SAN BARTOLO, El Salvador A delegation of New York state legislators say the United States and El Salvador have to join together to fight the vicious "Mara" street gangs now operating in both nations.

Assemblyman Philip Ramos, a Democrat from Suffolk County, and six other New York state legislators visited El Salvador yesterday to offer their help and cooperation to this small Central American nation, which is home to many of the gangs.

Ramos says they are there with the New York police -- quote -- "to offer to share information and anti-gang efforts, and also to learn anything that could be helpful to us."

The federal government in March announced the arrests in seven U-S cities of 103 alleged members of MS-13, a street gang rooted in El Salvador and known to attack enemies with grenades and machetes. The largest number were picked up in the New York metropolitan area, including almost two dozen from Long Island.

Copyright 2005 Associated Press.

 

 

 

 

ACAJUTLA, El Salvador - (KRT) - Looking to resurrect their wages and this sad port town's happier days, Gregorio Elias Vanegas and 40 other dockworkers tried to set up a labor union last December.

Within days, guards began blocking them from passing through the port gate. Soon, a list with 41 names was circulated among employers at the port - an illegal black list, the workers claimed.

The stevedores' troubles illustrate what labor advocates and others say is an entrenched anti-union culture that contributes to poor working conditions in El Salvador and much of Central America, despite laws that guarantee the right to organize.

Those working conditions are among the objections in Washington to a free-trade treaty the U.S. signed with El Salvador and five other nations in the region last year. The issue will soon hit the floor of the U.S. Congress, which will decide this spring whether to ratify the Central America Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA.

"They won't let anybody organize," said Vanegas, now the unemployed chief of an oil-tanker unloading crew who has trouble buying food for his family. "Although the law is there, nobody respects it."

Trying to clean up that image, Salvadoran President Tony Saca last year overhauled the Labor Ministry and sent a message to employers that the government was no longer going to turn a blind eye to labor abuses.

But critics allege that the pro-business government's crackdown has been more about smoothing the way for CAFTA than changing a bitter employer-union relationship that was deeply politicized during the country's 1980s civil war.

The effort has begun just as the region is losing crucial, low-paying jobs to China and other Asian countries. That has pressured employers to lower labor costs and push for more "flexibility," rather than improving labor conditions, activists say.

"The government is between the blade and the wall," said Patricia Portillo of the Association of Salvadoran Women, which represents factory workers. "It could be that they want to improve things, but if the businesses go, there will be no jobs here at all."

In Washington, labor organizations argue that passing CAFTA would encourage the poor working conditions. They fear it could lead to the loss of U.S. jobs as employers take advantage of lower costs south of the border.

BY HUGH DELLIOS

Chicago Tribune

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/world/11451147.htm

 

 

 

 

From:	Iglesia Anglicana de El Salvador <anglican.sal@integra.com.sv>
To:	Charles Stewart <cnstewart@worldnet.att.net>
Subject:	Companionship Relation
Date:	Tue, 12 Apr 2005 22:54:46 +0000

Dear Chuck:   Forgive me for not writing before, I know there are several things I have to do and I've been very busy.  I know you very active organizing and creating the best strategies for our companion relationship between the dioceses of CNY and El Salvador be the best possible.   I would like to mention some action and cooperation guidelines that we might implement in order to fulfill the main purpose of the companionship relation, just as we understand and I hope it coincides with the purpose of the Diocese of CNY; which is walking together in the same mission Christ has committed to us:  To bring the good news of salvation in Christ to all the people and, in this companionship relation, offering each of us the available resources; discover the resources of each of the dioceses which may benefit the other.  In order to reach these objectives, we have several activities; I will point some and other might be added. To renew the program we had several years ago "Pilgrims" .  Each year we had a group from CNY visiting El Salvador to get to know each other and to have a communitarian experience.  On this activity we procure to have elder people from different parishes who had never visited El Salvador or other countries, we (both committees) prepare an agenda ahead of time. The medical campaign which consists of a 1 week visit from a team of doctors and nurses bringing equipment and medicines in coordination with the local medical program of the diocese of El Salvador.  This campaign is promoted and coordinated by Bonnie Adams.  This year it was an extraordinary success and we are even thinking in the future to design two campaigns per year but we know this is very much work for Bonnie;  we leave it as a dream. Creating the "sister parishes" program.  We already have some experiences but now we'd like to set it as a well structured program so that no congregation in El Salvador has at least one or two sister parishes in CNY.  In order to get this program oriented and that the people may have information available to get interested, I am sending a brief description of each one of our congregations.             San Juan Evangelista -  It's located in the center of San Salvador, the same place where the Anglican Residence is located; the place where some visiting groups are hosted.  It's the church where official acts take place as there is no Cathedral in El Salvador; San Juan is somehow our Cathedral because of it's location and large parking and facilities.  It's the oldest congregation of the diocese, founded by 1931 however in the present location is established since 1968.  For several years it was the center of the whole life of the Episcopal Church in El Salvador.  The priest in charge was the priest responsible for the whole diocese since we had diocesan bishop until March 28, 1992.  Before this date, we had only bishops in charge visiting the diocese once in a while.  This is a small congregation of about 125 members with the particularity that there is no a physical community in the surroundings as the church facilities is located in the middle of buildings that host offices or other businesses.  Members of the congregation come from different places in San Salvador and this makes the congregation with low stability some members come and other go... this is a model of congregation called peripherical.  Is the only congregation with, besides very poor members, some professionals and people of middle-low class.  Before 1980 there was a English speaking congregation named St. John the Evangelist.  The priest in charge now is the Very Rev. Luis Serrano, who is the Diocesan Dean and takes pastoral responsibilities at a national level when the Bishop is not in.  At the present time Dean Serrano is a retired priest whom I've asked to stay with the congregation until I find a replacement.  San Juan Evangelista is obviously a very important place but the diocesan life now is in the Diocesan Center, where the bishop's office is.   -San Pedro y San Pablo-  This is the second oldest congregation in the diocese, founded in the 60's.  It was a group of Salvadoran Episcopalians who lived in Mariscos, Guatemala and were deported from there; they relocated in the area of Cuilapa, San Francisco Menéndez in Ahuachapan, just in the border of the departments (states) of Sonsonate and Ahuachapan, the closer city is Cara Sucia just in the border with Guatemala.  This is a very solid congregation because of its traditions.  Thanks to them the Episcopal Church is know in the area from Metalío and through the border with Guatemala.  Its members are peasants, very poor agriculture people with high potentiality.  In the midst of this congregation a new initiative raised to create  new congregations in Cara Sucia named "Santa María Magdalena", "La Divina Providencia" in El Maizal and "San Jorge" in Acajutla.  About this congregations I'll write later.  One of the outlining products of San Pedro y San Pablo is the deacon Mario Nuñez who is member of one of the families who founded the congregation and came as emigrants in the 60's, after working with them in agricultural projects and rural community development.  It is important to mention that another group deported in the same time, relocated in the place know as Sitio Los Nejapa in the northern area of Quezaltepeque, from which I will speak later.   -Sitio Los Nejapas--  It's located about 5 miles from the city of Quezaltepeque in the route to Tacachico, department of La Libertad.  Just as I mentioned before, a group of Episcopalians coming from Guatemala relocated in this area under the pastoral care of the Rev. Jess Petty.  The community was formed by about 5 families somehow weak after their poverty.  A small congregation was created with them from 1972 through 1978.  The congregation was originally named "San Esteban protomartir" and at that time it had a great influence in the very populated sector.  Also after church arrangements, a public school was built there.  A portion of land was purchased and a multiple-uses house was built to offer religious services and medical assistance.  During the war period (1980-1992) the area was totally abandoned by the church and the facilities were used by the national guard and hosted the Salvadoran Army.  In 1992, when my episcopate was started the facility was given back to the church and we tried to start a new congregation with the name of Santo Tomas Apostol but we have not had success because of the lack of interest from the clergy.  The facility is in kept in good conditions and we are looking for a missionary who takes care of the people there.   Starting on the 80's when the now Rev. Canon Victoriano Jimeno came in to the country, an intense missionary activity was developed in the whole country and accompanied by a group of young priests, other congregations were established which are now very known and that I'll mention without having the historical reference:   San Andres Apostol.  A very active congregation inside the community of Amatepec in the city of Soyapango within the are known as the Gran San Salvador.  At the present time the priest in charge is the Rev. David Alvarado and has about 200 member from which 125 are active.  They also has a school serving kinder, elementary and middle school with about 125 students.  The projection of this congregation is to have a complete school and to grow within the community.  It is good to know that Soyapango is a development point where about of million of people live and they are dedicated to labor and services jobs, poor people. Santa Maria Virgen.  Located in the area called Colonia San Felipe, San Bartolo in Ilopango; this congregation was born to offer pastoral attention to the labor sector (there are many factories).  It's a very active congregation and at the same time it's one of the most conflictive parishes since it was developed with a congregational model, which is not the one used in the Episcopal Church.  it has kept a conservative worship model but incorporating contemporary musical elements.  The people who attend dominical services are very encouraged by the people's participation.  Because of low-understanding with the vestry and a constant tension with the ecclesiastical authority, we have not been able to improve the physical infrastructure.  At this time it is the congregation with the poorest physical structure but God willing, we will start the construction of the Anglican National Sanctuary dedicated to Mary, Jesus' mother.  This is part of our projections and also to establish a school, a very urgent need to the community.  This congregation is calculated to have about 300 members and makes a great influence in its surroundings that involves about 10,000 people.  It is a very challenging congregation. San Juan Bautista.  This congregation exists only in the archives of our offices; is a congregation that was born in the 80's in the area of Soyapango.  I mention as an example of a congregation born after a vital need but is not provided with the adequate pursue... It was a program where food was given and 200 families were provided with a weekly "basket".  When the food program was over, the congregation disappeared.  It for that reason that within our poverty context, we have to be careful with assistance programs without an adequate pastoral attention.  The congregation was closed at the end of 1995. Santisima Trinidad.  Still in the department of San Salvador, to the northern side the city of San Martin.  A housing project was developed by FUNDASAL with 4,000 housed named Santa Teresa.  The congregation was established but the pastoral job was started two years before in the suburbs of San Martin, in the marginal area next to the rail roads.  In this community the Church was incarnated 100% since the beginning of the contruction of those houses.  At the beginning the services were celebrated in the street as per the policy of the construction firm, they did not allow any church to be given a house.  This is a congregation with about 300 members, 100 of them are active and formed mostly by women and youth.  It is important to outline the job done by the Rev. Hannah Atkins with the accompaniment of the Companion Diocese of Central New York, specially the St. James's Skaneateles and the support of then Fr. Skip Adams and his wife Bonnie.  Thanks to them a house was purchased and later with a grant from UTO and gifts from St. James's a new facility was built and it serves as temple and youth center.  It is the only church building in the whole community; it means we may influence in about 20,000 inhabitants.  It is a congregation of great projections.  There is no priest in charge at the present time.  Fr. David Alvarado serves the Sunday services and the administrative pastoral is developed by a lay minister Gilberto Ruiz.  A very active- full time priest is needed. In the same direction, I'd like to mention the congregation of Cristo Rey which was created in the 80's as an accompaniment program to the persecuted during the war, it was located in the department of Cojutepeque where a population of  indigenous conservative roman catholic is located and in 1995 practically forced us to leave the area.  Possibly we restart the pastoral job there but with other strategies. Centro Anglicano San Lucas.  To the eastern side of the country, this is the youngest project of the missionary job in the Episcopal Church in El Salvador.  A congregation named San Lucas raised from a youth's group from St. Luke's, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  This group was leaded by the now Rev. Tommy Dillon and they started to raise money to start the job.  Finally two years ago the Centro Anglicano San Lucas was created and it's now under the responsibility of the Rev. Elizabeth Evans.  It was created with the purpose of get the confidence of the community of the department of San Miguel, the third city of importance in El Salvador.  Starting from San Miguel, we intend to develop a missionary job in the eastern side of the country that includes San Miguel, Morazán and La Unión.  Elizabeth Evans has performed an excellent job according to the initial purposes but is the most challenging area and requires the greatest human, material and financial resources.  Because of the criminality conditions of the country, Elizabeth has committed herself to the prisons' ministry and provides attention to the jail in San Miguel and contacts have been establishes with the jails in Morazan, La Union and Ciudad Barrios in San Miguel.  Challenges are great and many efforts are needed.  We invite you to get to know this missionary effort.  At the present time the financial support to the ministry in San Miguel depends on CRISTOSAL, an institution born to support the missionary work in El Salvador; also we receive in some way support from the Rev. Tommy Dillon who has not forgotten his commitment but St. Luke's, Baton Rouge quit their support after November 2, 2003 after my attendance to the ordination and consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.  We hope, in the near future, to create a local patrimony to the missionary job in the eastern side of the country. Near San Miguel we find the department of Usulután where we have a missionary development of two small congregations and a preaching center.  -San Pablo.  Congregation located in San Juan de Letrán, Jiquilisco.  A 100 member congregation raised in 1998 after the Mitch hurricane that hit the Central America Region; the Rev. David Alvarado and member of San Andres Apostol visited the area and created an agricultural recovery program.  The job continued and people is more interested in the church every day in such a way that the community has donated a portion of land for a church building and we are looking for the resources for the construction.  The community is about 3 miles from the high way in San Marcos Lempa.  About 1 mile away we find El Carmen community; a small 35-families community that were relocated after the peace accords; all the families are members of the Episcopal Church and were received and confirmed one year ago.  They also have donated a portion of land to the church and financial resources are needed for the construction of the temple.   Also we have a preaching station in San Marcos Lempa at the bridge over the Lempa river.  In the same county of Jiquilisco, we have a good relationship with the area called "Bajo Lempa" where 86 communities are settled after the relocation from the peace accords.  We have no pastoral attention to them so far but in the future we'll have to offer it as they are very receptive to the Episcopal Church.   This missionary job including 2 small congregations: San Pablo and Santiago de Jerusalen in El Carmen and the preaching station at San Marcos Lempa is performed with the support of the Rev. David Alvarado and members of San Andres Apostol in Amatepec.  At the present time, full time pastoral accompaniment is performed by a lay missioner:  Caín Hidalgo and his wife Miriam Herrera.  This is a very enthusiastic job for all those who have the opportunity of visiting the area. Returning to the central region of the country, we find Santa Marta, in Cabañas where no one is assigned but a community is interested on receiving pastoral attention from the Episcopal Church, after the visits of a Salvadoran priest in New York, the Rev. Julio Torres who is working on his thesis for a Psychology degree. On the northern side of the country, the department of Chalatenango, a missionary job was begun several years ago by the Rev. Hannah Atkins in Azacualpa.  For some time the pastoral job was continued by Fr. David Alvarado but currently there is only one member of Santisima Trinidad who visits the community once in a while but we need to provide more attention to it. On the department of La Libertad we have the following congregations:  -  San Miguel Arcangel in the city of Quezaltepeque:  a congregation born in the 80's also with emphasis on the congregational model which has provoked a series of troubles and its physical infrastructure was severely damaged after the earthquakes in 200.  We are currently in the process of renewing the congregation and building a temple with the support of ERD.  The Rev. Jose Ramiro Chavez is in charge and a new generation of Episcopalians is raising, most of them between the ages of 30-50.  It's a very nice city where we might work with great future projections.  The city of Quezaltepeque is about 45 minutes from San Salvador.  The congregation has a 25 students kindergarten functioning at a separate location because of the constructions jobs.   San Mateo.  This congregation is located in the very populated neighborhood of Lourdes, Colón that requires an intense pastoral attention  and because of the lack of clergy we have not been able to fullfil their needs.  The priest in charge is the Rev. José Ramiro Chávez, a very dynamic man with "late vocation" as he was ordained to the priesthood after he retired as a banker.  The job in this area was started in 1983 with a sewing academy; after the 1986 earthquake it was somehow abandoned and priority was given to a settlement 2 miles southwest of the community in "El Pital" where we have now the congregation of San Francisco de Asis.  Starting 1993 a more consistent pastoral job was begun forming the congregation of San Mateo with the initiative of Fr. Chavez and after purchasing the property we rented before and after a UTO grant that allowed us to build a beautiful temple.  A school is also functioning there and it is now the Centro Anglicano Educativo San Mateo and we expect to have all grades in the future.  Within this effort, we have received support from the companion diocese of New Jersey and St. Paul's Church in Mobile, Alabama.  Thanks to them we have been able to build a two-story building for the elementary school that will be inaugurated on May 22.  The congregation of San Mateo is small, about 50 members, more evangelization is needed here but the educational field means a great deal of service to the community. San Francisco de Asis.  I have mentioned before it is located in El Pital, Lourdes.  This is a congregation initiated in 1992 when the housing project was delivered and religious services were offered to the people of the area.  The necessity of a school was found and thanks to the assistance of Asociacion CREDO and students from Sweden we were able to build facilities for the school.  The physical facilities of the school were given to the Episcopal Church and through a covenant with the Education Department, the school was established with the EDUCO program; thus teachers receive salaries from the Education Department and the Church supervises and provides Christian education.  This school is up to the 9th grade with a population of 600 students.  Later, after a UTO grant a temple dedicated to San Francisco de Asis was built and this has helped to develop a more systematic pastoral job.  The priest in charge is the Rev. José Ramiro Chavez and just as I mentioned before, due to the lack of clergy, the weakest area is the pastoral.  It is important to outline that this community know as Primera Villa Anglicana has a clinic where, in coordination with the Health Department, we provide a constant service of public health to the community.  It is calculated that about 30 more communities will be established in the next five years and this means new challenges on the pastoral field. San Rafael Arcangel.  This is an initiative of creating a congregation in the city of Santa Ana, the second city in importance in the country.  For this purpose a property was purchased in the 80's and despite some improvements have been made to the infrastructure, the location is not so good to get the interest of the population of Santa Ana in such a way that a congregation has not consolidated.  A 25-children kindergarten is functioning but we continue thinking that a good full time missioner would be able to develop a congregation.  Previously it has served to a group of Episcopalians coming from the city of El Congo but now we have other facilities in El Congo, members of the church will surely prefer to stay in their own local area.  Fr. Ramiro Chavez is also in charge of San Rafael Arcangel and we have plans for a strong missionary job for the next years. San José, El Congo.   This is a 30 houses settlement financed by ERD within the national reconstruction plan after 2001 earthquakes.  Since the concept of reconstruction established by the Episcopal Church, the community counts on adequate infrastructures of a clinic, a temple and a school.  The construction job is over but the missionary job has not been started yet.  The temple is to be dedicated on May 22, 2005.  Because of the conditions of the settlement we think we will find receptiveness from the community.  This is also under the care of Fr. Ramiro Chavez and now with the assistance of Fr. John Habecker, a missioner from the United Stated. San Marcos.  This is a small congregation created after 1986 after an earthquake that destroyed the city.  A property in Canton Tapalshucut was purchased, about 1.5 miles from the city of Izalco.  No financial resources were provided at the beginning and because of this it was not able to implement at the beginning.  After the earthquakes of 2001 the 8 remaining houses were destroyed and we started a new settlement within the reconstruction plan.  They have facilities for a temple, commonalty house and a clinic.  The pastoral job has been difficult here because of the antecedents of the population which has been severely affected by criminality.  the congregation has about 25-30 members and the present responsible for the community is Deacon Mario Nuñez.  We believe future generations will perform a better job here.  It's worthwhile to bid to San Marcos.  Izalco is located in the department of Sonsonate. La Divina Providencia.  Here we have a small temple built in the 80's with the purpose of developing a congregation with the name of La Divina Providencia inside the church facilities known as "El Maizal".  El Maizal is an agricultural project created in 1974 with the purpose of providing a service to local peasants with a agricultural school and experiments field.  The property is about 59 acres.  At the present time this is viewed as a successful project as another housing project is to be developed with the financial assistance of ERD and we also plan to develop a sports complex that may serve to the whole province of Central America and our goal is to strengthen the congregation that disappeared in 1988-1995.  This is an important resource to the Episcopal Church and is located about 90 kilometers from San Salvador about 1 hour 30 minutes driving  in the department of Sonsonate.   Missions in development.  San Marcos Lempa, Usulutan Azacualpa, Chalatenango Sitio de los Nejapa, Quezaltepeque, La Libertad Santa Marta, Cabañas Santa María Magdalena, Cara Sucia, Ahuachapan San Jorge, Acajutla, Sonsonate La Divina Providencia, Metalío, Sonsonate Special Ministries: 5 schools Prisons' ministry:  San Miguel, Ciudad Barrios, Gotera-Morazán and La Unión English Academy in San Miguel.   Scholarships Program.  Within the conception of evangelization, we are conscious that priority must be given to two of the human's vital needs such as health and education.  That's why we develop a health program, our schools and lately a scholarships program.  Several years ago some congregations developed the initiative of granting scholarships to low-income students:  San Juan Evangelista, San Andres Apostol , Santisima Trinidad and San Miguel Arcangel.  We have received support from individuals but we've realized some of these initiatives have not been properly developed; starting 2003 we decided to create a scholarships program at a diocesan level and that parochial initiatives get integrated to the diocesan plan.  Each scholarship recipient is linked to a congregation.  It has been difficult to integrate the program as some parochial initiatives still continue with the congregational model.  In the future, when a parish wants to establish a sister relationship with a congregation in El Salvador, should consider supporting students from that congregation.  In 2004 we had 32 scholarships recipients distributed as follows:  San Juan Evangelista (10), San Marcos (4), Capilla El Espíritu Santo (2), San Mateo (3), Santa María Virgen (2), Santísima Trinidad (2), La Divina Providencia (2), San Pedro y San Pablo (3), San Miguel Arcángel (3), San Pablo, Usulutan (1).  For the year 2005 we received 35 new applications reaching a total of 67 from different congregations.  The major recipients are San Juan (13), San Pedro y San Pablo (9), Santísima Trinidad (8), San Andres Apostol (4), Capilla El Espíritu Santo(2). Capilla El Espíritu Santo.  This chapel is located inside the Diocesan Center, has a canonical existence under  Canon III-7 as worship units under a special regimen.  In this case, the Espíritu Santo Chapel is the private prayer space for the bishop and worship for the staff of the diocesan office and eventually hosts groups that hold meeting at the Diocesan Center .   This is a try to resume the job of the Episcopal Church of El Salvador after the projections and initiatives of every congregation and in order to raise particular interest on the missionary accompaniment.  If you take a map of El Salvador, you will be able to fine each of the congregations.  I hope this results a useful resource in implementing the companionship relation and the sister parish program.   With best wishes,   The Most Rev. Martín Barahona Bishop of El Salvador and Primate of IARCA