Category Archives: Advocacy

CRIPDES Denouncement to the International Community

*Español abajo* The following message is from CRIPDES to the international community regarding the current realities in El Salvador. CRIPDES denounces to the international community the democratic deterioration El Salvador is going through after a flawed electoral process, full of irregularities and that strengthens an authoritarian system that, in addition to controlling the three branches […]

Remembering El Mozote // Recordando a El Mozote

(español abajo) Today and tomorrow mark 42 years since the atrocities of El Mozote.  On December 11 and 12, 1981, over 800 men, women, and children–all civilians–were killed by the Salvadoran Army in what is now considered to be one of the worst massacres of the twentieth century in Latin America.  The battalion that was […]

Four people standing and smiling outside next to tools

Support Grassroots Organizing

(Español abajo) Greetings Friends of Sister Cities, US-El Salvador Sister Cities wishes you a peaceful holiday season.  During the Salvadoran civil war, Salvadoran organizers from our primary partner CRIPDES recognized the need for grassroots international solidarity to stop the Salvadoran and US governments’ violence. It was their organizing that led to the formation of US-El […]

INVESTIGATION REVEALS PATTERNS OF BLOCKADES AND THREATS TO SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS IN EL SALVADOR

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.

Urgent Action: Palestine and Israel

(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 […]

Long-time Sister Cities’ organizer writes op-ed on Elliot Abram’s nomination

(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 […]

2023 National Gathering / 2023 Encuentro Nacional

(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 […]

Carta de representantes para el Secretario de Estado Antony Blinken

(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 […]

Take Action to Oppose Elliot Abrams’ Nomination / Tome medidas para oponerse a la nominación de Elliot Abrams

(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 […]

Families from the lower Lempa region demand mitigation works

Inhabitants of the lower Lempa region organized a demonstration today asking for mitigation works that need to take place before the start of the rainy season. The region has managed to remain organized in the absence of the figure of governors. Nevertheless they make the following plea to the government to prevent the kind of […]