Bukele’s abuses of power lead to the US. UU. To cut military aid to El Salvador El Salvador News

by

The recent US economic stimulus package includes a clause punishing Northern Triangle governments for their corruption and undemocratic engagement.

In just over a year and a half, Nayib Bukele’s presidency has shown clear signs of a systematic attack on the institution and the rule of law in El Salvador: it has respected court rulings, harassed opponents, closed doors to transparency and, even worse, has used the security forces as the armed arms of his political whims.

This has not gone unnoticed in the United States, the Savior’s main ally. On the eve of a change of government, and amid Bukele’s efforts to pay lobbyists to clean up his image in Washington, his American ally will cut back on assistance he gives to the Salvadoran Armed Forces.

This cut is part of the extensive budget and stimulus package to fight the coronavirus that both houses of Congress in the US. UU. They recently approved and that President Trump ratified last Sunday, December 27th.

You may be interested in: US Congress passes law to deny entry to corrupt North Triangle

Among the annexes to the main project was a clause aimed at fighting corruption in Central America, which includes this State Department funding cut for the acquisition of US defense equipment for El Salvador, Guatemala. and Honduras.

Bukele drew importance to legislator who promoted the cut

Throughout his incipient presidency, Bukele has shown signs of institutional attacks that have not gone unnoticed in Washington DC. While the Trump administration has remained silent in the face of some clear abuses of power, to consider Bukele an ally in its migration policies, both sides of the legislature have repeatedly spoken out against coups in the rule of law. of the Salvadoran agent.

One of the legislators who gave her signature on these pronouncements demanding respect for the institutional was Norma Torres, who is a member of the House of Representatives for the state of California. At the time, Bukele downplayed Torres and other lawmakers who spoke out against his abuses, said they were not representative, and even hinted that they had only signed to sign, not knowing what the missives contained.

The same legislator who has taken importance was the one who promoted the partial cut in funding for the armed forces that was endorsed by the Senate and sanctioned by Trump.

Read also: Three Keys to Understanding Joe Biden’s Plan for Central America

This bill also provides for other sanctions against government officials who have harmed democracy in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Joe Biden’s government, which will take office on January 20, will have just under 6 months to deliver a list of individuals it considers corrupt in the Northern Triangle and the country will proceed to cancel visas and impose sanctions, according to the ‘approved by both legislatures.

This, combined with the Biden plan for Central America, which has severe consequences for the corrupt, is a setback for the countries of the Northern Triangle that became accustomed to the transactional style of the Trump administration: they collaborated faithfully with policies. migrants in exchange for receiving Washington’s support and a dismissive look at the obvious abuses of power.

Related note: Republican congressmen see Bukele moving away from democracy

Former US Ambassador to El Salvador Mari Carmen Aponte told El Diari d’Avui a few months ago that President Bukele would do well to expect a different treatment from the Biden government, from which he said he would take a stand. stronger in the face of abuses of power.

Bad news for Bukele, good news for El Salvador

José Miguel Vivanco, director for the Americas of Human Rights Watch (HRW), spoke on Twitter, reacting to the news by saying that this was “good news for El Salvador. Bad news for Bukele”.

Vivanco, who has been a critical regular on the president’s abuses and was even blocked on Twitter by the president, said “his repeated abuses have international cost. And for Trump this cost will only increase.”

The HRW official kicked off his tweet with a picture of February 9, the most iconic event of Bukele’s abandonment of the rule of law, when he led a military and police takeover of the Legislative Assembly by press for a credit. This event was perhaps the watershed of the Salvadoran president’s international image and the end of the “honeymoon” that many international observers had with Bukele.

This cut does not cover the bulk of cooperation for the fight against drug trafficking and other tasks, but it is a message for the countries of the Northern Triangle.

“This puts these countries on an equal footing with dictatorships and failed states,” said Adam Isacson, a member of the Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA), a study center for the promotion of ‘Rule of law in the region.

Napoleon Camps, an expert on international affairs and a candidate for deputy for Our Time, stated that “Nayib Bukele did it again! He lost Fomilenio III for El Salvador and now US military assistance. ) Trump signs the law that he describes as corrupt to Bukele and blames him for serious damage to Democracy and the rule of law. “

For her part, Bukele’s designated ambassador to Washington, Milena Mayorga, expressed surprise at the cut and in an interview with The Associated Press (AP) called for a reconsideration of the decision, as well as highlighting an alleged democratic commitment. by Bukele.

.Source