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March 22, 2004

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U.S.-Backed Right Wing Candidate Wins in El Salvador

Voteelsal

U.S.-backed candidate Tony Saca won this weekend’s national elections in El Salvador, beating former guerilla leader Schafik Handal. We go to San Salvador for a report. [includes transcript]

AMY GOODMAN: We go to Norm Stockwell of community radio station WORT in Madison, Wisconsin. You covered this election. Your description of what took place.

NORM STOCKWELL: Yes, Amy. Thank you. It’s very good to be with you. Last night was a very disappointing defeat for the FMLN here in El Salvador. As you said, the party that came out of El Salvador’s peace accords of 1992, began campaigning for political office. This was the first chance for the FMLN to gain the presidency in this country. There were high hopes if they didn’t succeed in the first round, they would make it to the second round in May 2 when the top two candidates would contend for the election. It turned out that the Arana party got resounding victory, 57% of the vote went to Arana, and many people have said this was not a fair campaign, that it was a campaign of fear. In fact, Schafik Handal last night in his concession speech said that he is conceding defeat, but he will not congratulate his opponent because the campaign of fear is not a campaign of liberty.

AMY GOODMAN: Norm Stockwell, we just have 30 seconds, but I wanted to ask about white house special assistant, Otto Reich having a news conference at the headquarters of the right wing party, telling Salvadoran party that the impact of the victory would have on the country and Roger Noriega telling the voters consider what relationship they want the U.S. To have with us, meaning the U.S.

NORM STOCKWELL: Many officials were quoted in the media here in the last couple of months. Also, Jeb Bush from Florida was down here speaking in favor of CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement. He cautioned the voters not to vote for the FMLN. This is the kind of attempt that the United States was engaged in throughout the campaign, that the FMLN is now saying that was part of the campaign of fear and part of the corruption of the Salvadoran electoral process.

AMY GOODMAN: Norm Stockwell, I want to thank you very much for being with us of station WORT in Wisconsin speaking to us from San Salvador.

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