FMLN_Letter

Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 15:50:55 -0600
(TRANSLATION)

The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, El Salvador, C.A.
Communiqu� to the Nation

     The earthquake that occurred on September 13th of the current year is a
national tragedy and for that reason, should be tackled by all the forces
of the nation.
    We address the nation to propose concrete measures and activities of
assistance that both address those grave personal and material damages that
were suffered due to the earthquake and would begin the reconstruction of
the country.
    In this context, our party feels the national pain with great intensity
and has placed all its energy on confronting the problem. For this reason,
we have given instructions to all our party structures so that the
militancy of the FMLN contributes, on the national level, effectively and
responsibly to the assistance of those affected by the disaster
(preferably through the commissions that each municipality has set up to
attend their communities). These instructions have no electoral motives
since there are 182 municipalities governed by various political parties.
    We congratulate all municipal councils, without making any political
distinction, that have taken measures to assist their communities.
    Our party offices through out the nation have been converted into shelters
and gathering places in order to assist those affected by the earthquake.
    Our legislative fraction will propose, in the Assembly, emergency measures
to confront the problem. They consist of:
    1. The Assembly itself should declare itself in permanent session and its
     commissions should intensely work full time in the approval of whatever
     exceptional measures needed.
    2. The national budget should be restructured using three fundamental
     criteria (the current budget dos not respond to or address the
     current situation in the country). The three criteria are:
         1. Assistance to those affected by the earthquake
         2. Reconstruction of the material damages
         3. Normal costs of the State
    3. For national assistance and reconstruction, a specific Fund
     should be created. This Fund should be administered by a commission that
    represents all the forces of the country: workers, churches, social
    sectors, Private business, etc. The persons that would make up the
    commission should meet the highest moral criteria so that the funds
    effectively arrive to their destinations. To assure effectiveness and
    honesty, the said commission would be subject to a social audit exercised by
    the representative sectors of the civil society.
                The Fund should initially be consisted of:
                                  � All funds originated from the privatization's
                                  � All donations that come from the international community and the generous
                                     contributions from the Salvadoran people
                                   � All existing funds in the national budget allocated for unforeseen
                                      necessities.
                                    � Funds coming from small businesses
   4. The approval of a legislative decree that condones existing house debts
    originating from the construction or acquisition of a home in the affected
    zones.
    The Legislative Assembly re-initiate the cordilleras of El Salvador
protection project in order to avoid the repetition of a disaster that in
this particular case is not due to only an act of nature but is also due to
irresponsible acts on the part of propieters, land owners, developers,
construction companies and complacent authorities. A concrete example that
represents the necessity of such a law is what happened in Las Colinas 2
and El Para�so in the south of Santa Tecla. The people of Santa Tecla had
been struggling for some time trying to avoid precisely these types of
resulting catastrophes. The approval of a moratorium law that would forgive
the payments of loans for the period of one year so that the proprietors
could use such money for reconstruction costs. The approval of a legislative
decree that would give preferential credits for the reconstruction of homes.
The emission of a dictum that would, immediately and effectively, transfer
already approved funds (Fondos FODES) from the Central Government to Local
Governments so that the Municipal Councils give a quick solution to the
immediate problems of the people.
    We insist that the Central Government, at the International Conference
for the Reconstruction and Transformation of Central America in Madrid,
solicit to international organisms and friendly countries the
condemnation of the external debt.
    The state of calamity and the necessity of national unity demands the
immediate suspension of the Monetary Integration Law (known as dolarization)
and the millions of dollars needed for the application of the Law should be
rechanneled to use for national reconstruction.
    The FMLN has started to solicit to friendly countries so that they can
express their solidarity by offering material and human support. We hope
that the Salvadoran government makes it as easy as possible to
channel such aid.
    Finally, we want to express, to all of the people, our firm disposition to
find quick and effective solutions to this emergency.

San Salvador, January 14th, 2001