Tuesday, May 28, 2013 The "exterior" vote<http://luterano.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-exterior-vote.html>
*TSE launching the vote from the exterior of the country.* Salvadorans living outside of El Salvador can now enroll to vote in the 2014 elections. To be able to vote, an ex-pat from El Salvador will need a national identity document (DUI) with his or her foreign address outside of El Salvador. With that DUI, you can go to the website of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal <http://www.tse.gob.sv/> where there is a form to register to vote in this manner. With two million or more Salvadorans living outside of the country, the vote from the exterior could be a major wild card. (I don't think any of the polls published in recent months in El Salvador make any attempt to include them). While I do not have the statistics on how many DUIs have been issued with foreign addresses, I have my doubts that we will see more than 100,000 votes from outside of the country. In the 2009 elections, which was the first time that Salvadorans living outside of the country could vote if they returned to El Salvador to cast a ballot, the number of voters was much less than forecast. Of course, the cost of an airline ticket is much less than the cost of the new process of voting from abroad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ P3 law passes: What does this mean? May 28, 2013 The Salvadoran Legislative Assembly passed the Public-Private Partnerships Law Thursday, May 23rd, with 83 of 84 votes. As one assembly member was absent for the vote, the law passed by consensus, meaning no parties opposed the passing of the law. *Despite some resistance from the Salvadoran left and social movements, especially unions, the current public services that this law will open to contracts for management by private companies include ports, the airport, highways, and municipal services.* Before agreeing to pass the bill, left-wing political party FMLN negotiated to ensure that *some major public services are excluded from privatization, including water, education (particularly the national university), healthcare, the health insurance system for Salvadorans with formal jobs, and public security.* While these exclusions are an important silver lining, Salvadoran social movements have reacted with outrage.Public-Private partnerships continue the neo-liberal economic model where, once again, the state turns over public goods to private enterprise. - Isabel Hernandez, SHARE El Salvador *The United States was keen on this law passing in order to facilitate contracts for U.S. based corporations future business development and other international corporations investment to be carried out without facing any obstacles.* U.S.-El Salvador ambassador, Mari Carmen Aponte, even threatened not to approve the next Millennium Challenge Corporation project funding, had the law not been passed. The fund focuses on coordinating public-private partnerships to enact mega tourism and development projects primarily along the coast in the Lower Lempa region. Isabel Hernandez, current SHARE El Salvador Field Office Director and founding member of CRIPDES, reacts to the Legislative Assemblys decision: According to the Funes government and those who defend this law, it will be an instrument that will facilitate the entrance of new investment capital in various economic sectors of the country. This investment capital will generate new jobs, the countrys economic growth will skyrocket, and it will seem like this is the miracle we need to move the country forward. They said the same thing when the free trade agreements were signed, when the government privatized telecommunications, banks, etc. However, actual results demonstrate the opposite: increased poverty, fewer and less-stable jobs, greater migration of the population, and workers loss of labor rights. Public-Private partnerships continue the neo-liberal economic model where, once again, the state turns over public goods to private enterprise. For example, we have the case of the geothermal energy company, La Geo, in which the Salvadoran state has been sued before an international tribunal and condemned to pay an exaggerated amount of money to an Italian company. Moreover, it is not true that with the passing of this law hundreds of investors will come with their capital to invest in El Salvador since there are other determining factors. THE GOVERNMENT MUST TELL ITS PEOPLE THE TRUTH. This law is the product of pressure from the U.S. government and other international entities. For more information on the P3 law, its links to the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the United States, see our past blog posts here<http://www.share-elsalvador.org/2013/02/partnership-for-growth-or-destruction.html> . http://www.share-elsalvador.org/2013/05/p3-law-passes-what-does-this-mean.html#more-6303 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- El Salvador spent *2.8 percent of its GDP* on security and justice in 2011, more than any other country in Central America, according to the World Bank.<http://www.bancomundial.org/es/news/press-release/2013/05/23/El-Salvador-invierte-mas-en-seguridad-y-justicia> A recent report showed in 2010, El Salvador spent *2.4 percent*, Nicaragua and Panama spent *2.3 percent*, Honduras spent *2 percent* and Guatemala spent *1.7 percent.* The same report also showed that El Salvador invested *22 percent of its GDP* on public investment, while the regional average was 28 percent of GDP. If you click on the red parts you can see what it was used for or bought and the years. All USA Grant Aid to El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014= $695,213,294.00 Arms and Equipment Sold to El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *Program**2009* *2010**2011* Program Total*Foreign Military Sales<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Foreign_Military_Sales&country=El_Salvador> * 13,101,000<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Foreign_Military_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 6,176,000<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Foreign_Military_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 5,255,000<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Foreign_Military_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2011> *24,532,000* *Direct Commercial Sales<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Direct_Commercial_Sales&country=El_Salvador> * 2,762,813<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Direct_Commercial_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 2,038,579<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Direct_Commercial_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 6,225,151<http://justf.org/Sales_Detail?program=Direct_Commercial_Sales&country=El_Salvador&year=2011> *11,026,543**TOTAL* Grant military and police aid to El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *Aid Program* *2009**2010* *2011**2012* *2013**2014* Program Total*Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador> * 1,538,000<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 3,426,000<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 4,715,000 2,173,000*2,173,000* *2,173,000**16,198,000* *Foreign Military Financing*9,067,000 1,000,0001,247,000 1,250,0001,250,000 1,800,000* 15,614,000* *International Military Education and Training*1,594,0001,708,000 1,521,000 1,029,0001,029,000 1,000,000*7,881,000* *Non-Security Assistance - Unified Command*693,721 906,298 *1,600,019* *Service Academies*144,080215,292 213,758 *213,758**213,758* *213,758**1,214,404* *Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Counter-Terrorism_Fellowship_Program&country=El_Salvador> * 35,821<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Counter-Terrorism_Fellowship_Program&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 42,093 215,812*215,812* *215,812**215,812* *941,162**Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies* 134,253250,896 123,147*123,147* *123,147**123,147* *877,737 **Section 1033 Counter-Drug Assistance<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Section_1033_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador> * 865,000<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Section_1033_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> *865,000**Excess Defense Articles<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Excess_Defense_Articles&country=El_Salvador> * 836,440<http://justf.org/Program_Detail?program=Excess_Defense_Articles&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> *836,440**Aviation Leadership Program* 6,80539,047 25,560*25,560* *25,560** 25,560* *148,092**Asia-Pacific Center* *2,362**2,362* *4,724**Global Peace Operations Initiative* 755*755* *755**755* *3,020**TOTAL* *14,052,482** 8,454,988* *8,062,032**5,031,032* *5,031,032**5,552,032* *46,183,598* All amounts in U.S. dollars. *Numbers in italics* are estimates, usually based on the closest year for which data are available. Grant economic and social aid to El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *Aid Program* *2009**2010* *2011**2012* *2013**2014* Program Total*Millennium Challenge* 133,970,000167,220,000 70,120,00046,810,000 *418,120,000**Development Assistance* 21,196,00023,904,000 23,904,00023,904,000 23,904,00039,000,000 * 155,812,000**Economic Support Fund* 27,000,00025,000,000 2,000,000 2,000,000 *56,000,000**Child Survival and Health* 6,010,0005,510,000 3,106,000 * 14,626,000**Peace Corps* *2,508,000* *2,508,000**Defense Department Humanitarian Assistance* 1,329,131634,565 *1,963,696**TOTAL* *192,013,131** 222,268,565* *97,130,000**72,714,000* *25,904,000**39,000,000* *649,029,696* All amounts in U.S. dollars. *Numbers in italics* are estimates, usually based on the closest year for which data are available. All Grant Aid to El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *2009* *2010**2011* *2012**2013* *2014*TOTAL *TOTAL**206,065,613* * 230,723,553**105,192,032* *77,745,032**30,935,032* *44,552,032**695,213,294* Military and Police Trainees from El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *Aid Program* *2009**2010* *2011*Program Total *International Military Education and Training<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=International_Military_Education_and_Training&country=El_Salvador> * 299<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=International_Military_Education_and_Training&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 323<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=International_Military_Education_and_Training&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 175 *797**Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Center_for_Hemispheric_Defense_Studies&country=El_Salvador> * 84<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Center_for_Hemispheric_Defense_Studies&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 156<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Center_for_Hemispheric_Defense_Studies&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 153 *393**Non-Security Assistance - Unified Command<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Non-Security_Assistance_-_Unified_Command&country=El_Salvador> * 95<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Non-Security_Assistance_-_Unified_Command&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 245 *340* *Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Counter-Terrorism_Fellowship_Program&country=El_Salvador> * 26<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Counter-Terrorism_Fellowship_Program&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 5<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Counter-Terrorism_Fellowship_Program&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 73 *104**Global Peace Operations Initiative<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Global_Peace_Operations_Initiative&country=El_Salvador> * 45<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Global_Peace_Operations_Initiative&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 26<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Global_Peace_Operations_Initiative&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 29 *100**Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador> * 8<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 46<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Section_1004_Counter-Drug_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 17 *71**Service Academies<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Service_Academies&country=El_Salvador> * 4<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Service_Academies&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> 4<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Service_Academies&country=El_Salvador&year=2010> 3 *11**Aviation Leadership Program<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Aviation_Leadership_Program&country=El_Salvador> * 1 1<http://justf.org/Training_Detail?program=Aviation_Leadership_Program&country=El_Salvador&year=2010>1 *3* *TOTAL**562* *806**451* *1,819* Deployments and Operations in El Salvador, All Programs, 2009-2014 *Program* *2009*Program Total *Humanitarian and Civic Assistance<http://justf.org/Deployment_Detail?program=Humanitarian_and_Civic_Assistance&country=El_Salvador> * 569,000<http://justf.org/Deployment_Detail?program=Humanitarian_and_Civic_Assistance&country=El_Salvador&year=2009> *569,000**TOTAL* *569,000**569,000* All amounts in U.S. dollars. http://justf.org/Country?country=El_Salvador [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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