Political Quotes

“I want to speak briefly about some troubling developments in El Salvador, which should concern us all. On June 14, 2011, the body of Juan Francisco Duran Ayala was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the Soyapango Municipality of San Salvador. He was reportedly last seen alive on June 2 in Ilobasco, Cabanas, posting flyers critical of gold mining in that area, the day before he disappeared. In addition to studying at the Technological University in San Salvador, Mr. Duran had volunteered for the Environmental Committee of Cabanas in Defense of Water and Culture. His death is one of a shocking number of instances of violence against antimining activists in Cabanas. In 2009, Gustavo Marcelo Rivera went missing for nearly 2 weeks before his body was found on June 30 in a well with signs of torture. Mr. Rivera was the cofounder of the Asociacion Amigos de San Isidro Cabanas, and was a vocal leader in the anti-mining campaign in San Isidro, Cabanas. Since Mr. Rivera's death, at least eight other members of the antimining community in Cabanas have reportedly been killed, including Mr. Duran, and yet it is still unclear who is behind this pattern of deadly violence. There have also been recurrent threats against the lives of journalists at Radio Victoria, which broadcasts in that area. Cabanas is located in the north central part of El Salvador and has a long history of gold mining.…”