IN LATIN AMERICA

STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY

. Polorus

My Wife’s Family

The flag of El Salvador was adopted on May 17th 1912. The blue strips stand for the Pacific Ocean. The white stands for peace as many flags do. Inside the triangle are five volcanoes which stands for the five original states. Underneath the triangle lies El Salvador’s motto which means in English, “God, Union, and Liberty.”

Romero Film Clip

Watch the film clip and answer the question on

the sheet.

LIBERATION THEOLOGY

A movement urging the Roman Catholic Church to take a more active role in changing the social conditions that

contribute to poverty and oppression.

For a year, Oscar received anonymous letters threatening to kill him unless he

changed his ways of preaching and ministry.

On the evening of 24 March 1980, Oscar marked the anniversary of a death by conducting a funeral mass.

Ironically, while performing this funeral mass, he was shot and killed at

the altar.

ROMERO ASSASSINATED

Executions were not limited to laborers, but also priests, nuns, teachers, union organizers and any human rights activists.

Romero’s tomb in San Salvador.

“The Church would betray its own love for God and its fidelity to the gospel if it stopped being… a defender of the rights of the

poor… a humanizer of every legitimate struggle to achieve a more just society… that prepares the way for the true reign of God in

history.”

WAR IN EL SALVADOR

Civil War!•In the 1970s discontent with societal inequalities, a poor economy,

and the repressive measures of dictatorship led to civil war.

The government, ruled since 1961 by the right-wing National

Conciliation Party (PCN) fought against the leftist

antigovernment guerrilla units, whose leading group was the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN).

The U.S. intervened on the side of the military dictatorship, despite its scores of human

rights violations.

“Today is the Turn of the Victim”

•Paramilitary groups known as "death squads" committed

numerous murders throughout El Salvador. Their activities

protected wealthy land owners who did not want farm workers organizing to make demands.

•In 1988, the FMLN increased urban terrorism in the capital.

Bombings, assassinations, economic sabotage, arson,

among other rural and urban operations.

DEATH SQUADS

From 1980-1992, El Salvador fought a civil war. They fought to decide who should rule the nation. Unfortunately, many children were forced to fight! Since 1992, the country has been peaceful.

DEMOCRACY ESTABLISHED???

•The presidency of José Napoleón Duarte, a moderate civilian, from 1984–1989, offered an alternative to the political extremes of right and left, but Duarte was unable to end the war and in 1989

•Alfredo Cristiani of ARENA was elected.

Jose Napoleon Duarte

•On Jan. 16, 1992, the government signed a peace treaty with the guerrilla forces, formally ending the 12-year civil war that had killed 75,000.

•El Salvador's subsequent presidents have belonged to ARENA, including the president, Antonio Saca, who took office in 2004.

WAR ENDS!

Hey, this isn’t Disney

World!

March, 2009 - Mauricio Funes • March 15, 2009, election of new

president Mauricio Funes.

• He is a member of FMLN“Integration with Central America and strengthening relations with the United States will be the priority of our foreign policy," In his victory speech, he stressed

his moderate policies during his campaign and says he intends to maintain good relations with the United

States.

Rodrigo Avila, the ARENA candidate, lost the election with 49% of the vote. He had warned that an

FMLN victory would send El Salvador down a communist path and threaten the country's warm

relations with the United States. He vowed Sunday to lead "a vigilant opposition that would ensure that the

country does not lose its liberties."

HAITI

•1956 - Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup and is elected president a year later.

•1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the support of the military.

Francois Duvalier

“PAPA DOC”

HAITIAN DICTATOR

1956-1971

•1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life.

•1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council.

•1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.

JEAN-CLAUDE DUVALIER

“BABY DOC”

Unstable government overthrown in a series of military coups.

•1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president.

•1991 - Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions by the US and the Organization of American States.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Democratically elected President in Haiti

Raoul Cedras

MILITARY DICTATOR WHO

OUSTED ARISTIDE AND

TOOK OVER THE GOVERNMENT

•1994 - Haitian military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces land in Haiti peacefully to oversee a transition to civilian government; Aristide returns.

•1995 - UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections; Rene Preval elected in December to replace Aristide as president. Aristide is later re-elected as President in 2000.

HAITIAN PROTESTERS DEMANDED THE

RETURN OF ARISTIDE

U.S. Intervention in Haiti

Aristide won the 2000 poll, which was boycotted by

opposition groups. Aristide's second term soon became

mired in political, social and economic crises. The opposition refused to

recognize the outcome of the 2000 elections.

Aristide In Power Again

Feb. 5, 2004 — Armed rebels seize control of Gonaives, Haiti's fourth-largest city, starting a popular uprising that threatens Aristide's presidency.

Feb. 22, 2004 — Rebels seize Cap-Haitien, Haiti's second-largest city, and vow to press on to the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Rebels celebrate Sunday in Cap Haitien

Years Later, Many people are not satisfied with

Aristide’s Rule!

Armed Rebels Take Command

Feb. 29, 2004 — Jean-Bertrand Aristide submitted his resignation as President of Haiti and flew on a chartered plane to the Central African Republic.

Ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide says he was forced out of

Haiti in a "real coup d'etat" led by the United States, in what he called a "modern way to have a modern

kidnapping. I was told that to avoid bloodshed I'd better leave," he said in

an interview.

The Bush administration vigorously denied that Aristide was kidnapped

by U.S. troops. An official welcomes Aristide to Bangui, capital of the Central

African Republic.

Aristide Out of Power…Again

The U.N. Security Council voted February 29, 2004, unanimously to send a multinational peacekeeping

force to Haiti for up to three months. Forces include U.S. Marines as well as

French and Canadian troops.

Boniface Alexandre, left, was installed as Haiti's president. He

appears at a news conference Sunday with Prime Miniister Yvon

Neptune.

Government Turmoil

Haiti Today

•Corruption, insecurity, injustice, and chaos seem to be Haitian constants. Violent musclemen with big guns, loyal to Aristide, control more than a dozen sections of the capital, despite the presence of a US-endorsed Haitian technocrat who is caretaker of the government until presidential elections later this year.

•The Aristide proxies are collaborating - and competing, too - with members of the former military, many of whom returned from exile in the Dominican Republic to join their corrupt colleagues.

•The U.N. Security Council has authorized its international peacekeeping force in Haiti to continue operations at least until June 1, 2005. The hope is that Haiti will stabilize and find a democratic solution to its political problems.

Rene Preval – 2006 - Present

As of 2006, Rene Preval is back as president. The election took place after nearly two years of international peacekeeping.

Préval drew much of his support from Haiti's poorest people; he was especially widely supported in the poorest neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. However, many of the poor demanded that the former President Aristide be allowed to return.