Reprinted from pcusa.org

June 9, 2011

by Chris Herlinger

NEW YORK

Human rights groups praise indictments in Salvadoran Jesuits case

Salvadoran and U.S. human rights groups are applauding indictments and arrest warrants issued by a Spanish judge in the 1989 murders of six Jesuit priests, the clerics’ housekeeper and her 16-year-old daughter at El Salvador’s Central American University.

Among the 20 former Salvadoran military officers named in Judge Eloy Velasco’s May 30 indictment is Rafael Humberto Larios, El Salvador’s then-minister of defense.

The decision shows that more than decades of efforts to achieve justice in a much-observed case were not in vain, said Benjamín Cuellar, who heads the university’s Institute of Human Rights.

Progress in the case is not merely for the families of the victims and for the university, the news agency DPA quoted Cuellar May 30 as saying, but also “for all the humble and anonymous victims of this country” — a reference to El Salvador’s 12-year civil war, in which as many as 75,000 civilians perished.

A notable characteristic of the conflict was the role of clergy and laity influenced by liberation theology, who became targets of death squads linked to the then-U.S.-backed Salvadoran government.

“This indictment represents justice for all Salvadorans, not only for the Jesuits, but for all the anonymous victims, for whom the Jesuits worked tirelessly,” Almudena Bernabeu, lead counsel on the case and an attorney for the San Francisco-based human rights and advocacy group Center for Justice and Accountability (CJA), said in a statement.

Center Executive Director Pamela Merchant said, “It has been 21 years since the massacre and all attempts at justice to date have failed.”

“For now we celebrate this important step forward in the global movement for accountability,” she said in a May 30 statement.

CJA filed the case in Spain three years ago. Five of the six Jesuits killed were Spanish, and Velasco, a judge of the Spanish National Court, based the investigation of the case on a “universal jurisdiction” for crimes against humanity.

CJA has called the massacre — which prompted international outrage — “one of the great religious crimes of the 20th century and a major tipping point” that helped pave the way toward the end of the Salvadoran civil war.

In the indictment, Velasco said the assassinations at the university had been based on a conspiracy at the highest levels of the Salvadoran military.

Also indicted were General Rafael Bustillo; Colonel Orlando Zepeda, then-vice minister of defense; and Colonel Inocente Orlando Montano, the former vice minister of public safety.

The Spanish priests killed were Ignacio Ellacuria, Ignacio Martín-Baro, Segundo Montes, Amando Lopez, and Juan Ramon Moreno. The Rev. Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, housekeeper Elba Ramos and her 15-year-old daughter Celina Meredith were Salvadoran.

Ellacuria was the university’s rector.

From the Wider Circle E-News, the weekly newsletter of the Presbytery of Des Moines:

Westminster Mission Intern heads to El Salvador Teaching English

Des Moines Westminster Presbyterian Church member Alisha Lundberg is traveling to Berlín, El Salvador to begin her 6-week teaching English experience. Below is an excerpt from her blog http://alilorraine.blogspot.com  (The blog name is in memory of Alisha’s father, who called her “Ali Lorraine” and always encouraged her to travel and create her own adventures.)

“Hola a todos! As most of you know by now I will be leaving on February 8th to spend 6 weeks in the town of Berlín in Usulután, El Salvador. There I will be teaching English in a local school and a community class, and trying to gain a better understanding of the school system. I will be able to work on my Spanish language skills, learn more about the town of Berlín, and eat beans every day! Most importantly, I will be spending time with some of the most loving and generous people I have ever met. It is truly a blessing to be received into a community with open arms and open hearts. The happiness and hopefulness of the people never ceases to amaze me, especially when they are faced with tremendous social and economic injustice. I hope their kindness and positive thinking will rub off on me, and that I will be able to bring a part of that joy back to the U.S. with me… ~ Con cariño, Alisha Lundberg

Members of Companeros Attend World Mission Celebration

In late October, two members of Compañeros (Nancy Lister-Settle and Sue Burns) road-tripped to Cincinnati, OH for PC(USA)’s Mission Celebration 2009. The theme of the conference was “branches of the same vine” and it was a wonderful opportunity for mission-oriented people at all levels to immerse themselves in what’s happening in mission within Presbyterian churches all over the world.

We were there, predominantly, to share the stories and experiences of our journey partnering with communities in Berlin, El Salvador through Our Sister Parish. We created a booth with props to show some of the projects and relationships, photos to illustrate the realities, and open conversation with any and all comers.

Throughout the 3 days of the conference, approximately 700 people toured the displays, attended workshops, worshipped and ate together. We formed networks of like-minded souls with common interests. We compared notes and shared information on what worked and what didn’t work related to mission within our home congregations and groups. We chatted with missionaries serving in far-flung corners of the world, learned from others working in the same parts of the world as us, and thought about things we’d never considered before.

Our booth generated several discussions with people intensely curious about our projects, work and the people involved. Some people ‘pulled up a chair’ and had lengthy conversations, asking questions, offering perspectives and sharing interests and knowledge.

It was an intense several days. Time will tell what fruit the vine will bear.

For more information about the overall conference, check out the PC(USA)’s web site here: http://missionfunding.pcusa.org/missioncelebration/index.htm

A Hopeful Country Admist a Historic Moment

.

FMLN president-elect, Mauricio Funes, won the popular election on Sunday, March 15, 2009 in what is being called a historic moment. After two decades of conservative rule, the people of El Salvador have spoken and a newly elected FMLN candidate prepares to take office. FMLN president-elect, Mauricio Funes, won the popular election on Sunday, March 15, 2009 in what is being called a historic moment. Mr. Funes will take office on June 1, 2009. He succeeds ARENA President Antonio Saca.

Mr. Funes led the polls Sunday night with 51.2% of the vote. It is reported that Mr. Funes compares himself to the likes of President Obama and will lead the country by model of Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva.

For years the FMLN, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, has been fighting against an ultra-conservative government, the ARENA party. The polls were calm with a sense of rising excitement as the night went on.

For those of us who have been to El Salvador, I’m sure you can picture the sea of RED being displayed and flown with pride. As with many other Central American countries, El Salvador has elected themselves a leftist party in hopes to rectify some of the injustice suffered and endured.

While Mr. Funes may have won the election, his battle in most respects is just beginning. He faces a change in government during some of the most recent dire economic constraints the world has seen in years. He is reported as stating that his first priority will be to tackle the economic crisis, find jobs for returning migrants, invest in farming to reduce the dependence on imported food, and fight tax evasion by the wealthy.

A country that we have all come to love has a new sense of excitement and fear with new leadership taking office. Excitement that a better life may be realized under the leadership of Mr. Funes and the FMLN party and for some, a sense of fear with the exiting of the ARENA party. That sense of fear is driven by one word – change!

Please be sure to check out the US and International coverage of the Salvadoran elections. Many articles can be found at: The New York Times, Reuters, and The Washington Post.

If you have been or were an election monitor, I would love to hear from you. Please contact me at jpirtle13@hotmail.com so you can share your story.