ramijo21

Posteo de nuevo el mensaje que nuestro amigo Cor, nos trajo a este
sitio, al parecer quizas no lo contaminen los insultos.

Saludos Cordiales.

J.R

------------------------------------

Another Coup by Bush's Roger Noriega?

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Urgent Action: U.S. Interference in Salvadoran Elections!
Date: 3 Mar 2004 11:10:17 -0600
From: "Nicaragua Network" <nicanet@afgj.org>


The Nicaragua Network has received this urgent action
alert from CISPES about U.S. interference in the
Salvadoran electoral process. These are the same alarming
and illegal actions the U.S. took in the Nicaraguan
elections of 2001. Act today!

******************************

Action Alert: February 24, 2004 - March 4, 2004
(Please distribute widely)

Demand U.S. Neutrality in Salvadoran Electoral Affairs
Act Now!

Background: U.S. Interference
Elections in El Salvador are scheduled for March 21, 2004.
During a trip to El Salvador in February 2004, U.S.
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roger
Noriega, made public statements that appeared to be
intended to sway the Salvadoran electorate against the
Farabundo Martm National Liberation Front (FMLN) party.
Mr. Noriega met with candidates of all parties except for
the FMLN, canceling his meeting with the FMLN candidate
Schafik Handal at the last minute. Mr. Noriega also made
public statements disparaging the FMLN and questioning
"what type of relations a new [FMLN] government could have
with [the U.S.]." (For more on these statements, please
see the letter below.)

Public statements by U.S. officials expressing preference
for one political party over another constitute
unacceptable interference in foreign electoral affairs.
The Assistant Secretary's statements have been used by
political parties and the media in El Salvador to stir up
fear over a negative reaction from the U.S. should the
FMLN win the presidency. Public perception of U.S.
interference in electoral affairs is unfortunate, as we
work to foster democracy in our hemisphere and to build
strong, bilateral relations with El Salvador.

Tell Congress to Act!
Call your member of Congress, and ask to speak to their
Foreign Policy Aide. (To reach your member, call the
Capitol Switchboard at 202. 224-3121). Ask your
representative to sign the 'Dear Colleague' letter that is
being circulated by Representative Razl Grijalva. This
letter, addressed to Secretary of State Colin Powell,
affirms the principle of U.S. neutrality in foreign
elections, and asks the Secretary to take steps to correct
the perception of U.S. intervention in El Salvador's
electoral affairs. The deadline for your member of
Congress to sign on to the letter is Thursday, March 4th,
COB. To sign, your member's office should contact Daniel
Brito in Rep. Grijalva's office, at 202.225-2435.

The text of the letter from Rep. Grijalva to his
colleagues in the Congress appears below, followed by the
sing-on letter to Secretary Powell:

February 25, 2004

Dear Colleague:

I hope you will join me in signing the letter below,
addressed to Secretary of State Colin Powell, expressing
concern over recent statements by Assistant Secretary for
Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roger Noriega, concerning the
presidential elections in El Salvador.

Elections in El Salvador are scheduled for March 21, 2004.
During a trip to El Salvador in February 2004, Mr. Noriega
made public statements that appeared to be intended to
sway the Salvadoran electorate against the Farabundo Martm
National Liberation Front (FMLN) party. Mr. Noriega met
with candidates of all parties except for the FMLN,
canceling his meeting with the FMLN candidate Schafik
Handal at the last minute. Mr. Noriega also made public
statements disparaging the FMLN and questioning "what type
of relations a new [FMLN] government could have with [the
U.S.]." (For more on these statements, please see the
letter below.)

The Assistant Secretary's statements have been used by
political parties and the media in El Salvador to stir up
fear over a negative reaction from the U.S. should the
FMLN win the presidency. Public perception of U.S.
interference in electoral affairs is unfortunate, as we
work to foster democracy in our hemisphere and to build
strong, bilateral relations with El Salvador.

The State Department should, at all times, foster
democratic institutions by maintaining a neutral stance in
elections overseas. U.S. Ambassador Barclay has taken such
a principled position, publicly expressing U.S.
willingness to respect the will of the Salvadoran people
and to work to build a constructive relationship with any
party that assumes the presidency. Ambassador Barclay has
met with all candidates, including Mr. Handal of the FMLN.
These positive steps taken by the U.S. Embassy have been
undermined by the statements and actions of Assistant
Secretary Noriega.

The letter below calls upon the Secretary of State to take
immediate action to correct the perception of U.S.
interference in Salvadoran electoral affairs, and asks the
Secretary to send a member of his staff to meet with
members of Congress to discuss this matter. While
individual members of Congress may have differing opinions
regarding the FMLN, I ask you to join in signing this
letter out of a belief that the U.S. should maintain
neutrality and support democratic processes overseas.

If you wish to sign the letter below, or if you desire
more information, please contact Daniel Brito at 5.2435 or
via email by COB March 4th.

Sincerely,
/s/

Razl M. Grijalva
Member of Congress

March 5, 2004

Secretary of State Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State

Cc: Roger Noriega
Assistant Secretary
Western Hemisphere Affairs

Dear Mr. Secretary:

We write in regard to statements by Assistant Secretary of
State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega, made
during a recent trip to El Salvador. Mr. Noriega's public
remarks crossed a boundary, and were widely perceived as
interference in Salvadoran electoral affairs. This is
unfortunate, and we hope the State Department will correct
this perception.

On February 6, 2004, Mr. Noriega stated: "I think it is
fair to note that the FMLN [the Farabundo Martm National
Liberation Front] campaign has emphasized its differences
with [the U.S.] concerning CAFTA [the U.S.-Central
American Free Trade Agreement] and other subjects. And we
know the history of this political movement, and for this
reason it is fair that the Salvadoran people consider what
type of relations a new government could have with us."
The Assistant Secretary also refused to meet with the FMLN
presidential candidate, Schafik Handal, canceling his
meeting at the last moment while agreeing to meet with the
candidates of all other parties. Mr. Noriega's statements
and actions in El Salvador appear to be intended to sway
the Salvadoran electorate against the FMLN in the
presidential elections on March 21, 2004.

We write not because we hold a brief for any party in El
Salvador's elections, but because we believe that the
appropriate role for the United States is neutrality, and
support for a democratic electoral process. Public
statements by U.S. officials expressing preference for one
political party over another constitute unacceptable
interference in foreign electoral affairs. The U.S. ought
to remain neutral in elections in Latin America.

Clearly, the U.S has legitimate interests in El Salvador
and has the right to comment on policies and events in El
Salvador that affect U.S. interests. Such comments,
however, should be carefully chosen, and not be used to
influence electoral processes or sway the votes of the
Salvadoran people in one way or another. Assistant
Secretary Noriega's statements have been used by political
parties and the media in El Salvador to stir up fear over
a negative reaction from the U.S. should the FMLN win the
presidency. The public perception in El Salvador that U.S.
officials are attempting to influence the outcome of the
elections is disturbing; such a perception reflects poorly
on the United States as we work to foster democracy and
strong bilateral relations with El Salvador in the
post-conflict era. Over two million Salvadorans currently
reside in the United States, and our countries are
economically and culturally linked. Given this context and
the history of U.S. intervention in El Salvador's internal
conflicts over decades, U.S. officials should take great
care to remain neutral in all matters pertaining to
Salvadoran electoral affairs.

U.S. Ambassador Hugh Barclay has taken important steps to
emphasize U.S. neutrality in El Salvador by taking a
principled, balanced stance toward all candidates and
parties. In a recent interview with the Salvadoran press,
the Ambassador stated that: "It's not my decision who the
Salvadoran people elect, but we are going to try to work
closely with whoever they select." Mr. Barclay also met
with all presidential candidates, including Mr. Handal of
the FMLN. However, the recent statements by Assistant
Secretary Noriega undermine the efforts of Ambassador
Barclay, and call into question the role the U.S. Embassy
is playing in the run-up to El Salvador's elections.

We believe that State Department officials in Washington
should make clear that the U.S. government endorses
Ambassador Barclay's position, and that he was speaking
for the U.S. government when he made his remarks.

We ask that you send a member of your staff to meet with
us to discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

[MEMBERS OF CONGRESS]