The Problems of Corruption, Civil Wars, Terrorism and Conflicts in El Salvador - Term Paper Example

The natural beauty of El Salvador does not protect it from the many problems and struggles that have become an unfortunate portion of its history andwhich continue to plague this Central American nation on a daily basis. Known as the smallest country in Central America, El Salvador is also known as the most densely populated in the region. This is just one of its many obstacles that faces the country and impacts its level of success for the future. There are three main aspects that El Salvador needs to focus on and to improve upon if it is to emerge as a successful country in the next twenty five years. The problems of corruption, civil wars, terrorism and conflicts have to be priority for any governments or successive governments that which to direct the nation along a path of success. This essay will give an outline of each of the three aspects and recommendations and possible solutions for dealing with each problem. El Salvador’s corruption problem hinges on the country’s troubling political past. The country had had successive military rulers who came to power without a democratic electoral process. There was still corruption, however, from as early as 1961 when the ruling directorio introduced some forms of electoral reforms. The new reforms did not prevent malpractices in the electoral system. Some of the rules were easily manipulated. A case in point is the rejection of any candidate to office who faced a pending lawsuit described by William and Walter (67) as an easily arranged situation. Many of the successive military rulers formed alliance with the United States of America as the USA embraced them with the objective of preventing communism spreading from Cuba to Central America. As a result, they paid little attention to the charges of corruption levelled at those in charge. The Christian Democrat Party gained power in the 1980s but their promise to stabilize the country did not prevent them from being a corrupt regime as well. The party was accused of being well-meaning but was also described as a corrupt and inefficient group incapable of changing the status quo (LeMoyne1988). Corruption was rampant under this regime. There have been reports in the Wall Street Journal that following the earthquake of 1986 millions of dollars sent by the USA to aid in housing reconstruction were diverted by government banks to recipients who were not qualified. It has also been reported that many US funds were transferred to a phantom company owned by then President Duarte and family members. Political cronies were placed in important jobs in many of which they were not qualified. Like the military rulers before them members of the Christian party were only interested in enriching themselves and their families. El Salvador continues to be affected by corruption of public officials. In August of 2008 the national police chief resigned after two close advisers were accused of corruptions and links with drug traffickers. This type of accusation will lessen public confidence in the security forces already evolving from a history of corruption. The lack of confidence in public officials has been transferred to the political arena as well. The high level of corruption associated with political leaders and their associates have left many Salvadorans having little or no trust, or interest in their manifestos. Joel Millman of the Wall Street Journal reporting on the national election in March 2009, wrote that of the forty thousand Salvadoran immigrants who received voting credentials three hours after the polls were opened only approximately five hundred showed up to vote. Crime and poverty is also a major problem for El Salvador. Corruption, especially at the government level can lead to lots of wastage thus unleashing more economic burden on the poor. This is evident under many of the governments who squandered funds donated by countries and international agencies. Under the Duarte government the USAID suspended eight road and latrine construction projects because payments for materials were being authorized for materials that did not exist (Wall Street Journal). A recommendation to the President to reduce corruption is first to ensure that his government officials and cabinet operate under full transparency. There should also be a neutral anti corruption committee that will carry out full investigations into alleged charges of corruption. Those who are guilty of such charges should be dealt with swiftly under an unquestionable justice system. This should be consistently dealt with. Only then will citizens begin to realize the seriousness of the policies and confidence and trust in government and public officials will improve. The civil war in El Salvador is a reminder of the death and destructive path through which the country has passed. The civil war that lasted from 1980-1992 pitted the USA backed ruling military force against a left-leaning guerrilla army. It was estimated at the beginning of the 1990s that an estimated seventy thousand persons had died in the civil war. As in the case in many civil wars in the world most of the casualties were civilians. This affected the general population socially as well as psychologically. A deep war-weariness had taken hold within the population, yet the society was also bitterly divided (Stanley 218). Apart from the huge number of assassinations during the war there were other far reaching suffering and destruction. There was also displacement of some of the population as what occurred in Tenancingo where most of the population fled to nearby Honduras. Many Salvadorans fled to neighbouring countries especially the USA during the war but the very poor that had little access to and opportunities to migrate were caught in the disturbance. An estimated one million persons fled the country as refugees or became internally displaced (Gómez 124). It is difficulty to forget the horrendous acts of the civil war especially when current events bring a strong reminder of the unforgettable past. A report from the Global Information Network of July 2008 quoted the El Salvador Human Rights Ombudsman as saying that there has been an increase in attacks against peoples’ physical integrity such as mistreatment, excessive use of force and abuse. She further described this occurrence as “worrying” while the right to freedom is being violated by arbitrary detentions, intimidation and harassment. In 2007 the Human Rights Ombudsman Office received 2779 such complaints and sixty six percent of that total was against the National Civil Police. The report further quoted the Ombudsman as saying that “the structural conditions that generated the armed conflict have not been overcome in the sixteen years since the peace accord was assigned in 1992.” Another effect of the civil war is that of forced separation of families. Many children were left at orphanages or other places as their parents or other family members became war fatalities. Siblings became separated and adults as well had their families broken up. In March 2005, the Salvadoran Government was found responsible by the Inter-American Court Of Human Rights in a case involving the forced disappearance of two sisters who disappeared during a June 1982 military operation (Global Information Network, April 9, 2008). There are several recommendations that the president must undertake in order to bring healing to bitterness brought on by years of war. This bitterness can lead to anger and can increase the crime rate of country as evidenced in El Salvador. In any situation like this the youths are the very poor are more vulnerable so plans should be put into place to guide and support this section of the society. Psychological and therapeutic treatment should be made readily available to those who have the need for these services. Also those who took part in the killing of civilians should be brought to justice or the government should make a valiant effort to find the perpetrators. The election has invoked rivalries of the civil war because the new president has been linked to the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front which was the leftist guerrilla wing in the civil war. The president needs to place the needs of the country in the forefront to indicate to his rivals that ideologies and political affiliations should be secondary in managing a country especially one that had been involved in such a brutal past. One of the first projects should be finding ways of providing jobs and realize that the general population needs a change from the old way of living. As was reported in the New York Times in March 2009, an unemployed mechanic in commenting on the upcoming elections stated that, “In my twenty two years people have complained about the same thing. They have been governing for such a long time but there is still no work.” Drugs, gangs and crime are responsible for many of the problems in various countries across the globe. This is no different in El Salvador and it forms a significant part of this country’s spiralling countries. As many persons fled the civil wars to the United States they ended up in communities that were battling drugs and gang violence. After the civil war ended many Salvadorans charged with various drug and gang related crimes were deported to their home country thus adding to the gangs already present in the country. Unemployment, poverty, together with other social problems fuel the drive for many of the nation’s youths to become involved in this dangerous lifestyle. A United Nations report described the problem as one that presently is the major concern of all Salvadorans. While the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL) was successful in addressing politically-motivated human rights violations, a new threat has risen out of the ashes of the war - urban violence - keeping fear and insecurity at the centre of life in El Salvador. According to a report published by the Institute of Public Opinion at the University of Central America in San Salvador, the root cause of gang violence is marginalization and growing social and economic problems. The crime problem will prevent the country to a large extent from experiencing economic growth and progress. Normally those prone to criminal activities do so at the most productive years of their lives. Additionally, money spent on combating crime has to b e diverted from other projects and plans. Foreign investors will also avoid countries that have high levels of crime. Tourism which plays a major role in countries in the region will be affected as well. In an Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) report of April 2009, El Salvador was ranked as one of the ten most violent countries in the world. Its street gangs’ membership is approximately thirty thousand out of a population of close to six million. The problem of drug related crime is a major concern and in many cases setbacks for many countries. A Reuters news report made a good description in its headline of March 17, 2009, El Salvador gangs big headache for new president. A recommendation for the president is to use all the local and international help it can receive in dealing with drugs and crime problems. Many countries in the region are making a concerted effort to deal with the problem and El Salvador should join in the efforts. If there are no efforts to combat crime the country will be in a state of persistent poverty. The president should make use of community leaders, the church, educational facilities to try and reach the nations’ youth. Suitable sustainable programs should be created and promoted to give gang members a strong alternative. Although El Salvador has been dogged by many problems there is still hope of overcoming the effects and strive to be a successful nation. If the population and the political leaders decide to work together achieving success within the next twenty five years will be justifiable and attainable. William, Phillip, Walter Knut. Militarization and Demilitarization in El Salvadors Transition to Democracy. Pittsburg: University of Pittsburg Press, 1997.  Stanley, William. The Protection Racket State. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1996. Gómez, Mayra. Human rights in Cuba, El Salvador, and Nicaragua : a sociological perspective on human rights abuse. New York: Routledge, 2003. LeMoyne, James. Amid Death and Darkness. New York Times. June 7, 1988. Krauss, Clifford, Greenberger, Robert. Peril to Democracy: Corruption Threatens Political Gains Made By U.S. in El Salvador --- Earthquake Aid Is Diverted; Christian Democrats Turn Programs Into Patronage --- Peasants Are Always Fooled. Wall Street Journal. September 14, 1987. Gutirrez, Ral. Central America Report. Rights Abuses May Reignite Civil Wars. Global Information Network. Jul 31, 2008. Gutirrez, Ral. El Salvador: State Offers Little Info on Civil War Abductions. Global Information Network. Apr 9, 2008. Hertvik, Nicole. El Salvador: Effecting Change from Within. http://www.un.org. El Salvador 2009 Crime & Safety Report. https://www.osac.gov Bremer, Catherine. El Salvador Gangs Big Headache for New President .Reuters. March 17, 2009. Read More