Violence and fraud in El Salvador : a report on current political events in El Salvador

55 Pages·1977·33.498 MB·English

by  Latin America Bureau

VIOLENCE ANO FRAUD
IN EL SALVADOR
A report on current political events
in El Salvador
Compiled and published by the
Latin America Bureau
PO Box 134/London N W I4JY
VIOLENCE AND FRAUD
IN EL SALVADOR
A report on current political
events in El Salvador
Compiled and published by:
LATIN AMERICA BUREAU
P 0 BOX 134
LONDON NW1 4JY
July 1977
(c) Copyright Latin America Bureau 1977
CONTENTS
El Salvador - An Outline
Map of El Salvador
Introduction 1
The Politics of land 3
The Process of Repression 9
The Persecution of the Church 19
The 1977 Electoral Fraud 29
Profile of a President 32
Conclusion 36
Notes

EL SALVADOR - AN OUTLINE
AREA Approx. 8,100 sq. miles or 21,000 sq. km.
(Wales = 8,000 sq. miles)
POPULATION (Estimates for 1975)
Total 4,092,000
Density 505.2 per sqc mile
(Average for Central America = 93.7)
Growth 3.5$ per annum
Rural 60.5$ of total population (1971)
THE PEOPLE Race predominantly mestizo (mixed Spanish
and indigenous blood)
Language Spanish
Religion Roman Catholic
MAIN CITIES Capital San Salvador
population: 731,679 (1971)
growth rate: 6.24$ per annum (est.)
Others Santa Ana, population: 162,937
San Miguel, population: 104,233
LAND 1.9$ of population own 57.5$ of land
DISTRIBUTION 91.4$ of population own 21.9$ of land (1971)
ECONOMY
GNP (1975) Principal Exports (1974)
Total: US$1 ,820 million Coffee 42.1$
Per capita: US$450 Cotton 10.4$
Principal sectors: Sugar 8.6$
Agriculture 24.2$
Commerce 25.6$
Manufacturing Industry 17.2$
Services 16.8$
Destination of Exports (1974) Origin of Imports (1974)
Central USA 30.8$
31.8$
America
Central
USA 26.2$ America 22.8$
EEC 2 1.6$ EEC 16.8$
Japan 6.5$ Venezuela 8.1$
Japan 7.9$
HISTORY
Pre- Pipil, an ' Aztec1 people from Mexico inhabit
1525 western El Salvador with Mayan related Indian
groups in eastern part of country.
1525 Conquest of Pipiles by Spaniards led by Pedro
de Alvarado.
1823 United Provinces of Central America declare
independence from Spain.
1840 El Salvador becomes independent republic in
own right.
1871 Liberal revolution. Overthrow of last
Conservative President ends struggle, often
armed, between Conservatives and Liberals.
1871­ Liberalism dominates. Coffee reaches preeminence
1950 as major export. Moves towards reform and
greater democracy in late 1920s under President
Pio Romero Bosque.
1931 El Salvador*s last civilian President, Arturo
Araujo, overthrown by army officers after
deteriorating economic situation aggravated by
the Depression culminates in strikes and mass
marches by militant coffee workers. General
Maximiliano Menéndez assumes Presidency.
Government controlled by army ever since.
1932 Communist-led peasants' rebellion violently
quelled by army. Number of peasants massacred
estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000. All
trades unions banned.
1948 Colonel Oscar Osorio becomes President by coup
and establishes political pattern which persists
into the 1 970s whereby army governs country and
protects interests of land-owning and commercial
élite through mixture of reform and repression.
Trades unions permitted once more, except among
peasants.
1961­ Country's last coup d'etat. Presidential elections
1962 planned. Formation of government or 'official*
National Conciliation Party (PCN) whose candidate,
Colonel Julio Rivera, wins 1962 presideñtial
elections in which only PCN participates.
1963 Proportional representation law passed in 1963
­
1964 makes it possible for opposition parties to win
40$ of seats in 1964 congressional elections.
1967 Presidential elections. Participation by two
opposition parties. Colonel Fidel Sánchez wins
for PCN.
1968 Opposition parties hold almost half the seats
in Congress.
1969 Crisis provoked by El Salvador's population
overspill into Honduras and resentment over its
domination of Central American Common Market
culminates in "Football War" in which El Salvador
invades Honduras claiming persecution of
Salvadoreans inside Honduras.
1972 Three major opposition parties form coalition
(UNO) to fight presidential elections. PCN
candidate, Colonel Armando Molina, wins by
electoral fraud.
1974 Electoral fraud in congressional and municipal
elections in favour of PCN candidates.
1976 UNO withdraws from congressional and municipal
elections in protest at government harassment
and rigging.
1977 UNO again contests presidential elections.
Electoral fraud gives victory to General Carlos
Romero, PCN candidate.
POLITICAL PARTIES
PCN (National Conciliation Party)
Founded in 1961. Official government party. Right-wing.
Supports status quo. Made up of high-ranking army officers
members of land-owning and commercial élite, professionals
and government employees. Supported principally by land­
owners and some sectors of armed forces. Majorities in all
presidential, congressional and most municipal elections
since its formation.
UNO (National Oonosition Union)
Coalition of three major centre-left opposition parties ^
which first came together during 1972 presidential election
campaign. Platform of social and economic reforms and
greater democracy. Made up of:
PDC (Christian Democrat Party) - Founded 1960. Part of
loosely connected movement covering most of Latin America
with links in Europe and Catholic Church. Led and
supported by professionals; also has considerable support
in marginal countryside and urban areas.
MNR (National Revolutionary Movement) - Founded 1968.^
Social democrat. Led by group of intellectuals. Limited
popular support.
UDN (Nationalist Democratic Union) - Founded 1969.
Heavily influenced by illegal Salvadorean Communist
Party. Support from urban workers and artesans.
PEASANTS» AND LANDOWNERS1 ORGANISATIONS
FECCAS (Christian Peasants» Federation), created by
Christian Democrats in the 1960s and since radicalised;
and left-wing UTC (Union of Rural Workers) started in
early 1970s. Peasant organisations with estimated
6,000 members. Form part of Popular Revolutionary Block
along with national teachers» association, university and
secondary school student federations and marginal urban
dwellers» organisation. The Block sees UNO as * reformist*;
its members abstained in 1977 presidential elections.
ANEP (National Association of Private Enterprise) - Made
up of 27 organisations representing agro-export sector
and supported by right wing of army. FARO (Eastern
Region Farmers* Front) - Originally formed by landowners
in area affected by government»s 1976 land reform project
but rapidly achieved national proportions. ANEP and FARO
have spearheaded business community*s attacks against land
reform programme, peasant organisations and the
progressive Church.
PARA-MILITARY AND GUERRILLA GROUPS
ORDEN (Democratic Nationalist Organisation) - Founded 1968.
Militia set up by government "to counteract communist
subversion in the rural areas". Also operates in marginal
urban areas. Effectively acts as para-military arm of
government PCN party for purposes of propaganda and
intimidation. Controlled by President*s office and
Ministry of Defence and Public Security. Estimated 50,000
members.
White Warriors» Union (UGB) - Right-wing terrorist group,
widely believed to be creation and instrument of ANEP,
FARO and right wing of army. Operated pre-1976 under name
of FALANGE.
FPL (Popular Forces of Liberation) - Left-wing guerrilla
group. Considered to be small group of militants whose
activities are confined to distribution of propaganda,
occasional kidnappings for ransom and sporadic clashes
with security forces. Has links with Sandinista guerrillas
in Nicaragua and Guerrilla Army of the Poor in Guatemala.
ERP (People*s Revolutionary Army) - Left-wing guerrilla
group. Suffered from internal division in 1975 which
resulted in death of revolutionary poet and ERP member
Roque Dalton who led breakaway RN (National Resistance).
EL SALVADOR