News of the week

News from El Salvador this week:

  • President Tony Saca started his 4th year in office on June 1. His first three years have been marked by polarization in political discourse, lack of progress on crime and security, and close relations with the Bush administration in Washington including the passage of CAFTA, a continued troop presence in Iraq, the opening of the International Law Enforcement Academy, and further extensions of Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans in the US.

  • In his formal address to mark the end of the third year of his administration, Saca announced a plan to fund his initiatives for public security and education. These projects will now be funded through trust funds. The trust funds will be able to obtain international loans to finance their activities. The advantage to this mechanism? Saca asserts that creating the trust funds will only need a simple majority in the National Assembly, thus allowing him to circumvent FMLN legislators who have been blocking the international loans which require a two thirds majority vote by legislators.

  • The rainy season has begun and already cost lives. Heavy rains earlier this week caused a landslide in the township of Berlin, where four people were killed. El Salvador watches nervously as hurricane season opened on June 1 with a prediction of a higher than normal number of tropical storms predicted. The rains this week were part of the system containing Pacific Tropical Storm Barbara.

  • The PNC arrested 11 more people and charged them under the new anti-terrorist law in connection with the street vendor disturbances in central San Salvador on May 12. 11 of the 14 people originally arrested continue to be held under that law.

  • El Salvador's national football (soccer) team is preparing to begin play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup which takes place at stadiums in the US beginning on June 7. In the opening round, El Salvador plays Trinidad & Tobago on June 7, Guatemala on June 9 and the US on June 12.

Comments

El-Visitador said…
«These projects will now be funded through trust funds. The trust funds will be able to obtain international loans to finance their activities. The advantage to this mechanism? Saca asserts that creating the trust funds will only need a simple majority in the National Assembly, thus allowing him to circumvent FMLN»

That circumvents the letter and most importantly the spirit of Article 148 of our Constitution.

Such lack of respect of the Law by ARENA and by the powers that it represents will come back and bite, with interest.

One day, ARENA will lose its precarious hold on power, and it could very well replaced by a statist, populist government who will use the flexibility developed by this irresponsible ARENA government to turn El Salvador into a Zimbabwe, a Venezuela, or an Argentina under Perón.

This monkey Saca is weakening our institutions today at incredibly high future cost tomorrow.
Anonymous said…
wow, i'm glad that even though you (visitador) are very inclined to the right, you're able to see how far beyond the lines ARENA is playing. However, where is the real power in el salvador then, if the congress can't check the president's power. obviously it's the same old story all over again, the real power rests in the hands of the economic elite, never mind what a few leftist deputies say, the country's real power is, as always has been with the original oligarchy. duh!
Anonymous said…
The problem with the main political parties in El Salvador, and in the entire world, is that the leaders are looking out for themselves, and will sell out to anyone. There has to be a development of a process which reflects the wishes of all the people of El Salvador, from El Salvador and for El Salvador. Importing political party structures has caused more suffering. The Constitution must be respected. We do not need to rely on systems from other countries.
El-Visitador said…
"The problem [..] in the entire world, is that the leaders are looking out for themselves"

Well, duh!

Since you are obviously correct, it follows that one must have as little government as possible, so that there is less to sell out.

As few ministries as possible, as few bureaucrats as possible, as little budget as possible.

Anytime a new bureaucracy is created or new bureaucrats are hired, you will have more sell out!
Anonymous said…
el-visitor. although rude in his response, is right.