounidense. Además, el acuerdo permite
amplios poderes sobre la academia al gobierno de los
EEUU en un momento cuando al gobierno estadounidense
se le acusa de utilizar la tortura al nivel mundial.
La situación actual en El Salvador, de retroceso en
los espacios democráticos creados con los Acuerdos de
Paz y de un débil estado de derecho, contribuye a la
preocupación de instalar una ILEA en el territorio.
Nos alarma que ARENA, el PCN, y otros partidos puedan
llegar a votar por este acuerdo cuando la ILEA
violenta la soberanía nacional Salvadoreña y es un
retroceso en los Acuerdos de Paz de 1992, que
claramente separaron a los militares de tareas de
seguridad pública. Es necesario que Ud. y su partido
voten no mañana y rechacen la ILEA.
También le estoy escribiendo al Departamento de
Estado de los EEUU para exigir que paren con el
proyecto de la ILEA.
Atentamente,
(translation of letter, send Spanish version)
Rafael Machuca
PCN Party Leader
(or Rolando Alvarenga
ARENA Party Leader)
November 29, 2005
Dear Mr. Machuca, (or Dear Mr. Alvarenga)
I am writing you with grave concern regarding your
intention to install an International Law Enforcement
Agency (ILEA) on Salvadoran soil. This academy was
negotiated in secret with the United States
government, and it already begun giving
classesillegallyin July. Furthermore, history has
shown that training provided to Latin American
military and police on behalf of the United States has
contributed to serious and systematic Human Rights
violations.
The people of El Salvador have voiced their opposition
to the ILEA citing numerous problems. The agreement
does not prohibit military instructors nor students,
and it provides extensive diplomatic immunity to
United States personnel. Furthermore, the agreement
gives the U.S. government broad power over the
academy, at a moment in which the U.S. government is
being accused of using torture around the world. The
current situation in El Salvador, of steady roll-back
of democratic spaces created with the Peace Accords
and a weak rule of law, only adds to the concern
surrounding the placement of an ILEA in the territory.
It is alarming that ARENA, the PCN, and
other parties may vote for this agreement when the
ILEA violates the national sovereignty of El Salvador
and is a step backward from the 1992 Peace Accords,
which clearly removed the military from the sphere of
public security. I demand that you and your party
vote no tomorrow and reject the ILEA.
I am also writing to the United States State
Department to demand that they stop the ILEA project.
Sincerely,
{your name, etc.}
CISPES
Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador
8124 West 3rd Street L.A. Ca. 90048
323-852-0721
Founded: 1980 - 25 Years of Solidarity
__________________________________
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