el monsiour

WHY FORMER PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR FRANCISCO FLORES
PEREZ SHOULD NOT BE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE
ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

The Presidency of Francisco Flores Perez (1999-2004)
was characterized by increasing popular discontent
over the adoption of unpopular economic measures, the
executive's poor relationship with the legislature,
violation of human rights, anti-democratic policies
and corruption. The characteristics of his management
are not compatible with the mission of the
Organization of American States (OAS), which is based
on an unequivocal commitment to democracy: "The
peoples of America have a right to democracy and their
governments the obligation to promote and defend it.
Based on this premise, the OAS works to promote
governability, strengthen human rights, foment peace
and security, expand trade and address the complex
problems caused by poverty, drugs and corruption."

Even the leadership of his own party has even
criticized Flores. Ex-President of the Executive
Committee of the ARENA party (COENA), Armando Calderón
Sol, declared Flores Perez responsible for a national
crisis and of being the generator of discontent among
the population, with his bad internal and external
management. This in turn resulted in ARENA launching a
highly damaging campaign in order to retain control of
the executive.

Below are examples of Flores Perez's management that
violate the principles of the OAS.

1. Cuban President Fidel Castro presented do***ents
that link functionaries of the Salvadoran government
to support for the international terrorist Luis Posada
Carriles (for example, facilitating his obtaining
Salvadoran do***ents), who was an agent financed by
the anti-Castro movement in Miami to destabilize the
Cuban government. This reflects Flores Perez's lack of
respect for the sovereignty of other nations.
2. The habitually confrontational style of Flores led
him to enter an embarrassing argument with President
Fidel Castro during the Iberian-American Presidents
Summit, held in Panama City in 2000.
3. The immediate support of the Salvadoran
Government-the only in Latin America-for the coup
d'etat against the Constitutional President of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, violated the
fundamental principals of the OAS.
4. The sending of Salvadoran troops to distant
conflict like the United States invasion of Iraq,
violating a United Nations Security Council resolution
that denounced the U.S. military intervention.
5. While President, Francisco Flores repeatedly
refused to comply with the recommendations of the
Interamerican Human Rights Commission (a body within
the OAS), both in relation to the case of the
assassination of the Jesuit Priests and their
collaborations, the case of Monsignor Romero, and the
case of children disappeared during the civil war.

In the domestic context, Ex-President Flores
implemented many unpopular measures that also violated
human rights and the principals that guide the OAS.
Among these measures we can mention the following.

1. His intentions to privatize the public health
system, which unleashed an intense mobilization,
including a 9-month strike by the Social Security
doctors and workers. The strike was supported by
diverse sectors of the population, who participated in
huge marches in support of the struggle against
privatization. During the strike, Flores Perez never
sat down to dialogue with the doctors or union
representatives to negotiate a solution to the
conflict. At the same time, under his administration
there were illegal firings of health care union
workers, acts that violate their right to organize.
2. The implementation of "Plan Mano Dura," a law that
violates the principle of equality before the law,
given that it authorized detentions for
gang-membership alone, while at the same time
prescribing more serious penalties for crimes
committed by members of these groups. This law
violated the Constitution of the Republic of El
Salvador, the Convention on the Rights of the Child
and various other human rights agreements to which El
Salvador is a signatory. At the same time, his
government never implemented prevention or
rehabilitation plans for members of these youth groups
excluded by the system, who face restricted access to
health, education, work and housing.
3. The naming of Mauricio Sandoval as the director of
the National Civilian Police (PNC), who, according to
the Human Rights Ombudwoman's Office, "is a clear
violator of human rights, linked to the Salvadoran
military sector. He called for the assassination of
the Jesuit Priests and two of their collaborators. [In
addition], he has been found to be linked to scandals
involving police participation in grave delinquent
acts such as kidnappings, assassinations and
robberies, contributing to the deterioration of the
public image of the National Civilian Police."
4. In addition, during the 5 years of his
administration, Flores Perez vetoed all of the legal
initiatives that did not have the support of his
party, ARENA, the majority of which would have
benefited the population.
5. The cases of corruption in the Water Infrastructure
Administration (ANDA), about which the Human Rights
Ombudswoman's Office declared the following: "The
corruption generates grave violations of rights and
fundamental liberties. The ANDA funds were diverted to
private hands, compromising life, health and the
future of the country. Dedicated and frontal combat of
corruption is a judicial obligation and constitutional
moral of a state committed to observing the human
rights of its inhabitants." Flores Perez was also
linked to the corruption in ANDA, accused of well
digging on his private property, but there was never
an independent or multiparty investigation.

If the accusations of corruption bring about the ruin
of the current Secretary General of the OAS, these
same accusations, in addition to the attitudes
inconsistent with the principals of the OAS, as well
as cover-up of human rights violations and disrespect
for regional judicial order should prevent
ex-Presidents of El Salvador Francisco Guillermo
Flores Perez from declaring himself candidate for
Secretary General of the OAS.

Flores Perez presents himself as the candidate to
assume the position of Secretary General of the OAS,
but he would not do so without the endor*****t of the
United States. Secretary of State Colin Powell, gave
"support" to his candidacy supposedly for being the
friend of President Bush. Flores was quoted as
saying, "The greatest honor that I have received in my
life is that President Bush calls me his friend."

We demand that the Secretary General of the OAS be a
leader knowledgeable and respectful of the
international laws and treaties, in order to demand
compliance with social and democratic agreements that
have been secured after decades of military
dictatorship and violations of human rights in the
hemisphere. No to the candidacy of Francisco Flores,
clear violator of Human Rights in El Salvador!


PROPOSED ACTION:

Generate public opinion about the Presidential
Administration of Francis Flores Perez in El Salvador:


 Send letters to the Presidents and the
diplomatic bodies of the countries that are members of
the Organization of American States. These States
include 34 countries in the Caribbean, North America,
Central America, and South America.
 In the United States, send letters to Colin
Powell and your Congressional Representatives.

Send letters to the editor to your local newspaper.
Please forward copies to the CIS at cis@netcomsa.com.

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CISPES
Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador
8124 West 3rd Street L.A. Ca. 90048
323-852-0721
Founded: 1980 - 23 Years of Solidarity