FMLN closes their campaign

FMLN closes their campaign

San Salvador was a rush of activity yesterday as political parties wrapped up their campaigns for the municipal and national legislative elections. FMLN red brigades went on their final visits in the community, passing leaflets and talking to people about the elections, encouraging them to come out a vote red. Candidates stood on prominent street corners leafleting. In the evening, FMLN members and supporters in our neighbourhood went out on a final offensive to put up posters and paint FMLN slogans on the walls. Throughout this campaign, FMLN women, men, children and elders have thrown their energy into making popular propaganda to counter the expensive and slanderous media campaign conducted by ARENA and the current president, Tony Saca.

In Guazapa, FMLN members and supporters closed their local campaign with a festive concert, speeches from the FMLN candidates and dancing. As in the many campaign closings this week, people filled the plazas with red t-shirts and flags chanting ¨Venceremos¨ and ¨The people united will never be defeated¨, bringing the energy of a popular political movement to the electoral campaigns.

However, the campaign closures were also marked by violence, as ARENA used violence and intimidation to counter the FMLN´s popular and successful campaign. At a number of campaign closing events, FMLN members were attacked by ARENA members. In one community, a house hanging a FMLN banner was attacked by 60 ARENA members. By the end of the night, at least twelve FMLN members were taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including a bullet wound, broken leg and machete head wound.