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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Patronal Festivities
The celebrations surrounding the patronal days for the fourteen departments and many cities are big events
in El Salvador. The big ones are:
San Salvador, August 1-6
San Martin, November 1-11
Santa Ana, July 1-26
San Miguel, November 14-30
Santiago de María, July 18-25
San Vincente, December 15-31
Here's a complete list:
Santa Ana Suffers the Most from Dengue
Two hundred forty four cases of dengue have been diagnosed this month. Of these 60 -- approximately
25% -- have been in the department of Santa Ana in the western part of the country. Two of these cases have been hemorrhagic dengue, the most
severe type.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Hospital Strike Enters Third Week
Union members at the Social Security Hospitals have been striking for $100 a year in higher wages.
Late last week stikers blocked a major thoroughfare for 45 minutes until dispersed by police. According to Social Security
more than fifty thousand patients have not been seen. The physians union is considering whether to join the strike.
Sun, October 29, 2006 | link
South Korea and El Salvador Agree to Expand Ties
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and El Salvadoran President Alias Antonio
Saca held a summit in Seoul Wednesday and agreed to enhance cooperation in information technology, trade and investment, Roh's
office said.
Saca arrived in Seoul Tuesday for a three-day visit, marking the first visit by a president of the Central
American country to South Korea in 36 years.
Moderate Quake Shakes Central America
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (Reuters) - A moderate 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook rural Nicaragua on Friday, close
to the border with El Salvador and Honduras, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a preliminary report.
No damage or injuries were reported in the quake, which hit at 6:53 p.m. (8:53 p.m. EDT/0053 GMT on Saturday),
70 km northwest of the Nicaraguan city of Chinandega and 115 km south-southwest of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Industralists Give the Government Two Weeks to Stop Gang Violence
The embassy of the United States, the National Association of Private Enterprises (ANEP), the Chamber
of Commerce and the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES) made harsh critical demands on
the government and called upon officials to begin new plans to face the violent gang crime immediately. ANEP
went sp far as to say the government had only two weeks before they bagan mpunting protests against individual government
officials. Business interests want more money for the police and a law concerning organized crime.
Friday, October 27, 2006
New Consumer Protection Law Recovers $10 Million
In October 2005 a new law protecting consumers took effect in El Salvador. The new law was aimed at
protecting consumers against monopolistic price fixing, fraudulent weights and measures, adulteration, commercial theft, etc.
In the first year about ten million dollars was recovered for consumers. Additionally $35 thousand in fines were levied
on businesses.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Church Again Requests Reevaluation of El Salvador's Involvement in Iraq
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador has again requested the goverment reconsider their involvement
in Iraq. El Salvador sent the first contingent to Iraq in August 2003. On Friday, a roadside bomb near the southern
city of Diwaniya killed a Salvadoran army captain and injured four of his fellow soldiers. This was the fifth Salvadoran
soldier to die in Iraq.
Goascorán River Crests at Historical Maximum Level
Nearly 90 houses were flooded this weekend by the Goascorán river, in La Union.
The river reached the highest level on record. The Rio Lempa was also approaching flood stage.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
El Salvador Split on How to Deal with Crime
(From Angus Reid Strategies) Salvadoran adults hold differing views on the best way to curb unlawful activity,
according to a poll by CID-Gallup published in El Diario de Hoy. 29 per cent of respondents support deploying the army
to fight criminals, while 24 per cent would prefer to enact tougher punishments. In addition, 21 per cent
of respondents believe the death penalty should be reinstated, 15 per cent of respondents would hire more police officers,
and 12 per cent would consent to trying minors as adults.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Ambassador Barclay Highly Concerned About Crime
Retiring ambassador to El Salvador, Doug Barclay, speaking last night at a FUSADES event expressed his concern
with growing violence in the country. He believes the benfits of CAFTA will be lost because the the endemic violence.
Tue, October 17, 2006 | link
Monday, October 16, 2006
Walk for Peace
Some five thousand people from 24 parishes in the Roman Catholic diocese of Sonsonate marched against violence
in the country on Sunday.
All live with a preoccupation about insecurity and violence in our society, said Monseñor
José Adolfo Mojica, bishop of Sonsonate.
Mon, October 16, 2006 | link
Volcano Alert Reduced
Civil Defense authorities have reduced the alert concerning the volcano Chaparrastique in San Miguel from
yellow to green. Recent mesurements have shown a dimunition in seismic activity. Between 100 and 200 tons of sulfur
dioxide are being released daily; this is considered in the acceptable range.
Monday, October 9, 2006
Students Attend Classes in Open Air Gallerias
It's not up in the mountains. It's in Ciudad Delgado which is adjacent to San Salvador. There
are almost 1200 students in a facility designed for only 920. The principal has appealed to the Minsitry of Education
multiple times over ten years for better facilities.
The students, who are in seventh through ninth grade, don't have enough desks. Some classrooms have
walls -- they are cardboard!
In spite of not having a writing-desk, this teacher gives her classes with optimism.
Counterfeit Videos Destroyed
Over fourteen thousand CDs, DVDs and VHS casettes are destoyed in the continuing
campaign against illegal pirating.
Mon, October 9, 2006 | link
Saturday, October 7, 2006
President Says Foiled Plot to Kill Him
(Reuters) - Salvadoran President Tony Saca said on Friday police had uncovered a plan to assassinate him
by firing a rocket at his helicopter, and linked it to his crackdown on organized crime and drug gangs.
Saca said the plot had been masterminded by George Nayes, a Cuban-American deported last month to the United
States, which wants to investigate his possible links to Colombian drug traffickers. Police backed up Saca's claim.
"There was a attack planned against the president," Saca said. "The aim was to fire at the presidential helicopter."
Saca launched a campaign last August to try to stamp out violent street gangs or "maras," putting thousands
more soldiers and police on the streets.
The gangs, which grew out of Hispanic youth gangs in Los Angeles, have terrorized El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in recent years.
Friday, October 6, 2006
Most Violent Latin American Nation
(Prensa Latina) El Salvador is today classified as the most violent country of Latin America, with almost
3,000 homicides so far this year, according to a report from the Institute of Legal Medicine.
The institute reports, there are 10.9 murders daily in that Center American nation, the majority of them with
firearms.
More than 2,600 crimes were reported through August, mostly street crimes against males 15 through 34 years
old.
Common criminals are responsible for 19.4 percent of the cases; and youth gangs for 12.7 percent.
Given the seriousness of the situation, representatives of Episcopalian, Lutheran, Calvinist, Muslim and Catholic
churches got together to pray for peace and for the cessation of violence.
Santiago´s Reformed Church Rev. Flores Amaya suggested that they not only pray, but go out to stop the death
of more children and families. “Campaigns for the culture of violence cannot continue to spread,” he said.
Sunday, October 1, 2006
San Salvador Celebrates International Day of the Child
Sun, October 1, 2006 | link
Storm Floods Sixty Houses in Santa Ana
Sixty homes in El Ranchador, a canton in the Deprtment of Santa Ana, were flooded in the wake of a storm
on Friday afternoon. The colonia is at the foot of a rocky hill, which apparently increased the force of the water,
collapsing one house. This was the second flood in the general area this week.
Sun, October 1, 2006 | link
Salvadoran Church Opposes "The Wall"
The Roman Catholic archbishop of San Salvador, Fernando Saenz Lacalle, said today in a press conference that
"the reaction in all Latin America, beginning with Mexico, has been against [the approval by the US Congress of building a
wall along the border]. Hopefully that they (USA) rethink it and see that immigration is unstoppable "
The Salvadoran minister of Interior, René Figueroa, said yesterday, however, that his country respects
the determination of USA. "We must be respectful of that decision, although we did not share it".
Approximately 2.5 million Salvadorans live in the USA.
Government Seeks to Help with Garbage Problem
Garbage is piling up around the city of San Salvador. Garbage trucks can not or will not keep up with
it. In Mejicanos, Soyapango and Ciudad Delgado, cities adjacent to San Salvador, the problem has reached levels
that threaten public health. President Saca has asked the Minister of the Environment to focus attention on the problem.
Sun, October 1, 2006 | link
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