His family reports that he had received death threats before from an owner of a local bus company. Many people see the disappearance of Contreras as yet another case of the repression against those who participate in protest and organizing work. Some people believe Contreras has been kidnapped by death-squad like structures, which are connected to the state, and they are therefore calling on the ARENA government to release Contreras and calling for a full investigation.

Members of the Salvadoran social movement see other signs pointing to an increase in politically motivated crimes and violence. On Monday, a family of FMLN supporters was attacked in the municipality of San Martin. Rosendo Alas Quintanilla, 68 years old, was murdered, and his wife and two children were physically assaulted. People believe the attack may be politically motivated, since he and his family had received threats months ago. Quintanilla was beheaded and his partner and two children had wounds on their necks, fingers and arms. The Salvadoran right-wing media is presenting the case as one of common crime, while various social organizations are making the denouncement public and are pressing for the case to be investigated.

Protests Outside Assembly Stop Honors for D‘Aubisson

While these and past cases (like the murders of Gilberto Soto and the Manzanares) remain unpunished, the ARENA deputies in the Legislative Assembly moved on Tuesday to give a special national honor — "Honorable Son of the Nation" — for Roberto D‘Aubisson. Founder of the death squads, mastermind behind the 1980 murder of Archbishop Romero, and founder of the ARENA party, D‘Aubisson is one of the most hated personalities in El Salvador, and emblematic of the dirtiest elements of the state violence and death-squad actions during the war.

This morning a large gathering of protestors came together outside the National Assembly to call for a reversal of the decision. A march of young people headed toward the Assembly, but the riot police blocked their path. The boisterous protest at the Assembly was successful in getting ARENA to retract their proposal. However, social movement leaders believe it is possible that ARENA will try to call a legislative session when everyone has left — even if that is in the middle of the night — to approve the honor. The Archbishop‘s office for Human Rights sent a letter of protest yesterday to the Legislative Assembly and international bodies including the United Nations, citing the U.N. Truth Commission‘s finding that "there is clear evidence that Major Roberto D‘Aubisson gave the orders to kill Archbishop [Monse