FMLN Denounces Political Persecution in El Salvador

The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) Secretary Oscar Ortiz denounced that President Nayib Bukele administration is deploying a campaign of political persecution against those who were officials during the leftist governments.

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The right-wing regime is deploying trials for alleged acts of corruption as an "authoritarian mechanism" of social control, which is similar to what dictatorships used to silence their opponents. The purpose of this lawfare against former officials of FMLN administrations is to create diversions to hide what is happening in the country.

"This operation is aimed at confusing, manipulating, and hiding... This is an expensive circus whose price the population is paying," Ortiz said and announced that the FMLN will define a team of lawyers to defend its militants.

He also anticipated that the Bukele administration will try to establish a real media show using arrest warrants and lawsuits against leftist politicians as the main plot.

The meme reads, “The U.S. links Bukele government's senior officials to corruption. A State Department's declassified document mentions Cabinet Chief Carolina Recinos."

As a result of an accusation of embezzlement of US$351 million allegedly occurred during the Mauricio Funes administration (2009-2014), the Police arrested former lawmaker Calixto Mejia, former Healh Minister Violeta Menjivar, former Vice Minister of Science and Technology Erlinda Handal, former Vice Minister of Agriculture Hugo Flores, and former Finance Minister Carlos Caceres.

Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado also ordered the arrest of former President Salvador Sanchez, who is accused of having received US$530,000 in irregular payments from state funds.

On Friday, social and political organizations gathered in the Popular Resistance and Rebellion Bloc publicly expressed their solidarity with the FMLN militants and demanded their immediate release. In an open letter, this Bloc also denounced the intentions of the political show that the Salvadoran right wing wants to implement.

"What is evident is the enormous corruption of the Bukele administration, which does not report on the use of public funds and prevents the Court of Accounts from auditing US$1 billion from the 2020 budget. Signs of public corruption sprout constantly in this government."