Dear friend in solidarity,

As you know, 2009 has been a historic year for El Salvador and forCISPES with the election of the first FMLN government in El Salvador.We hope you are as rewarded as we are by the solidarity role we playedfrom within the U.S., stopping U.S. intervention and sending one ourlargest delegations of elections observers. Please make atax-deductible donation today to keep this momentum going in 2010!      

Sadly, recent assassinations of anti-mining activists Marcelo Rivera,Ramiro Rivera and Alicia Sorto in Cabañas show just how dangerous itcan be to defend your community’s right to land and water and to standup to corporations like Pacific Rim mining.

But thanks to your support and participation, we have taken immediateand effective action to support the resistance in El Salvador!

    * CISPES brought this story to Democracy Now! on Tuesday, gettingthe news about the crisis in Cabañas and the role of the United Statesvia CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement to thousands ofprogressives across the country.

    * Over 500 of you have written to us with copies of your emails to Salvadoran Attorney General demanding a thorough investigation and an end to this terror campaign. President Funes and the leadership of the FMLN have echoed your call in their denouncements to the press.

    * The Vancouver, B.C. headquarters of Pacific Rim have been flooded with your phone calls and emails demanding they withdraw their outrageous lawsuit against the government of El Salvador. They must not want to hear any more from us since they have already shut down the email account and voice mail box!

    * CISPES is supporting an emergency mobilization in Cabañas next week, as communities join together and demand an end to the violence that has taken three leaders of their struggle. ¡Marcelo, Ramiro and Alicia, presente!

We are fortunate to have such a committed and active base of supporters like you. With your action and with your financial support, we can ensure that CISPES will be there when it counts, in the weeks and months to come. Today is your last chance to give a gift of solidarity in 2009—please make a generous (and tax-deductible) contribution today.
¡La lucha sigue!

Alexis Stoumbelis
CISPES Executive Director

P.S. If you send a tax-deductible donation of $60 or more today , we’ll send you a CD of revolutionary music from El Salvador and a t-shirt commemorating the historic victory to keep you inspired in the ongoing fight for justice. ¡Mil gracias!