Original article, by Ricardo Ayala (BPJ - The Peoples Youth Block), via In Defence of Marxism:
A major clash between the classes has taken place in El Salvador. One of the most reactionary ruling classes in Latin America has been kicked out of office. The masses once again defeated the scandalous electoral fraud that was being prepared by ARENA, the reactionary right wing party founded by anti-communist death squad leader Roberto D'Aubisson. The ruling class, reluctantly, had to concede the victory of the left wing FMLN in order to prevent a revolutionary explosion.
The Pink Tide continues to our south. El Salvador and it's brave citizens have rejected neoliberalism and right wing militarism. As with much of Central and South America recently, capitalism was on trial and it lost!
The FMLN is the inheritor of a long and rich tradition of revolutionary struggle of the Salvadorian masses, who fought against military governments and lived through a vicious civil war. Twenty years ago, after two instances of blatant electoral fraud, the enormous political ferment amongst the masses led to a revolutionary crisis. There was a massive movement of the masses which culminated in 1980 with an unprecedented strike wave. It was in that period that the FMLN was born, and it is because of this inheritance that the FMLN still calls itself a revolutionary and socialist party.
A party that stands for the great masses of people of it's country! What an idea (wouldn't it be great to have one here in the US?). Indeed, the struggle in El Salvador has been on against Yanqui imperialism through our support for ARENA.
The victory in the March 15 presidential election is a step forward in the revolutionary struggle of the Salvadorian people. The oppressed faced the might of the state, backed by US imperialism, in a 10 year revolutionary war. The peace agreements of 1992, were just a truce in the war between the classes. None of the key problems facing the masses has been resolved.
When the political and socio-economic systems fail in a country, what other choice is there but revolutionary struggle? Does one sit back and watch the public treasury get plundered by the bosses? Does one sit back and watch the rich glean every last peso/dollar from the economy? Or does one stand up and say 'ENOUGH'? El Salvador continues the movement in Central and South America of saying 'ENOUGH!'
El Salvador is an unstable, artificial and non-viable country, which, like the rest of Central American countries, was born out of the criminal carving up of the region by the ruling class. The victory of the FMLN comes with the victory of the FSLN in Nicaragua, the defeat of the right wing in Guatemala, the entry of Honduras to the ALBA and the mass protests against the FTAA in Costa Rica.
Read the rest of the article! It is quite encouraging. Ayala points out that there's a history of electoral fraud in El Salvador, but this time the people came out and crushed the fraud. You will read a fascinating account of how the pillars of Salvadoran democracy were set and campaigning for ARENA, including the head of the electoral court. You will probably also enjoy reading of the struggle that ARENA faced in facing up to it's defeat. All-in-all, it's a really good read!
What do we take from the victory in El Salvador of the Left? Clearly there is no analogous movement here in the US compared to the FMLN. We're stuck, at best, in centrist goo. What we can learn is that the Left is where the people's beliefs lie. We can also learn that a good fight is sometimes just what the doctor ordered (Nancy, Barack, Harry? Are you listening?). Perhaps it's time we look at and study the Pink Tide to see how it's 'crashing the gates.'