By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador—On a recent visit to El Salvador, U.S. President Barack Obama promised $200 million to aid the Central American nation in its war on drug trafficking and gang violence. According to President Obama, this funding would go towards fighting the underlying causes of trafficking and gang membership, such as poverty and various social elements. In addition to the $200 million promise, Obama also vowed to undertake new steps to increase trade and economic collaboration within El Salvador and Central America.
President Obama also announced the creation of the Central American Citizen’s Security Partnership after discussing the matter with Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes. The Partnership is expected to fortify the court system within the country with the cooperation of countries like Chile, Colombia and Mexico. The two leaders also discussed immigration, as two to three million Salvadorans live and work within the U.S. Obama praised Funes’ “courageous work to overcome old divisions in Salvadoran society,” and said, “The U.S. wants to be a partner in this process. We want El Salvador to be successful.”
Obama was accompanied by his wife and daughters on his trip. He visited the National Cathedral in the capital, San Salvador, and saw the tomb of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a defender of the poor who was assassinated in 1980 after celebrating Mass.
Obama’s visit to El Salvador was the last of many visits to different Latin American countries, such as Chile and Brazil. The visit was cut shorter than expected, as the president had to return to Washington early in order to handle the critical events taking place in Libya.
Though Obama’s promises have given many Salvadorans hope, some radical Salvadorans have been wary of the U.S.’s motives. One student leader, using the alias “Ana Maria,” commented, “Obama is visiting El Salvador so that the U.S. can continue trying to control the Latin American region. . . . [T]he reinforcement of the anti-narcotics division here [is] there to put down our social movements. They are all part of maintaining a military position here—and we will continue to oppose it!”
The U.S. State Department lists El Salvador as one of the 10 most violent countries in the world. It is estimated that last year there were almost 4,000 homicides in the country.
For more information, please see:
Axis of Logic-Dispatch from El Salvador: Obama’s Drug War Feels Eerily Familiar-5 April 2011
BBC-Obama pledges anti-drug funding on El Salvador visit-23 March 2011
AFP-Obama visits violence-plagued El Salvador-22 March 2011
