A Congressman's suggestions for investigations in El Salvador

This story is not new in El Salvador, but I can't find any record that any English language blog or news source has covered it.

On June 8, 2009, Congressman James McGovern of Massachusetts wrote a letter to newly inaugurated Salvadoran president Mauricio Funes. After extending his congratulations to Funes on ascending to the presidency, McGovern turns to the question of weaknesses in the investigation of high profile criminal activity in the country. In particular, the Congressman asks Funes to turn his attention to three cases. Congressman McGovern requests that Funes "seriously consider":
1. A more vigorous investigation of the murder of Katya Miranda that includes an investigation of Mr. Godofredo Miranda's alleged cover-up of this heinous crime;

2. A re-examination of the alleged suppression by Mr. Godofredo Miranda of evidence against the Perrones Gang brought by the Costa Rican government in an effort to curtail drug trafficking through Central America;

3. Directing the Justice Ministry to open and pursue an investigation into the probable culpability of lower-level members of the Perrones Gang in the November 2004 murder of Gilberto Soto, an American Teamster labor organizer in Usulutan; and

4. Expanding the investigation of top-level Perrones Gang members who are currently in jail for drug trafficking and who arc allegedly still involved in moving drugs across borders and money laundering.

The police official mentioned, Godofredo Miranda, was the head of the anti-narcotics division of the National Police until he was removed from the position in December 2008. He is also the uncle of Katya Miranda. Godofredo Miranda, who is now a police official in Chalatenango, has blasted Congressman McGovern in statements to La Prensa Grafica, denying there is any evidence for McGovern's charges.

A year ago, I pointed out a column written by Ernesto Rivas-Gallont, who had suggested back then, the possible link between the Soto murder and the Perrones drug-trafficking ring.

It's a regular theme in this blog -- the lack of credible investigations by El Salvador's police and prosecutors makes impunity possible and leaves major questions in high profile cases for years to come.

Comments

Griselda said…
Hum, interesting...I didn't even know about the McGovern's letter. Perhaps I dont usually read "la prensa grafica"
these are ones of many cases in "el pulgarcito de america" truly sad.
BTW, just learnt a couple of days ago some video about Marcelo Rivera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvXm52BhSHQ
Gatofilo said…
As we are currently witnessing in Mexico, drug trafficking and related crimes constitute one of the most sinister and dangerous threats facing Latin America in commencement of the 21st Century.

With this realization, it becomes absolutely essential that it not be allowed to gain a foothold or spread its cancerous tentacles into the neighboring countries of Central America.

Any one of these small countries are economically vulnerable and very susceptible to big drug money payoffs. It is evident that once government officials get on the drug kingpins’ payroll and authorities are overwhelmed, chaos and anarchy is sure to result in ways unimaginable even by today’s standards of insane violence.

What are needed now are honest, transparent and incorruptible governments whose authority is not concentrated in a few hands.

The people themselves also need to get involved and maintain constant and close vigilance. The tell tail signs will be made evident when authorities start to sidestep and avoid the issues regarding investigations. At that time they definitely become suspect and the need for closer public scrutiny becomes absolutely essential.

I hope the loony left will not start their usual finger pointing and politicizing on this one, or does supply and demand economics still hold true?

In the short term, there will definitely be a lot of questions that will need to be asked and more importantly, answered.

Let's not forget the old adage, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
Gatofilo said…
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Gatofilo said…
The threat of narco-terrorists and drug traffickers cementing their foothold in El Salvador is a very real and ominous concern for that country and its citizens.

We have all seen how once these criminals get a strangle hold on a country through murder, extortion and bribery of key officials, the citizens become simply powerless pawns in a high stakes battle of good vs. evil.

On the drug supply side, we have the border republic of Mexico with its regional gangs and ongoing gangland battles for prominence, and northern South America where the trade is in large part controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombian (FARC) and the pseudo democratic socialist ALBA governments of Venezuela and Ecuador.

And then we have on the demand side of the equation, the millions of recreational drug users and addicts in the United States, where the jails and prisons are overflowing with hard-core users, crack heads, weed buffs and small time drug thugs and street peddlers.

El Salvador and Central America fit into the staging area phase of the drug trafficking routes in this dirty business, and this is where the local authorities must put emphasis on their interdiction efforts.

Most of the loose pieces of the cocaine corridor 'jigsaw puzzle' through Central America are already in place, and include many known Salvadoran officials who are currently in key governmental positions.

El Salvador is fortunate to have a Mauricio Funes who has demonstrated himself to be an intelligent and moderate politician in the mold of Brazil's Luis Ignacio da Silva, and he has not compromised himself by blindly following the anti democratic Hugo Chavez leftist agenda.

The problem for Mr. Funes and for El Salvador arises not from Funes nor his friends and closest associates, but rather from the geriatric radical extremist leftovers that still dominate the fanatical left wing of his FMLN party, who are hungry and ambitious, and maintain their contacts with the narco terrorists and with the drug trade.

The Salvadoran people should be fully aware of these threats surrounding them.

They must maintain their vigilance, or suffer the nefarious consequences associated with the drug trade and that is presently at their doorstep.

Best Wishes.
Gatofilo said…
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Gatofilo said…
It's funny that economic nationalists, on the Right and the Left, argue that the influx of immigrant workers lowers wages for Americans.

As these Malthusians see things, there is this economic pie of a predetermined size, and if immigrants take a slice that means “native born” citizens are deprived. This sort of illiterate thinking has been widespread on the Left for centuries and inspires a lot of hatred for free trade in general.

It is simply erroneous. People contribute to the pie as each worker produces more wealth than he consumes. If he didn’t he wouldn’t be hired.

That extra wealth he produces creates more working capital allowing the expansion of the economy. It also results in workers who find their own productivity going up.

According to this thinking, the increased productivity pushes up wages. The economic pie expands, as immigrants make the pie bigger not smaller.

The problem with our illegal immigrants is that in the most part, they are unskilled laborers that lack and technical skills necessary to get ahead in a technological society.

Instead of improving and lifting our host country to new heights, I suggest you simply take a ride through the street of Los Angeles and have a look for yourself.

We are a nation of laws and order, but these people who simply sneak into our country and automatically are breaking our laws, join the scourge known as "illegal aliens." Most of these effenseless and downtrodden people will tell you horror stories of abuse and thievery by their own nationals who offer them jobs and then either don’t pay them, or threatening to report them to the immigration authorities.

It’s hard to fathom that we are perhaps the only country in the world that doesn't defend its own borders from law breaking undesirables; a lose, lose situation.

Best Wishes.
Gatofilo said…
On a brighter note, I think diversity is great, and I'm 100% in favor of the Sotomayor nomination to our Supreme Court.

The rest of the judges can now enjoy a hell of a taco with salcitas especiales at their reunions!

I whould suggest to Sotomayor that she lay off the really hot chiles, because she wouldn't want all the judges squirming and cussing her out the following morning.

Best Wishes.
Gatofilo said…
Our illegal aliens definitely owe posterity a detailed account of their bleak past in their hopeless home countries, and then of their travels and tribulations to survive and come to "El Norte," the beacon of hope on a hill top.

I've heard many accounts of the 2 days trekking across the Arizona desert, with only a couple of jugs of water between live and death.

This story of human migrations with all its suffering is a real human drama, a story that needs to be shared with all humanity.

To these poor people, the dream of "El Norte" must be like that of a caterpillar morphing into a wonderful butterfly and for the firswt time spreading its wings.

My suggestion to all illegals is simply, "If at first you don't succeed, try try again."

Best Wishes.
MarioZV said…
I hope things will get better in El Salvador,I am from San Miguel and I live now in the US.
I went to ES.recently and notice many changes:
The dollar is the national currency,
The high price of almost everything equal the cost in the US.and the salary still basically the same as colones,in some cases $200.00 a month.
The extorsions from gangsters ,in addition corruption in some government areas,drug trafficking-money laundery, and other forms of evil.US need to support this nation in intelligence ,finance, strategics to find solution to the problems and create balance and oportunities for all.But only God is the perfect answer,and He is saying:repent and turn to me.Wake up church!
I still had a good time and it is a beautifull place to visit.
Thanks for all!