Supporters of Mauricio Funes, presidential candidate for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front party (FMLN), participate during a rally at the central market in downtown San Salvador February 25, 2009. El Salvador will hold presidential elections on March 15. REUTERS/Luis Galdamez (EL SALVADOR) Written by Various Authors
Upside Down World
Thursday, 22 January 2009
After 17 years since the end of El Salvador's civil war, the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) is poised to accomplish what its guerrilla predecessors never did: Takeover the national government with the presidential elections on March 15. The FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes holds a double-digit lead over his rival Rodrigo Avila of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party. An FMLN victory in March would break 20 years of one-party rule by ARENA...
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6 comments:
I find this fascinating. In my limited experience in Guatemala and Colombia, there seems to be enough popular disgust with abuses perpetrated by left-wing guerrilla rebel groups that their once legitimate claims of fighting on behalf of the oppressed majority in their countries are seen as false. I'm wondering why the FMLN have been able to avoid a similar popular perception, to the extent that they are in a position to win an election. Were they seen as successful in maintaining their ideological integrity? Or are they simply the only alternative to a U.S.-friendly, rightist government? Can someone speak to this?
The FMLN always had a stronger relationship with popular movements than the guerrillas of Colombia and Guatemala, but the FMLN has also suffered from the stigma of being ex-guerrillas. Their presidential candidate is a popular media personality, not an ex-guerrilla, so that and his generally moderate politics have dampened the old stigmas against the FMLN.
No one likes 'right wing' governments in LA. They like balanced governments. Some righties and some lefties.
I think you, Pilgrim, may be looking at only one side of the equation in LA. In most of the wars/conflicts there were both right wing and left wing guerrillas.
Can someone speak to this?
Sure, whomever the people of El Salvador choose.
A government's first duty is to look out for the welfare of its own citizens and its own welfare. No need to be Us-friendly, "neighborly" is all there need be.
"....I'm wondering why the FMLN have been able to avoid a similar popular perception, to the extent that they are in a position to win an election...."
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Because they are in El Salvador, where former guerrillas (both right and left) were offered the opportunity to participate in the political process.
(Similar to N.Ireland's DPM who was an IRA member or better yet, a former Confederate running for office in the US).
When offered the choice between political opportunity and war, people generally choose politics.
The atmosphere in Colombia is worlds apart from the rest of civilization.
Thanks for your responses.
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