The Day Before the Election

We don´t have much downtime on the election mission so this will be short. My group and I are in Antiguo Cuscatlan, essentially a suburb of San Salvador. Yesterday, we met with the ¨JEM¨ which is the body responsible for elections in this municipality and saw the school where the elections will be held. Today, thus far, we´ve met with members of the ARENA party (right wing), including four high school and college students (the latter from the UCA). The students were great, and it was interesting (and disconcerting) to hear their perspective. They held to their party's beliefs with a vehemence that was palpable. The Rogers and Hammerstein song "You Have to Be Taught" from "South Pacific" came to mind. The visit with them really made me think about how we convey values and ideals.

Then we visited the community, La Cuchilla. These folks have been in the municipality for decades, living literally in tin shacks on land which they ¨possess¨ but which is "owned" by the state. Their struggle for the basics, i.e. everything from water to their human dignity, is almost incomprehendible and humbling. We heard compelling testimony of their tenacity in fighting for their own justice. Their community is across a 6 lane highway from the MultiPlaza Mall. Many members were pushed off this land when its construction was started. The tin roofs of La Cuchilla were visible from the road where we were dropped off. At our point of entry, they were crowned by a billboard advertising quality homes for sale at almost half a million dollars!

Antiguo Cuscatlan is a community of constrasts--clearly! As the mall description might imply (and this mall is one of three of the largest malls in the country), the municipality includes the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor. Curiously, our voting center is where the FMLN (left wing) candidate, Mauricio Funes, will be voting tomorrow. There is some amount of conversation that the FMLN candidate lives in this mostly prosperous community. Sorry, but I must run. In five minutes, we´re off to meet with FMLN party members.

I probably won´t be able to post again until Monday. Keep us--and the Salvadoran people--in your thoughts and prayers. There is a lot riding on the outcome tomorrow. Preliminary results are expected about 8 p.m. Gracias! hem