PDDH Beatrice de Carillo speaks to present realities in El Salvador

Dr. Beatrice de Carillo, El Salvador's Human Rights Ombudswoman (PDDH in Spanish), spoke recently at the 25th anniversary celebration of the SHARE Foundation in Washington, D.C. Her extensive remarks covered all aspects of the present reality in El Salvador and are well worth reading. Here is short excerpt where she describes some of the unfulfilled promise of the Peace Accords which ended El Salvador's twelve year civil war:
As it has been proved, the texts concerning the Peace Accords contain abundant material about political reforms that needed to be made to assure a pacific coexistence between political actors. For better or for worse, some 14 years later after the signing of the Peace Accords, all political actors still make use of institutional channels to get access to power.

However, it hasn't been possible to go beyond political accords. In few words, the end of the civil war didn't mean a variation of the country's distribution of wealth. On the contrary, there are enough elements that allow us to confirm that the inequality between the many that have nothing and the few that control everything has intensified.

The dream that the country would take a new path with the signing of the Peace Accords, that would be different from the one that led us to a massive deadly confrontation, has not been accomplished. Truly, it'’s not about denying that some things have changed since the end of war; although the setback that many public institutions suffer leaves a lot to desire regarding the country'’s democratic life. It'’s about putting in evidence the big economic problems the country has, which are the same ones that couldn't be solved with the Peace Accords. The broad view of human rights situation in the country ... gives a very good idea of this reality.

Comments

El-Visitador said…
"In few words, the end of the civil war didn't mean a variation of the country's distribution of wealth."

Was re-distribution of wealth written into the Peace Accords?

Methinks not, but I could be mistaken.

Wouldn't it be funny if this lady is spending taxpayer money on figs of her imagination as opposed to written Law.