Activists Violently Arrested in a Peaceful Occupation of the San Salvador Cathedral

CISPES ACTION ALERT


Secretary General of STISSS Violently Arrested in a Peaceful Occupation of the San Salvador Cathedral
April 28, 2004

This morning at 9:00, more than 20 members of the STISSS health care workers union, led by Secretary General Ricardo Monge, entered El Salvador’s National Cathedral in a peaceful occupation. The action is to protest the Salvadoran Institute of Social Security’s (ISSS) ongoing firing and repression of workers. Just hours into the peaceful protest, as negotiations to resolve the workers’ demands were already underway, armed riot police arrived and invaded the Cathedral. The police violently arrested Ricardo Monge, Javier Ayala, and one other member of the executive board of the union, hitting them as they forced them out of the Cathedral. At the moment, there are still riot police outside the Cathedral, threatening to enter and force all of the protesters out of the church, while using aggression against other protesters.

The STISSS’s occupation of the Cathedral comes after months of organizing to get fired workers reinstalled, all with no response from the Flores government and the ISSS administration. The STISSS’s demands are for the rehiring of the fired workers and for the creation a committee of dialogue, made up of union and government officials. The STISSS has led the battle to stop the privatization of health care, and has been mobilizing for months to demand that the ISSS respect the accords that brought to an end the 10-month strike in 2003. The only response from the ISSS administration has been to ignore the workers’ demands while continuing the repression against union activists. Instead of resolving the problems, in the recent months the rates of firings have increased: 20 union activists have been fired since the March 21 elections, bringing the total number of STISSS workers fired during and since the strike to 156. The message from the government to the workers and their union has been clear: struggle to defend public health care from privatization, and face dire consequences.

The union is calling for international solidarity to help ensure the safety of Ricardo, Javier, and the other arrested unionist, as well as the safety of all the peaceful protesters still inside the Cathedral.

TAKE ACTION!

1. For Spanish speakers: Call Ricardo Meneses, director of the PNC, the National Civil Police, (011-503-231-0000) and demand that he:
Immediately free Ricardo Monge, STISSS Secretary General, Javier Ayala, and the other arrested union member.
Guarantee the safety of all the peaceful protesters, including the arrestedand those still inside the Cathedral.

2. For English speakers: Call the U.S. Ambassador in El Salvador, Hugh Barclay (011-503-278-4444 x2003) and demand that he:
Pressures the National Civil Police (PNC) to immediately free Ricardo Monge, Javier Ayala, and the other arrested STISSS member.
Pressures the National Civil Police (PNC) to ensure the safety of the arrested STISSS members and of the peaceful protesters still inside the Cathedral.