Fw: Protest Against El Salvador Privatization Firings

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg at tin.it>]

From: Bay Area CISPES <ba-cispes at prodigy.net>
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 18:16:52 -0800

Subject: El Salvador needs your Solidarity Now!

Dear Friends,

The Right wing in El Salvador is preparing to fire thousands of public
sector employees this December in an attempt to privatize social services.
Privatization would leave the vast majority of Salvadorans without access
to the most basic necessities such as healthcare, water, and education. But
the Salvdoran social movement is preparing to fight back! Despite the
Right's use of the war on terrorism to repress all those fighting for a
better life by labeling them terrorists, working men and women in El
Salvador will not be deterred in their struggle against Corporate
Globalization (neoliberalism) and are calling for our support.

Please show your solidarity with the women and men fighting for change in
El Salvador and to pressure the Salvadoran government to stop the firings,
stop the privatization, and to stop using the war on terrorism as an excuse
for repression. Sign on to the solidarity statement below which will appear
as a full page advertisement in a Salvadoran daily newspaper December 10th,
International Human Rights Day and the 20th anniversary of the El Mozote
Massacre when the US-funded Salvadoran military killed over 1,000 civilians.

We are asking a suggested contribution of $5-$25 for individual signers and
a suggested contribution of $25-$250 for organizations and groups towards
the cost of the ad ($1,400). The deadline to have your name or organization
added is December 3rd.

To endorse the ad please email the Bay Area office at ba-cispes at prodigy.net
or call (415) 641-1845 or (415) 648-8222 and leave a message. Contributions
can be made out to the CISPES Education Fund and are tax-deductible. Checks
can be mailed to CISPES Education Fund at Box 1801 NY, NY 10159 and please
put Bay Area in the memo line.

In conjunction with the ad, CISPES will hold a demonstration in front of
the Salvadoran Consulate (near Powell Bart station) on December 10th from
12 noon to 3pm. We are also organizing a national call-in day. Anyone
interested in the demonstration or call in day please get in touch with us.

Below is the text that will appear in the Salvadoran newspaper on the 10th.

Thank you for your continued support and please spread the word.


Bay Area C.I.S.P.E.S.
Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
3382 26th (between Mission and Capp)
(415) 648-8222 or (415) 641-1845
ba-cispes at prodigy.net
www.cispes.org

***********************************************
PAID AD TEXT

Dear brothers and sisters in El Salvador,

On this day, International Human Rights Day and the 20th anniversary of the
massacre at El Mozote, we the undersigned express our heartfelt solidarity
with you in this time of repression and anticipated massive firings in El
Salvador. Your dedication to struggle for social and economic justice in
the face of this repression is an inspiration to all who fight against
corporate globalization and for a more just society.

After the tragedy that occurred on September 11 in our country, the US
government issued a demand that the world join its "War on Terrorism"  - we
see how this "war" is being used by right wing governments throughout the
world as an excuse to repress and crush people's movements fighting for
social and economic justice.  We are deeply disturbed by the right wing
backlash against Salvadoran workers, and the efforts by the government of
Francisco Flores to crush unions by illegally firing thousands of workers,
threatening to fire thousands more, and falsely accusing all those working
for change of being "terrorists."  We recognize that these illegal firings
and union busting activities are part of the government's plan to privatize
social services.

During the 80s, our government spent over $6 billion on military aid and
training in support of the Salvadoran military's attempt to repress and
crush the social movement. We remember the massacre at El Mozote which
happened on this day 20 years ago, where over 1,000 innocent Salvadorans
were slaughtered by a US trained and financed battalion, as an example of
that violent repression. The movement was not destroyed then, nor will it
be destroyed now. We in the US stood in solidarity with the people of El
Salvador then, and today we recommit ourselves to accompany and support the
labor movement and all those fighting for peace and justice in El Salvador.

We denounce the use of the "war on terrorism" as an excuse to repress all
those struggling for justice in El Salvador; We denounce the attempts by the
government of Francisco Flores to deepen the neoliberal model in El Salvador
by privatizing social services; We denounce the systematic union busting
tactic of illegally firing unionized workers; We denounce the smear campaign
of the government and the media to falsely link the social movement with
terrorism; We denounce all attempts to repress the constitutional right to
organize; And we denounce the roll back of the democratic openings created
by the Peace Accords through the increased militarization of society.

We call on the government of Francisco Flores to stop the massive illegal
firings of public sector workers and to stop the privatization of social
services. We demand that the US "war on terrorism" not be used by the
Salvadoran government as an excuse to repress the people's movement
struggling for social and economic justice.

Que vivan los y las trabajadores de El Salvador! Que viva la solidaridad
internacional! Ni olvidamos ni regresamos al pasado â?" siempre en
solidaridad con El Salvador!

* This text is subject to minor changes.