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El Salvador: Role and area of operation of ex-patrulleros and state's response (2000-March 2003)

According to the Weekly New Update on the Americas (WNUA), the ex-patrollers (ex-patrulleros) are "veterans of government-sponsored paramilitary units" (4 Dec. 2001) who operated with the national military during the 1980-1992 counterinsurgency conflict against leftist guerrillas of the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional, FMLN) (WNUA 28 Oct. 2001). Since the signing of the peace accords in 1992, the ex-patrollers have sought compensation from the government for their participation in the conflict (ibid. 13 Mar. 2000; ibid. 15 July 2001; ibid. 28 Oct. 2001).

In June 2001, after years of protest that on some occasions turned violent (ibid. 13 Mar. 2000), the Legislative Assembly "passed a decree granting $1,000 in compensation to each of the 37,681 patrollers on the military's rolls" (ibid. 15 July 2001). Nevertheless, on 8 July 2001, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores "vetoed the decree, which he said was giving the ex-patrollers 'easy money' instead of 'responsible work'," and there was also a dispute regarding the numbers of ex-patrollers involved (ibid.).

Following a violent confrontation between police and ex-patrollers that took place during an October 2001 demonstration in downtown San Salvador (ibid. 28 Oct. 2001), the government "reportedly" reached an agreement that would compensate the ex-patrollers (ibid. 9 Dec. 2001). Instead of the lump sum of $1,000, the government offered ex-patrollers a choice from among four options:

a land program offering the veteran a piece of land (the size depends on the quality of the soil), along with agricultural credits worth 3,000 colones ($330) at low interest rates; a subsidy to construct a home; a five-year pension; or a scholarship for technical training (ibid.).

In an article of 29 August 2002, La Prensa Grafica reported that 648 ex-patrollers had received parcels of land through the Rural Solidarity Program of the Salvadoran Agrarian Transformation Institute (Instituto Salvadoreno de Transformacion Agraria, ISTA). According to ISTA president, Miguel Tomas Lopez, more than 10,800 ex-patrollers have benefited from the program, and it was estimated that an additional 7,200 would receive land "lots" (solares) by the end of 2002 (La Prensa Grafica 29 Aug. 2002). Apparently, the 648 ex-patrollers, who came from the municipalities of Atiquizaya, Ahuachapan, Turin, San Lorenzo and parts of El Refugio, were given land lots in the cooperatively owned property of La Labor, in Ahuachapan, and El Obrajuelo, in San Lorenzo (ibid.). Moreover, each ex-patroller must contribute 500 colones ($84.36 Canadian) [Oanda 31 Mar. 2003] to offset the costs of notarizing the lots and measuring the land (La Prensa Grafica 29 Aug. 2002).

In September 2002, La Prensa Graficanoted that more than one hundred ex-patrollers held a peaceful demonstration in front of the ISTA offices, in San Miguel, to ensure that the government would follow through on its compensation agreement (29 Sept. 2002). A leader of the ex-patrollers, Francisco Javier Moreira, asserted that more than 3,000 ex-patrollers are still waiting for their parcel of land, and he claimed that the ITSA is obstructing the land transfer process (La Prensa Grafica 29 Sept. 2002). Levi Platero, administrative manager of the eastern regional office of ITSA, denied the accusation, stating that everything is being done to fulfill the government's commitment (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Oanda.com. 31 March 2003. "FXCheatSheet: El Salvador Colon (SVC) to Canadian Dollar (CAD)." <http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet?exch=SVC&expr=CAD&result=1> [Accessed 31 Mar. 2003]

La Prensa Grafica [San Salvador]. 29 September 2002. Wilmer Lizama. "San Miguel: Ex patrulleros exigen al ISTA entrega de parceles de tierras." <http://www.internerdos.com/print.cfm?urlpath=http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20020929/departamentos/pais2.asp> [Accessed 31 Mar. 2003]

____. 29 August 2002. Omar Moran. "Ahuachapan: 648 ex patrulleros reciben tierras." <http://www.internerdos.com/print.cfm?urlpath=http://archive.laprensa.com.sv/20020829/departamentos/pais6.asp> [Accessed 31 Mar. 2003]

Weekly News Update on the Americas [New York]. 9 December 2001. No. 619. "El Salvador: Strikers Free, Ex-Paras Settle." (NEXIS)

____. 28 October 2001. No. 613. "El Salvador: Ex-Patrollers Clash with Police." (NEXIS)

____. 15 July 2001. No. 598. "El Salvador: Ex-Patrollers Win Pact." (NEXIS)

____. 13 March 2000. No. 518. "Salvadoran Strike: 'Prewar Drums'?" (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites:

El Diario de Hoy [San Salvador]

Periodistas Frente a la Corrupcion

Proceso [San Salvador]

Search engine:

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