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/** reg.elsalvador: 133.0 **/
** Topic: Proceso 547: News Briefs **
** Written  1:21 pm  Jan 25, 1993 by cidai@huracan.cr in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: cidai@huracan.cr (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
Subject: Proceso 547: News Briefs

Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
Central American University (UCA)
San Salvador, El Salvador
 
PROCESO 547
January 20, 1993
 
NEWS BRIEFS:
 
SUIT:  On January 18 and 19, generals Ponce and Zepeda, Minister
and Vice-Minister of Defense, respectively, appeared before the
Ninth Criminal Court to ratify their decision to sue the leaders of
the non-governmental Human Rights Commission and the UNTS. Outside
the hearing, Zepeda said, "we are trying to strengthen the rule of
law by going to the courts, in order to put an end to unfounded
accusations aimed at harming honor and dignity." With reference of
the Ad Hoc Commission recommendations, he termed them "unjust,"
since they failed to take into account the rights of the officers.
Both Ponce and Zepeda confirmed that the Armed Forces is trying to
reduce its ranks to 31,500 soldiers by the end of the month, as
specified under the peace accords.
 
PARDON:  ARENA legislative deputy Carlos Hern ndez declared that
the pardon requested of the legislature by Fr. Jos Mar!a Tojeira,
for Col. Guillermo Alfredo Benavides and Lt. Yusshy Mendoza, found
guilty in the summary execution of the Jesuit priests and their co-
workers, is invalid. The deputy explained that the pertinent
committee of the Legislative Assembly has not issued a pardon
because the request did not fulfill the requirements stipulated by
the Penal Procedural Code, in that a pardon may only be requested
by a Salvadoran citizen. Fr. Tojeira is a citizen of both Honduras
and Spain.
 
TRUTH COMMISSION:  In six months of work ending January 13, the
Truth Commission collected testimony on human rights abuses during
12 years of war from approximately 9,000 persons. Commission member
Belisario Betancourt, former president of Colombia, reported that
he currently has a staff of 30 specialists at the United Nations
who are organizing the documentation which, in the future, could
become a sort of Memory Bank for El Salvador, to be consulted by
Salvadorans and historians throughout the world, by means of a
foundation financed by academic groups in Europe and the United
States. He added that the Commission's report will include specific
recommendations and will be officially delivered to the two sides
(government and FMLN), as well as to the U.N. Secretary General, on
February 11. With regard to the confidentiality of the testimony
collected, Betancourt said that would depend on whether or not the
two sides and the Secretary General decide to publish the material.
 
PRICES:  The Minister of the Economy, Arturo Zablah, announced on
January 18 that there are now 241 articles included in the Consumer
Price Index, up from 158 in previous indices. The prices will be
monitored in a total of 1,005 commercial establishments, up from
365; the total number of prices monitored has increased from 1,531
to 2,963. Price samples will be taken in the cities of Santa Ana,
San Salvador, Santa Tecla, San Miguel and Sonsonate.
 
MAYOR:  The president of ARENA's National Executive Council,
Armando Calder"n Sol, condemned the kidnapping of the mayor of
Concepci"n de Oriente (La Uni"n), Vidal Canales. According to
Calder"n Sol, the incident took place on January 13, when a mob
armed with knives and machetes, led by someone called "Commander
Nelson," a member of a group (CODELUN) allegedly sympathetic to the
FMLN, attacked the mayor, tied him up and paraded him through town,
then carried him off to an unknown destination. The official warned
that the attack jeopardizes the peace process, and called upon
human rights organizations, political sectors and ONUSAL to
intervene and protect Canales' safety.
 
POLICE:  On January 15, in Puerto Rico, 62 members of the new
National Civilian Police graduated from a four-month training
course. The Minister of the Presidency, Oscar Santamar!a, attended
as a personal representative of President Cristiani, declaring that
the country is, for the first time, preparing to organize public
security in a civilian fashion. He added, "this is an enormous
challenge, there is much work to be done and great understanding is
necessary in order to maintain respect for human rights in times of
peace and democracy." He also expressed confidence that other
cooperation agreements between Puerto Rico and El Salvador will be
signed in the area of agriculture and other key sectors for
national recovery.
 
REPORT:  In its report covering the first half of January, ONUSAL
stated that the "Atonal" Immediate Reaction Battalion was dissolved
on January 6; on the 7th, the "Victoria Cacahuatique" Anti-
Terrorist Battalion of Military Detachment No. 4 was dissolved; and
on the 12th, the "Cobra" Anti-Terrorist Battalion of the Fourth
Infantry Brigade did the same. ONUSAL officials observed the
transfer of personnel from the Detachment of Military Engineers of
Zacatecoluca to the former "Atlacatl" Battalion headquarters west
of the capital. They also witnessed the delivery of basic goods and
agricultural tools by CREA Internacional to members of the last
contingent of FMLN combatants to demobilize last December. In terms
of the human rights division, ONUSAL reported that it had verified
227 land transfers to former FMLN combatants at La Haciendita and
Langueta (Santa Ana), and that 140 persons received lands in Valle
Verde. Finally, ONUSAL mentioned that former combatants and
villagers who lost their personal documents during the conflict are
currently in the process of replacing them.
 

** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **