interview about the recent repression and arrests of protesters in Suchitoto, El Salvador - with CISPES program director Krista Hanson on Between the Lines, a nationally sindicated radio show

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From Between the Lines: http://www.btlonline.org/btlseg2072007.html

New "Terrorism" Laws in El Salvador Used to Repression Peaceful Water Privatization Protesters

Interview with Krista Hanson,
program director of the Committee in Solidarity
with the People of El Salvador,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus

OnJuly 2, the president of El Salvador, Elías Antonio Saco, traveled tothe town of Suchitoto to announce water "decentralization" -- the firststep in the privatization process. Water privatization is one of thehottest political issues in the country. The poor farmers held apeaceful demonstration that was violently broken up by the police.Fourteen people, including four Association of Rural Communities forthe Development of El Salador leaders who hadn't yet arrived at thesite of the protest, were arrested and all but one were charged withterrorism.

TheSalvadoran government is very closely allied with the Bushadministration. It is the only Latin American nation to still havetroops fighting alongside the U.S. in Iraq, and it is the site of aLatin American police training academy that was rejected by at leasttwo other Latin American countries.

BetweenThe Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Krista Hanson, program director ofthe Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador. Shediscusses CISPES' support for groups in El Salvador that oppose theso-called "war on terror" in their country, and the criminalizing ofpopular protest.

Forinformation on El Salvador's fight against water privatization and thearrested protesters of Suchitoto, call CISPES at (212) 465-4115 orvisit their website, at www.cispes.org