- One hundred forty specialists on Latin America call upon Washington’s chief diplomat to carefully monitor the “dirty campaign” being waged by rightwing groups in El Salvador
- Letter calls upon U.S. officials to emphatically state that the U.S. is prepared to work with any political party—including the FLMN—if it fairly and democratically wins the ballot.
- Scholars express their alarm over rising violence, dirty tricks, and “severe problems with the electoral registry.”
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Contact:
Hector Perla: (831) 459-1899 and (310) 985-1673, hperla@ucsc.edu
Miguel Tinker Salas: (909) 607-2920 and (909) 374-7847, mtinkersalas@pomona.edu
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs: (202) 223-4975, coha@coha.org
Experts criticize campaign of fear being waged in El Salvador, which distorts US stance and manipulates images of President Obama and Venezuelan President Chávez to suppress voter turnout.
The election in El Salvador is the first Latin American presidential election to take place since President Obama was sworn in. Thus, it represents an important test for the Obama Administration and its commitment to forge a new policy towards Latin America. The signers include academic specialists from leading public and private universities throughout the United States. The letter calls on the United States Government to:
1. Clearly state that neither ARENA, Fuerza Solidaria, Cruzada Pro Paz y Trabajo nor any private U.S. citizen speaks on behalf of the Government of the United States
2. Categorically disavow the allegations made in the above mentioned fear campaigns
3. Emphasize that the Government of the United States is committed to working with any political party that wins the Salvadoran Presidency through the exercise of a democratic electoral process and fully intends to work towards maintaining friendly relations with El Salvador regardless of which political party is in government.
A statement condemning any attempt to intimidate or coerce Salvadorans from the free exercise of their democratic rights would signal the United States’ vision for a new foreign policy towards Latin America based on the Administration’s commitment to democracy and respect for sovereignty. The hemisphere is ripe for such an era of cooperation, friendship and shared values around democracy, transparency, human and civil rights. We believe that no nation in the hemisphere is more ready to receive this new era than the people of El Salvador.
The full text of the letter follows:
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The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
March 9, 2009
Dear Madame Secretary,
We are a group of concerned academics who have closely followed various electoral processes in Latin America. In September of 2008 several colleagues traveled to El Salvador and consulted with various human rights groups, social and political organizations as well as the academic community. As a result of this visit we issued a report that was endorsed and signed by more than two-hundred academics who teach at various colleges and universities throughout the United States (see attached). In the report, we expressed our fears concerning foreign intervention in the electoral process, increased levels of violence, pending reforms to the Salvadorian Electoral Code which could facilitate fraud and statements made by the Minister of Foreign Relations, Marisol Argueta, in Washington D.C. in September 2008 soliciting the intervention of the U.S. government in order to prevent the victory of the FMLN candidate.
Earlier this month (February 17-21), a follow-up delegation returned to El Salvador to monitor the electoral process with the hope that the problems we had highlighted would have been in some way addressed. Unfortunately, the problems we originally underscored not only failed to be addressed but on the contrary, have been exacerbated and new concerns have also surfaced. This finding reflects the delegation’s studied judgment of issues raised in meetings with the Salvadoran Human Rights Ombudsman, the U.S. Embassy, the Observation Mission of the European Union, the legislative fractions of ARENA and the FMLN, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and organizations of civil society.
For practical purposes the delegation emphasized the following concerns:
1. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal, like almost all other Salvadoran institutions including the Supreme Court and the major news media, are highly politicized and unduly influenced by partisan interests, particularly in favor of the party holding executive office.
2. There are severe problems with the Electoral Registry that have been cited by the report issued by the Organization of American States (OAS), as well as by other national and international entities.
3. There has been a dramatic increase in violence that is reflected in the rise of the daily homicide rate from 8 to 13.5 between October 2008 and February 2009, which could negatively impact the electoral process and results by contributing to the climate of fear and social insecurity.
4. There is a complete lack of regulation and control over campaign funding that severely affects the conditions required for the normal development of a democratic electoral process. We note with particular alarm a study done by the Salvadoran National Foundation for Development funded by National Democratic Institute, which reports that “For every 100 campaign ads viewed by the public between January 2008 and January 2009, 71% came from ARENA and Fuerza Solidaria, 19% came from the FMLN and Amigos de Mauricio, and the remaining 10% from other political parties.”
5. A large percentage of the ongoing publicity campaigns, primarily from ARENA and Fuerza Solidaria, are based on disinformation that foment a climate of fear and mistrust among the population and are aimed at suppression of voter turnout. In particular we note that many of these include the misrepresentation of the position of the United States government, including by individuals claiming to be official representatives to intimidate voters and prevent them from voting freely.
We cite for example the case of ads featuring Dan Restrepo, Senior Fellow and Director of The Americas Project, at the Center for American Progress and a top policy advisor to President Obama, which include images of President Obama suggesting that the U.S. president is fearful of an electoral victory by the FMLN presidential candidate.
In addition, the Salvadoran press has carried the statements of a U.S.-Nicaraguan evangelical minister Antonio Bolainez, representing himself as a religious adviser to President Obama who claimed that the U.S. would frown on a FMLN victory. The press has been complicit by carrying his messages without questioning his insinuation that he speaks for the Obama Administration.
Aggravating this situation is the U.S. embassy’s tepid denial of these manipulations and their outright refusal of our delegation’s request to issue a written public statement to make clear that these individuals’ and their campaigns’ positions do not represent the U.S. government.
6. Foreign intervention and highly suspect propaganda campaigns are being conducted by international and domestic organizations in direct violation of the Salvadoran electoral code, which stipulates that only political parties can conduct electoral publicity.
Several shadow organizations, are waging an active fear campaign that focus on Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez, and President Barack Obama. The centerpieces of this campaign are a group known as Fuerza Solidaria, as well as another group called the Cruzada Pro Paz y Trabajo (Crusade for Peace and Jobs). Their slogan is “Yo no entrego a El Salvador.” This literally translates into “I will not hand over El Salvador.” Several of these messages are available on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plGBTupMNx0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuIr1668074
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFmPg2S8R-M&NR=1
Conclusions
Given these conditions, it is our assessment that:
The problems of the Salvadoran electoral system are structural and so severe that they tip the balance in favor of the party holding executive office. Combined with the Salvadoran population’s lack of trust in the electoral system, any indication of fraud on Election Day could cause a severe crisis of governability in the highly polarized Salvadoran society.
However, it is our firm belief that the Government of the United States can play an important and constructive role in safeguarding the democratic process in El Salvador by correcting and clarifying the doubts, confusion, and fear that the dirty campaign tactics documented above have generated among the Salvadoran people regarding the free exercise of their vote.
Recommendations
We urge you in the strongest possible terms, Madame Secretary, to make a public declaration prior to the March 15th Salvadoran Presidential Elections, which clarifies the official policy of the U.S. Government regarding El Salvador. Specifically, it is imperative that such a declaration:
1. Clearly state that neither ARENA, Fuerza Solidaria, Cruzada Pro Paz y Trabajo nor any private U.S. citizen speaks on behalf of the Government of the United States
2. Categorically disavow the allegations made in the above mentioned fear campaigns
3. Emphasize that the Government of the United States is committed to working with any political party that wins the Salvadoran Presidency through the exercise of a democratic electoral process and fully intends to work towards maintaining friendly relations with El Salvador regardless of which political party is in government.
Such a public declaration would mark a clear break from U.S. foreign policy towards El Salvador under the previous administration. In fact, a statement condemning any attempts to manipulate the position of the U.S. government to intimidate or coerce Salvadorans from the free exercise of their sovereign democratic rights for partisan political ends would signal the United States’ vision for a new era of U.S. foreign policy based on the Administration’s commitment to democracy and respect for sovereignty. Moreover, it would send a clear message reassuring other countries of the region of this commitment.
The United States of America is at a critical juncture in its relations with Latin America. The same spirit of hope and transformation that marked the historic victory of President Obama raises hope for a new relationship between the United States and Latin America. The hemisphere is ripe for such an era of cooperation, friendship and shared values around democracy, transparency, human and civil rights. We believe that no nation in the hemisphere is more ready to receive this new era than the people of El Salvador.
CC: Mr. Thomas A. Shannon, Jr, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Mr. Robert Blau, Charge d’Affairs US Embassy in El Salvador
Sincerely,
Héctor Perla Jr., University of California, Santa Cruz
Miguel Tinker Salas, Pomona College
Sonja Wolf, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Manuel Rozental, Algoma University
Mark Roessler, Orange Coast College
Mary Beth Duffey, Mount Mary College
William I. Robinson, University of California, Santa Barbara
Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, D.C.
Tom Hayden Author, Pitzer College (Former California State Senator)
Jocelyn S. Viterna, Harvard University
Mario D. Fenyo, Bowie State University, President-elect of Third World Studies Association
Mark Sawyer, University of California, Los Angeles
Alfonso Gonzales, New York University
Lisa Garcia Bedolla, University of California, Berkeley
Nick Copeland, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Richard Stahler-Sholk, Eastern Michigan University
Lorraine Bayard de Volo, University of Colorado, Boulder
Greg Grandin, New York University
Daniel Hellinger, Webster University
Gilbert Gonzalez, University of California, Irvine
Karen Kampwirth, Knox College
Luis Martin-Cabrera, University of California, San Diego
Andrea Dyrness, Trinity College,
Enrique Sepulveda, St. Joseph College,
Cindy Forster, Scripps College
Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, University of Connecticut
Felix Salvador Kury, San Francisco State University
T.M. Scruggs, University of Iowa
Ronald H. Chilcote University of California, Riverside
Rosaura Sanchez, University of California, San Diego
Vijay Prashad, International Studies, Trinity College
Frederick Mills, Bowie State University
Leonel Flores MD, University of Maryland, School of Medicine
Steven Topik, University of California, Irvine
John Womack, Jr., Harvard University
Cecilia Menjivar, Arizona State University
Samuel Farber, Brooklyn College of CUNY
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, California State University
John L. Hammond, City University of New York
Rodolfo Rosales, University of Texas at San Antonio
Margarita B. Melville, University of California, Berkeley
Sinclair Thomson, New York University
Richard L. Harris, California State University, Monterey Bay
James D. Cockcroft, State University of New York SUNY
Ingrid Lagos, University of California, Davis
Aldo Lauria Santiago, Rutgers University
William S. Stewart, California State University, Chico
María Elena Díaz, University of California, Santa Cruz
Arturo Escobar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jonathan Fox, University of California, Santa Cruz
Charles Walker, University of California, Davis
Robin Broad, American University
Michael J. Lazzara, University of California, Davis
Dana Frank, University of California, Santa Cruz
Steve Ellner, University of Oriente
Thomas Walker, Ohio University
Susan Gzesh, University of Chicago
Patricia Balcom, L’Universite de Moncton, Moncton NB, Canada
Leisy Abrego, University of California at Irvine
Marc Zimmerman, University of Houston
Susanne Jonas, University of California, Santa Cruz
Teo Ballvé, North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
Armando Gonzalez Caban, Editorial Board Latin American Perspectives
Eugenia Wheelwright, Bowdoin College
Carlos Muñoz, Jr., University of California, Berkeley
Cristina Rojas, Carleton University
Steve Striffler, University of New Orleans
Ellen Moodie, University of Illinois
Antonia Darder, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Victor M. Rodriguez, California State University, Long Beach
Gary Y. Okihiro, Columbia University
Gary Hytrek, California State University, Long Beach
Misha Kokotovic, University of California, San Diego
Aaron Schneider, Tulane University
Miguel Carter, American University
Kelley Ready, Brandeis University
Jack Spence, University of Massachusetts, Boston
LaDawn Haglund, Arizona State University
Martha Scarpellino, University of Iowa
Carlos Enrique Zeisel, Franklin Pierce University
Christine J. Wade, Washington College
Deborah Levenson, Boston College
Christopher L. Chiappari, St. Olaf College
Susan Kellogg, University of Houston
Yajaira M. Padilla, The University of Kansas
Melissa Michelson, California State University East Bay
Otto Santa Ana, University of California, Los Angeles
Irene B. Hodgson, Xavier University
Sonia Ticas, Linfield College
Nora Hamilton, University of Southern California
Eliza Willis, Grinnell College
Eleonora Bertranou, St. John’s University – College of St. Benedict
Fernando Coronil, Graduate Center, CUNY
Julie Skurski, Graduate Center, CUNY
Allen Wells, Bowdoin College
Leo J. Garofalo, Connecticut College
Sirena Pellarolo, California State University, Northridge
Karen L. Ito, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Brandt Peterson, Michigan State University
Suyapa Portillo, Cornell University / CFD Fellow Pomona College
Suzanne Kent, Colorado State University
Karina Oliva Alvarado, University of California, Los Angeles
Robin Maria DeLugan, University of California-Merced
Linda J. Craft, North Park University
Ester Hernandez, California State University, Los Angeles
Héctor Cruz-Feliciano, Council on International Educational Exchange
Gary Prevost, St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict
Victor Silverman, Pomona College
Christopher I. Clement, Pomona College
Bruce Cohen, Worcester State College
Jose Zapata Calderon, Pitzer College
Susan Bibler Coutin, University of California, Irvine
Sidney Lemelle, Pomona College
Guillermo Delgado-P, University of California at Santa Cruz
Lesley Gill, Vanderbilt University
William Aviles, University of Nebraska, Kearney
Nathaniel Wheelwright, Bowdoin College
Tanalís Padilla, Dartmouth College
Sujatha Fernandes, Queens College, City University of New York
David I. Gandolfo, Furman University
Axel Montepeque, Ph.D. Candidate Literature, University of California, San Diego
Morelia Portillo Rivas, Graduate Student, University of California, San Diego
Forrest Hylton, Ph.D. Candidate, History, NYU
Chris Zepeda, Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, Cornell University
Tehama Lopez, Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, University of Chicago
Aquiles Magana, Ph.D. Candidate, Urban Planning, University of California, Los Angeles
Miranda Cady Hallett, Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology, Cornell University
Cori Madrid, Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, Graduate Center, City University of New York
Robert Austin, University of Melbourne
Peter Lambert, University of Bath, UK
Eleonora Quijada Cervoni, The Australian National University
Jean Grugel, University of Sheffield
Astvaldur Astvaldsson, University of Liverpool
Diego Sánchez-Ancochea, University of Oxford
Mo Hume, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Evelyn Gonzalez, Montgomery College
Meredith Brown, Esq.
Past Chair and Current Executive Co. Member
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Immigration Section
Dr. Judith Prather, President
Rotary Club
Whittier, CA
Andres Jimenez, Director
California Program on Opportunity and Equity,
University of California Intercampus program
Donald L. Chery, PhD
Treasurer Latin America Taskforce Network
River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Bethesda, MD
Marina Henriquez (Administrator)
Assistant Director, Student and Enrollment Services
Columbia University, School of Social Work
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