Against the militarization in Chalatenango / Contra la militarización de Chalatenango

Puede leer el comunicado en español abajo.

 

Despite the fact that Chalatenango suffered tremendously before and during the civil war and despite the fact that several Organizations hoped that the current government would support their fight for restorative justice, Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Fernando and San Ignacio, four communities of the area, are suffering with the presence of soldiers at the border with Honduras, following orders of President Bukele. Intimidation and harassment prevents the inhabitans from going to medical appointments or even to look after their cattle. USESSC is one of the organizations that has co-signed a statement read during a press conference held today. 

 

On March 12, this area near the border was militarized, stating that it was due to the COVID 19 health crisis. This militarization does not respect the existing agreements between both countries for the care of the population affected by the border conflict between El Salvador and Honduras. As a result of the militarization, many people lost medical appointments and follow-up to the treatment of chronic diseases, reporting deaths due to lack of care, as is the case of Virgilio Alvarado from Las Cuevas community.

Exercising health or security controls does not justify the use of repressive actions against the population, but the communities report anomalies such as:

• The installation of military posts in schools, which to date continue occupied by the army, as it is the case in: Santa Lucia in Nueva Trinidad, Teosinte in Arcatao, El Portillo and El Pepeto.
• Detention of residents who, due to personal emergencies, were moving through the area.
• Mistreatment by the army and police of residents of the area, especially women and young people.
• Confiscation of merchandise, with no possibility of recovering it after being reviewed by the army.
• Flights of helicopters and light aircraft in the area, creating fear in the population, which has already lived and is still recovering from the aftermath of the war.
• Disrespect for the right to free expression and mobilization

 

Faced with the population’s complaints about the behavior of the military, the mayors of the aforementioned municipalities went to the Legislative Assembly to request the support of the deputies to seek a solution to the militarization that affects the population.

 

Faced with this request, President Nayib Bukele took the irresponsible attitude of publicly linking mayors to drug trafficking and ordered the Defense Minister to double the military presence in the area through Twitter.

 

As social organizations and communities in the area, we denounce this retaliation against the communities of Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Fernando and San Ignacio and demand:

1. The immediate withdrawal of the army and the implementation of a health security plan in coordination with the civil authorities in the area.
2. The reestablishment of conditions to guarantee the economic and social rights of the families affected by the territorial dispute between Honduras and El Salvador. This includes the immediate allocation of the Fund for the Economic and Social Development of Municipalities, FODES, which to date is 5 months late.
3. End of the smear campaign directed from the presidency to the mayors of the area.

We remind the President that these areas were the most affected by the civil war of the 1980s, where thousands of civilians were killed by the military. To date, the victims of the war and the families affected live in search of truth, reparation, justice and healing due to the trauma caused by the human rights violations perpetrated by the military forces.

We hold President Nayib Bukele and Minister of Defense Rene Merino Monroy directly responsible for the Human Rights violations in the area and for the psychological, physical and moral damage that they cause to the population.

 

 

Watch the press conference here.

 

Read the full statement (IN SPANISH) here:

Comunicado de prensa militarizacion chalatenango

 

Watch the press conference held by the local church here.