09) FMLN WINS BIG LEAD IN EL SALVADOR VOTE

 

By Larry Wasslen, San Salvador, 5 February, 2014

 

            The Frente Farabundo Marti por la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) won a significant victory in the first round of the Salvadorian Presidential election on February 2.

 

            Led by Professor Salvador Sanchez Ceren and Oscar Ortiz, the FMLN received 48.92% of the popular vote, well ahead of its main rival Alliansa Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) at 38.95%, and the right wing coalition UNIDAD, 11.44%.

 

            Two smaller parties also competed in the first round battle, with the Partido Salvadoreno Progresista (PSP) receiving 0.42% and the Partido Fraternidad Patriota Salvadorena (FPS) 0.26%.

 

            While the Frente won 12 of 13 provinces (departamentos) as well as the capital, it fell short of the critical 50% plus 1 vote needed to win in the first round. The FMLN and ARENA will go head to head for the presidency on March 9, when a simple majority will suffice.

 

            The current "government of change" is headed by Mauricio Funes Cartagena, the former TV host of "Frente a Frente", a hard hitting current affairs program that provided space for critical assessments of the neoliberal politics of ARENA governments. The FMLN supported Funes, who won what was considered the first free election in the history of the country, in the first round in 2009.

 

            The Funes/FMLN government has introduced numerous changes supported by large sections of the working class, peasant farmers, students, women's organizations, and seniors.

 

            Among the most popular programs was the "school package" which provided school uniforms, shoes and supplies for all elementary and middle school students free of charge. Another program provided all children with a free glass of milk each school day. In addition, there was investment in building new schools and rebuilding or repairing damaged facilities.

 

            One important result of investing in public education was the reduction of illiteracy from 17.9% under ARENA to 12.5% under Funes and FMLN. These changes have been especially important to working class and peasant families. In his roles as both current Vice-President and Minister of Education, Sanchez Ceren was directly involved in implementing these changes.

 

            The government of change has also made significant advances in the health sector. A new investment of $43 million in a Maternity Hospital is nearing completion and will have a capacity of 401 beds, 154 cribs and 38 examination rooms.

 

            Four other public hospitals damaged in the 2001 earthquake have now been repaired, and $31 million has been invested in the construction and repairing of 91 public health units, while another 22 are currently under construction.

 

            Another extremely important health care initiative was the completion of numerous Community Teams for Family Health ("Equipos Comunitarios de Salud Familiares", ECOS) throughout the country. These centres provide family medicine and specialist services such as obstetrics, pediatrics, nephrology as well as pharmacy, laboratory and health education spaces in numerous villages. Vaccination teams go house to house to ensure all children are protected. All these services, including day care, are provided free of charge in the areas where they are located. In addition, ECOS teams make scheduled visits to smaller communities throughout their geographic areas on a weekly basis, to ensure the health services go to where the people actually live. 

 

            The Funes administration also introduced an agricultural packaged aimed at helping peasants improve their standard of leaving. This package includes fertilizer and improved seeds for beans and corn, which make up the most critical part of the Salvadorian diet. This has effectively increased productivity in the agricultural sector, while reducing the influence of Monsanto in the country. Since the introduction of this program, El Salvador has become self sufficient in these two crops.

 

            The FMLN government has been proactive in addressing the needs of women. The main vehicle for this effort was Ciudad Mujer (Women's City). This organization concentrated access to services of more than 30 institutions in one location to provide immediate access to health services, child care, education, women's shelters, and micro‑credit, among many other important services.

 

            It should be noted that the FMLN/Funes government has been enhancing the sovereignty of the people of El Salvador. A symbolic first step was the re‑establishment of diplomatic and commercial relations with Cuba, on the first day of the government of change in 2009. Another important step in the battle for sovereignty is the increasing relations with ALBA. There are now five major ALBA programs in the country including: AlbaAlimentos (Alba Food), Alba Becas (Bursaries), AlbaPetroleo (Alba Oil), AlbaFertilizantes (Fertilizer), and AlbaFinanciero (Microcredit).

 

            Tax reform was another major achievement of the FMLN in its first term. The minimum tax level was increased from $300 to $500, to cut taxes on the poorest people. Some loopholes used by corporations to evade taxation have been closed, and tax subsidies for export corporations were eliminated.

 

            The third place UNIDAD presidential candidate, Tony Saca, an owner of numerous radio stations in El Salvador, copied some aspects of the FMLN platform such as Ciudad Mujer. Saca offered bursaries of up to $100 to learn English as a way of increasing job skills for young people in El Salvador.

 

            ARENA offered the traditional neoliberal policies of "law and order", balancing the budget by cutting social programs, and opening the country for foreign investment. Their main focus was on militarizing the police to combat the "Maras" or gangs which have been a major problem. Organized crime in El Salvador dates back to the early 1990s, and is directly connected to similar gangs in the United States.

 

            Citizens will have a clear choice on March 9 between ARENA, which wants to return to the neoliberal policies of the past, and the FMLN, which pledges to carry on and deepen the important changes that began under the first Government of Change of Funes/FMLN.

 

            People's Voice will provide in-depth analysis of the electoral battle in upcoming issues.

 

(The above article is from the February 15-28, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)