In a forum on the risks of democracy in El Salvador, the ambassador to Washington painted an unreal picture of the government’s respect for institutions, dodged a question about constitutional reform, and devoted her space to attacking opposition parties and defending the government of Nayib Bukele.
In a discussion about El Salvador’s democratic future, Ambassador to Washington, Milena Mayorga, recalled that she was present in the Legislative Assembly on February 9, when President Nayib Bukele commanded a military takeover of the Legislative Assembly.
Organized by the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, this forum brought together the ambassador, as well as The Economist journalist Sarah Maslin; the businessman Francisco de Sola; the vice president of Fusades, Claudia Umaña; the former US Ambassador to El Salvador, Mari Carmen Aponte; and former Salvadoran ambassador Rubén Zamora.
At that event, Mayorga stated that he was in the Legislative Assembly the day the military came in to bring the president closer and “I can confirm that our rule of law was not violated.
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This, despite the broad chorus of voices inside and outside the country who see in this military takeover the greatest blow to democracy in El Salvador since the armed conflict and a dangerous return of the military to the political arena, a serious setback for the main progress. of the peace agreements.
Likewise, Mayorga pointed out that the government has made subsequent court decisions. However, this is contrary to reality. Just a day after the military takeover, the Constitutional Chamber issued a precautionary measure demanding that the president stop using the security forces as a political tool, but for the past year, the National Civil Police has disobeyed uncomfortable orders to the executive and is investigating alleged corruption.
The Constitutional Chamber also stated in April that the government could not arbitrarily arrest alleged home quarantine violators, something President Bukele has publicly challenged. Their security forces continued to do this. In addition, the harassment of opponents and the radicalization of political discourse continued this year.
In this case, Mayorga not only downplayed the impact of 9F, but also dodged a question about the current status of the government-led constitutional reform proposals. Instead, he dedicated his participation to defending Nayib Bukele’s government and disqualifying opposition parties. At the end of his participation, he withdrew.
Panel shows concern
Contrary to the words of Milena Mayorga, the remaining panelists expressed concern about the political climate in El Salvador and the deterioration of democracy in the country.
Sarah Maslin, correspondent for the British weekly The Economist in Brazil and who has spent a lot of time covering El Salvador, identified populist and messianic aspects in Bukele, who made political progress by denouncing corruption from the past, but not has shown a fundamentally different face.
Zamora expressed concern about the country’s course in the face of an election process, with the president’s party, Nuevas Ideas, trying to reach a majority to simply process the president’s wishes without any exercise of control, something he warned that this could lead to loss. the balance of power, the loss of democracy and the possible establishment of a dictatorship.
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Umaña believes the president is constantly launching attacks on the rule of law and is concerned about how the president’s inflammatory rhetoric is leading to more division and hatred. He also compared the February 9, 2020 military takeover to the violent events of January 6, when hundreds of pro-Donald Trump protesters took over the Capitol and intimidated congressmen. The main difference, he adds, is that in El Salvador it was the president who commanded the invasion, accompanied by state security forces.
De Sola said this democratic erosion, coupled with the current government’s inability to manage public affairs, is hitting the economy hard, which is also showing a significant decline as a result of the shutdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the government were to gain a legislative majority, he said it would not only reverse democracy and engage in authoritarianism, but also follow a dangerous path of uncontrolled debt and loss of confidence and investment.
Finally, Aponte recalled that US President Joe Biden’s administration pays more attention to Central America than its predecessor and recalled that the White House will take a solid position with governments that violate transparency, accountability and democratic governance.
He also recalled that within months the Engel List will come into effect, a legal provision requiring the Biden government to publish a list of Central American officials linked to corruption or democratic weakening, and issued by that country. will be penalized.