PHM-Exch> The situation in El Salvador

[Claudio Schuftan]

The Latin American Association of Social Medicine and Collective Health

Condemns the attempted coup in progress in El Salvador



On Sunday, February 9 in the afternoon, the President of El Salvador,  Nayib
Bukele, broke into the Congress building accompanied by  members of the
Armed Forces and the National Civil Police.. They entered armed with
assault rifles, with the explicit purpose of intimidating the Congress,
forcing them to approve a loan for 109 million dollars, destined for
unjustified and incongruous purchases from companies of doubtful
reputation, under penalty if not approved  of an insurrection of the people
against him. This was nothing more than an excuse to overwhelm and
facilitate the dissolution of the congress and to be able to govern
according to his will concentrating all the power, that is to say, to
propitiate an “Autocoup” with unimaginable results.



The abusive use and manipulation of the Armed Forces and the National Civil
Police strongly impacted the population, reminding them of the recent past
characterized by military dictatorships, repression and total absence of
the most elementary democratic freedoms, which resulted in a 20-year civil
war with a balance of more than 80,000 dead, about 10,000 missing and half
a million more people injured and disabled.



Such a scene,  not seen since 1992 when the peace agreements were signed,
evidenced the fragile democracy that El Salvador lives, governed today by a
fascist president who breaks with the secular state carrying out theatrical
productions in which he “speaks with God ” who transfers direct and precise
orders to him.  Bukele governs from social networks, summarily dismisses
his subordinates with twitters, tramples human rights and puts in charge of
public institutions family, friends and trusted employees of his companies,
who have in common the ignorance and lack of suitability of their
functions. To this is added a high degree of servitude and flattery of his
intimate circle and followers of his party, who irreflexively celebrate any
occurrence or outburst of the messianic president, who does not admit
criticism or dissent of any kind for his actions and dictates.
The entire institutional and popular political spectrum, plus national and
international public opinion, condemned these arbitrary and abusive acts
that include the breaking of the constitutional order and the rule of law,
the contempt and usurpation of other powers of the State, marginalization
of dialogue, disqualification of all the sectors that oppose their
dictatorial actions (including important associations of constitutional
experts and judges,  the exclusion of transparency and the choice of the
opprobrious path of authoritarianism, corruption and arrogance.



ALAMES supports and joins the call of Salvadoran social organizations,
while calling on the international community and its militancy, to defend
democracy and social conquests and to reject the absurd and inadmissible
presidential call to insurrection.

We congratulate the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice
for the admission of citizen requests for unconstitutionality that seek to
condemn the actions of the council of ministers and the armed interruption
of the President into Congress.

The Salvadoran social movement and ALAMES support the search for dialogue
and participatory solutions to the security problem and other urgent issues
for the country, such as water, pensions, the destruction of the Health
Reform and many more that require the dismantling of the model neoliberal,
as well as the strengthening of institutionality and the rule of law.



 Representation of ALAMES-El Salvador, San Salvador February 12, 2020.

[ALAMES is a PHM affiliate]
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