By Amanda AguilarShank

     For those who haven't lived in the Pacific Northwest, it's hard to imagine the collectiveecstasy we experience at the end of 8 months of grey skies and continual rain.Well it has finally happened. People are wandering around smiling and blinkingat the mysterious reappearance of the sun, and even on moderately warm days aredressed for a day on Key West.Here at the Portland CISPES committee, we are scheming to take advantage ofthis collective delirium to bring together our local Salvadoran community andlongstanding allies, and we have everything going for us.

    The Portland Central America SolidarityCommittee (PCASC) has been a member group of CISPES since 1980. Throughout ourhistory, our work has at different times prioritized solidarity with El Salvador and other Central American countriesduring the difficult 1980s, supported revolutionary movements in Latin America,and more recently we have focused on supporting immigrants in their strugglefor justice and dignity in Oregon.

    But in 2008, we can't help but be drawnback to our roots as a Salvadoran solidarity organization.  The convergence of events this year ismagnetic. It will not only be transformative for Salvadorans, but will alsobring El Salvadorto the international spotlight. In the context of the unprecedented leftwardshift throughout Latin America and the veryreal possibility of the first FMLN presidential victory, it is impossible tonot be inspired to action.

    Our first major success of the year wassecuring funding for a part-time position that will focus exclusively on our El Salvadorprogram. The PCASC board will be interviewing and hiring in July, and theposition will be funded through the March elections in El Salvador.This is a huge step forward in terms of capacity, as our CISPES work in thepast has been coordinated primarily by a rough gang of volunteers and withsupport from the eternally overworked PCASC coordinator.

     Our top priority for this year is to bringthe Salvadoran elections into the public eye, and to send a strong delegationsof observers. Through this we will create accountability and push for fairelections practices, and also build the commitment of our solidarity movement.

     One example of this commitment is found inNan Stark, our 2008 link to the Salvadoran social movement, who participated inthe June fact-finding delegation to El Salvador. In an on-the-groundcomunicado, she wrote, the information that people are sharing with us, sopassionately and with such hope, is more inspiring than I can begin to convey.This first-hand experience, which has inspired hundreds of CISPES delegatesover the years, is what keeps our organization alive. Nanand others will host a report back in early September as a way to bring theSalvadoran elections front and center for Portlanders.

     This summer, we're also looking forward toa Salvadoran barbecue, where we expect that attendence will far excede thepotential of basement meetings, and which will serve a similar purpose. We willbring together Portlanders from all walks of life who have shown dedication tothe social movement of ElSalvador throughout the last 30 years ofstruggle. We look forward to sharing ideas and strategizing with compañer@s oldand new.

     Lastly, in June, PCASC's Lolo Cutumay(Jesus Rivas) of the revolutionary Salvadoran musical group Cutumay Camonesappeared in Los Angeles to welcome presidential candidate Mauricio Funes towhat is often referred to as El Salvador's 15th department with hisrenditions of El Sombrero Azul and Casas de Cartón. He will also be recordingan original song that the FMLN will use to promote the vote throughout theelectoral campaign in ElSalvador. For those who have not yet heard Lolo's inspiring music, he is on theroad this summer, with a show in Vancouver,BC on July 17th.  In September, the group Cutumay Camones willcome back together for a UStour in memory of Paco and Eduardo Cutumay, playing in LosAngeles on September 13th and 20th, and continuing the tour withshows in San Francisco, SanJose, Maryland, and Washington D.C. 

Contact PCASC forinformation about where and when he'll be in your neighborhood: [email protected]  or the CISPES committee at [email protected].