Honduras in the Central American Spotlight

March 16, 2010

Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes called for Honduras to be readmitted into international forums at yesterday’s meeting of countries located in Central America’s northern triangle. The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador met with other politicians and business leaders from the three countries (Panama also sent business representatives) to discuss trade ties and diplomatic ties. Funes lobbied alongside President Álvaro Colom of Guatemala for the reintegration of Honduras into the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Central American Integration System (SICA), and offered to mediate Honduras’ return to such international bodies.

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Church Praises Salvadoran President for his Tribute to Murdered Priests

November 23, 2009

El Salvador’s Archbishop, José Luis Escobar Alas, commended President Mauricio Funes yesterday for his decision to award the country’s highest honor to six Jesuit priests assassinated by the army in 1989—an event that sparked international outrage and helped lead to the war’s end three years later. At a press conference held yesterday in San Salvador, Archbishop Escobar Alas said, “We, as a Church, sincerely see these gestures as a sign of reconciliation, of unity and peace.”

A week ago today—on the twentieth anniversary of their deaths—Funes presented the families of the priests with the National Order of José Matias Delgado. “For me, this act means [we] pull back a heavy veil of darkness and lies to let in the light of justice and truth,” Funes said. “We begin to cleanse our house of this recent history.”

In surprise comments, Minister of Defense David Munguia Payes said that the army would also cooperate in investigations into the deaths if ordered to by the government. Reversing long-standing army policy, the minister resolutely commented: “If the government asks me to open the archives, I will do it.”

The assassinations were carried out by the Salvadoran army on November 16, 1989, at the University of Central America in San Salvador. One of the priests, Ignacio Ellacuria, was a follower of liberation theology and advocated for justice on behalf of the poor. The 12-year civil war, which left nearly 75,000 dead, was brought to an end with a peace accord signed in 1992. 

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Civic Organizations in El Salvador Demand Closure to Oscar Romero's Death

August 17, 2009

On Sunday, José Luis Escobar Alas, the Archbishop of San Salvador, responded to those who want to reopen the murders carried out during the country’s civil war (particularly that of former Archbishop Oscar Romero) saying that a repeal of the Amnesty Law would bring about a “difficult situation” for the country. He said that “as a Church, we have pardoned them” but that the Supreme Court of Justice and the Legislative Assembly should “make the decisions” in this matter.

President Mauricio Funes recently commented that Romero’s assassination “cannot go unpunished” and has asked the Legislative Assembly to elect an attorney general “with sufficient courage” to address the issue.

Oscar Romero, the former Archbishop, was assassinated during a public mass on March 24, 1980. The UN truth commission—created as part of the 1992 Chapultepec Peace Accords—determined in its report that Roberto D’Aubuisson, the founder of the political party ARENA (Alianza Republicana Nacionalista), “gave the order to assassinate the Archbishop and gave precise instructions to members of his security service, acting as a ‘death squad,’ to organize and supervise the assassination.”

Archbishop Romero is still in the consciousness of the Salvadoran people. On August 15, the birthday of Archbishop Romero, some 500 Salvadorans made the pilgrimage to San Salvador to commemorate the 29th anniversary of his death.

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Weekly News Roundup from Across the Americas

June 3, 2009

From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.

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OAS on Overturning 1962 Rule Suspending Cuba

Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Relations Fander Falconí told journalists Wednesday that the ministers at the OAS General Assembly have agreed to overturn a 1962 decision that expelled Cuba from the organization. Falconi said that Cuba’s suspension will be lifted as a result of a new proposal that eliminates conditions for Cuba to rejoin. This came after the first day of the assembly ended with no consensus about allowing Cuba to rejoin the organization. U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton insisted that Cuba must show clear steps towards addressing human rights and political freedom before the island can be allowed to rejoin.

Despite the United States opposing proposals to allow the readmission of Cuba without the country meeting certain democratic standards, signs of a U.S.-Cuba thaw continue. On May 30, the head of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington Jorge Bolaños officially accepted on behalf of Havana the U.S. proposal to resume high-level talks on legal immigration. Talks will also cover bilateral cooperation on drug trafficking, terrorism, disaster readiness, and resuming regular mail services.

Financial Times takes a look at how some members of the U.S. Senate hope to block easing of restrictions in U.S.-Cuba relations. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) suggested at COA’s Washington Conference that the United States should reexamine its funding for the OAS if the agency allows Cuba to rejoin.

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