San Salvador, November 28, 2023. Social organizations in El Salvador face some of the harshest realities since the signing of the Peace Accords: elimination of spaces for citizen participation, obstacles to their legalization, harassment in social networks, censorship, blockades, police harassment and threats of closure are some of the patterns identified.
(Español abajo) In the 1980’s, US-El Salvador Sister Cities members organized in support of the right of Salvadorans to safely return to their places of origin in the midst of the US-backed Salvadoran Army’s vicious attacks on civilians and rebel combatants that resulted in multiple massacres of Salvadoran civilians. These atrocities, carried out with US […]
(español abajo) We invite you to read an op-ed in the Progressive Magazine written by long-time Sister Cities’ organizer Marc Rosenthal. The article is titled “Biden’s Nomination of Elliott Abrams Ignores a Violent Past: Diplomacy should be guided by individuals who prioritize human rights, not by a political operative who enabled a massacre in El […]
(Español abajo) Written by the National Gathering Planning Team: Emma Folkerts, Sheila Brady, Olivia Petipas, Jon Falk, Stephanie Koontz, Jacey Anderson, and Zulma Tobar The 2023 National Gathering was held via Zoom on October 7 and 8. Over 50 people attended and more than 10 people helped facilitate and take notes. If you were able […]
(ESPAÑOL ABAJO) Miguel Ángel Gámez, Alejandro Laínez García, Pedro Antonio Rivas Laínez, Teodoro Antonio Pacheco, and Saúl Agustín Rivas Ortega are known as the Santa Marta 5. They are community leaders and water defenders. The Santa Marta 5 were arrested on January 11, 2023 under suspicious charges and were held in pre-trial detention until September […]
(ESPAÑOL ABAJO) The State of Exception has been in place since March of 2022 and removes due process and other rights. The Salvadoran news organization El Faro shares Alexander Eduvay Guzmán Molina’s experience of being detained at the start of the State of Exception. Like many people who have been detained under the policy, Alexander […]
(IN ENGLISH HERE) Los representantes Mark Pocan y Jim McGovern, junto a otros 15 representantes demócratas, enviaron una carta al secretario de Estado, Antony Blinken, pidiéndole que intervenga para la liberación de los defensores de Santa Marta, arrestados en enero de este año. La carta dice lo siguiente: Estimado Secretario Blinken, Escribimos para […]
(EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO) In early July, US President Joe Biden nominated Elliott Abrams to the bipartisan US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Take action to stop the appointment of Abrams to the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Diplomacy cannot include enabling and covering up war crimes! Abrams has “enjoyed” a career as […]
(EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO) June 1st marked the fourth year of Nayib Bukele’s presidency in El Salvador. In the framework of the fourth year report of his presidency, presented to the legislative assembly, government cabinet, a good group of youtubers and content creators, Bukele began his speech by alluding to the issue of security – the […]
(EN ESPAÑOL ABAJO) Beauty and Connection in Times of Struggle At dawn, I tiptoed out of the room I shared with a fellow educator and three vivacious high school girls, all of us from the Boston area, all of us grateful for the chance to be in solidarity with the community of San […]