Translation: Email to Salvadoran Legislators from International Allies

I back the demands of the Salvadoran people for a Water Law that guarantees the human right to water!

Today I write to you, as a member of the Environmental and Climate Change Commission, to demand that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, you, support a water law that guarantees the human right to water. Some weeks ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic. One of the major recommendations to prevent the spread of this virus is regular hand washing, among other things. This presents a challenge in El Salvador given that over 90% of the country's water is contaminated and families continue to have precarious access to clean water sources.

As an international ally concerned for the environmental sustainability of El Salvador as well as for the health and well-being of Salvadoran families, I worry that El Salvador still has not approved a law that guarantees the human right to clean and potable water. I echo the demands of the social and environmental movement in El Salvador that are urging you, today more than ever, to approve a law that would guarantee protections and an equitable distribution of potable water.

I call on you and all political parties to meet the demands of the various organizations and institutions that together have expressed support for a water law that guarantees the human right to water, environmental sustainability in water regulation to prevent the further exploitation and contamination by corporations, and that would require that the board of directors be composed of representatives of public entities, with the effective participation of civil society.

As a member of the international community, I will remain attentive to this process and the position that each political party takes as we confront this issue of international interest.

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