Celebrate the People's Triumph--Support the 2009 Victory Tour!

News

(a note from CISPES Development Director Alexis Stoumbelis)

Dear Friend,

By now,Im sure youve heard that the FMLNwon an unprecedented victory over the right wingUS allied ARE NA party on March 15. Hope triumphedover fear as the Salvadoran people elected the first leftistgovernment in their history, the realization of more than 30 years ofvision, struggle, and sacrifice. 

As the polls closed, town squares nationwide became seasof red as FMLN supporters thronged in celebration (Click here for excellentvideosand slideshows).  Withfirecrackers exploding overhead, the joyous crowds chanted Sí se pudo (we didit)! Many wept openlyfrom the elation of the victory and thememory of all the fallen compañerosand compañeras who gave theirlives to this struggle.

Now we want to give you the chance to hear first-handfrom the organizers who made this triumph possible with the 2009 CISPES VictoryTour! Please makea contribution to jump-start the tour and read on for more details...

We feel incredibly gratified that CISPE S activists like you played a role in thisvictory. When theRepublicans attacked, denouncing the FMLN as a threat toU.S. national security and threatening to deport Salvadoran immigrantsand cut off the money they send home to their family if the FMLN won, wefought back! Our lightning-quick response inundated the State Departmentwith phone calls, forcing them to issue a strongstatement of neutrality and repudiating the right-wings threats.

But thereal heroes of this Victory are the Salvadoran people. Unable to matchARENAs huge advantage in financial resources, media access orcontrol over the voter registry, the FMLN relied on its own primeassetactive organizing by the poor majority who could not stand fivemore years of ARENAs corporate misrule. (photo: AdamKufeld)

 For days leading up to the vote, thousands of Frentesupporters mobilized to defend the vote against right-wingfraud.  They detained busloads of voters brought in fromNicaragua ,Honduras andGuatemala , exposed sites, includinggovernment buildings, where ARENA was housing them, and, linking arms,surrounded buildings overnight to prevent foreigners from going out to thepolls!

The electoral victory inE l Salvador opens a new phase in the struggle forsocial justice.  Now the FMLN and the organized socialmovement can begin building an economic and political system that servesthe needs of the poor majority rather than multinational corporations. Asleaders from the social movement told our delegates, This is whenthe real work begins!

But I doubt youll hear about all the progressivechanges theyre making in the mainstream media.El Salvador is alreadydisappearing from the news, save slanderof the FMLN by the right-wing press.

Thats why CISPESis sponsoring a Victory Tour this June! We will bring aprominent leader from the Salvadoran social movement to cities across theU.S. to educate our communities, schools, churches, and unions about the FMLNsplans for promoting economic development based on social justice andabout the solidarity we can provide during this historic shift in power.

This tour is especially important for Salvadoranimmigrants in the U.S. to hear first hand about how their new government will create the El Salvador que queremos (theE lSalvador that we want)

The road ahead will not be easy: ARE NA and international capital are not defeated.The right-wing has the majority in the Legislative Assembly,U.S. policies of privatization and freetrade dominate the economy, and U.S. military, police and FBI bases remain.

So now is the time to build a broad base of solidarityto defend the peoples victory against the attacks to come and theVictory Tour is an important way to build people-to-people connections. Butweneed you to make it happen! If we raise $3000 by the end of this month,we can buy plane tickets and to bring this tour to as many cities aspossible. Will you be one of 30 Victor yTour sponsors and makea donation of $100 today?

Stay tuned for more details about the tour itinerary at www.cispes.org.Thank you for your continued support--lets celebrate

En solidaridad,

Alexis Stoumbelis

CISPESNational Office

P.S. Please giveas generously as you can to kick off the tour and a new era of El Salvadorsolidarityafter all, its not every day we get a victory assweet as this!

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