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Thursday, October 23, 2008
El Salvador Defeats Bolivia
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eliseo Quintanilla scored on a long kick in the
41st minute and Osael Romero added another in the 89th minute to give El Salvador a 2-0 win against Bolivia in an international
friendly Wednesday.
Bolivia played a man down for most of the game after goalie Carlos Arias was sent off with
a red card in the 33rd minute.
Quintanilla's goal came on a shot from the left side of the field about 25 yards from the
goal. The ball ended up in the right side of the net, traveling past the outstretched hands of diving goalie Sergio Galarza.
Romero's goal was on a kick from the center of the field that went just over Galarza's hand
to hit the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Even More Floods
Another region of low pressure sits off the coast of Honduras, bringing more rain to El Salvador.
Two children have died when their house was buried by a landslide. The road to Puerto de la Libertad is closed because
of landslides.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A New Face to Salvadoran Politics?
(From the Council on Hemispheric Affairs) The highly anticipated U.S. presidential election has brought
a wave of hope for change and confidence that the political process under an Obama presidency will be put to work on the side
of the people. A parallel case is seen in El Salvador, where people are hopeful that a positive shift in politics will be
seen in the Salvadoran presidential election on March 15th, 2009. The two main contenders in the presidential race
are Rodrigo Avila, who belongs to the ruling right-wing National Republican Alliance Party (ARENA), and Mauricio Funes, who
is a member of the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). Already, this election cycle appears distinct
from the past because, for the first time in nineteen years, polls of perspective voters tend to favor the latter candidate.
The current president of El Salvador is ARENA’s Antonio Saca. During his term, Saca has attempted to improve,
with scant success, El Salvador’s crime prevention rate and negative social and economic conditions by forming a tight knit
relationship with the Bush administration. The close relationship between the two right wing administrators has helped El
Salvador sign onto Bush’s U.S Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The MCC is a five year, $461 million anti-poverty program
intended to stimulate growth in the poorest areas of the country, particularly northern El Salvador, where more than 50 percent
of the population lives below the poverty line. Measures to improve the lives of Salvadorans have included investments
in agricultural production as well as in education and rural business development. The percentage of the population living
below the poverty line has declined to 35.2 percent (twenty-three points lower than in 2000) and the country’s GDP growth
has increased two points since 2004.
Fitch Revises El Salvador's Rating Outlook to Negative
NEW YORK, Oct 13, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fitch Ratings has revised the Rating Outlook on El Salvador's
long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to Negative from Stable and affirmed the ratings as follows.
--Long-term foreign currency IDR at 'BB+';
--Long-term local currency IDR at 'BB+';
--Short-term foreign currency at 'B';
--Country ceiling at 'BBB-'.
The Outlook revision to Negative reflects increasing downside risks stemming from growing fiscal
and economic pressures against a backdrop of tighter external and domestic liquidity. 'The risks to fiscal and financing flexibility
have been exacerbated by ongoing political uncertainty in the run-up to general elections in early 2009,' said Casey Reckman,
Associate Director in Fitch's Sovereign Group. However, a stable monetary and economic environment, a good track record on
structural reforms, and stronger governance indicators than rating peers support the 'BB+' ratings.
Fiscal pressures have increased in 2008, due primarily to higher-than-budgeted electricity, natural
gas and transportation subsidies. Fitch expects the fiscal deficit to reach 2.4% of GDP and government debt to decline only
slightly to 38% of GDP, which is already above the 'BB' median of 33%. While Fitch recognizes the government's efforts to
compensate for higher expenditure and secure access to multilateral funding, Fitch also believes that tighter external liquidity
means negative implications for growth and investment, which could then further exacerbate fiscal pressures.
US gives El Salvador $2.6 million to fight gangs
SAN SALVADOR (AP): The U.S. government on Tuesday pledged to give El
Salvador US$2.6 million to fight violent gangs known as Maras.
The money will be used over the next year to help authorities investigate the gangs, contain their recruiting
and improve the country's prison system.
U.S. Ambassador Charles Glazer and Public Safety and Justice Minister Rene Figueroa announced the aid at a
news conference in San Salvador.
Figueroa described the money as "another very significant step toward creating a regional anti-gang strategy."
Glazer said rising crime and violence are harming ordinary people in this Central American nation and is a
cause of migration.
Authorities estimate there are some 70,000 Mara gang members in Central America, Mexico and the U.S. who are
involved in crimes such as drug trafficking, people smuggling, kidnapping and extortion.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Coffee Production Down 3.7%
Coffee production was up 20% last year. The government predicts a reduction of 3.7% in the harvest
this year. Total production is expected to be about 200 million pounds at $1.44/pound.
El Salvador president vows to keep troops in Iraq
(International Herald Tribune/Associated Press) El Salvador's president says he'll keep troops in Iraq alongside
U.S. forces as long as Baghdad needs them.
President Tony Saca estimates that could be "one more year," but says it depends on circumstances. He says
his country will be there "with the coalition until it finishes its work."
In his words, "We're going to finish what we started."
El Salvador has about 280 soldiers in Iraq and is the only Latin American nation that has had forces there
since the war started in 2003. Five Salvadoran soldiers have died serving in the Middle Eastern nation.
Saca spoke Monday while presenting medals to troops returning from a six-month stint in Iraq.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Floods Inundate Bajo Lempa
Hundreds of persons have been evaluated in the Departments of Chalatenago, Cabañas, Usulután, San Vincente and
La Unión following the rains of this past week. Particularly badly hit is Bajo Lempa in Usulután. Click on the
link to see La Prensa's coverage and the video of the situation (at the lower right of the page).
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