[act-ma] Thu 11/13: The Next BIG Elections in Latin America--El Salvador!

[boston cispes]

Unidos para 2009 (United in 2009): The Struggle for Democracy in El
Salvador!

with Claudia de Cuellar

Please join us for TWO very special speaking engagements with Claudia de
Cuellar‹-former Municipal Councilwoman of Ayutuxtepeque, El Salvador‹-as the
CISPES Fall Tour rolls through Boston! Help us kick off the Campaign to
Defend the Right to Free & Fair Elections in El Salvador!

            Thursday November 13th

                  11am @ Berklee College of Music
                  100 Mass Ave/ 5th Fl. Room 514/ Boston
                  Hynes Convention Ctr. Green Line Stop

                   7pm @ Tufts University
                   Eaton Hall/ Room 202/ Medford
                   On the Green at the top of the hill
                   Davis Sq. Red Line Stop
                   Click here to find Eaton Hall:
http://www.tufts.edu/home/maps/medford/?p=overview&fid=m010&bg=nosat


Claudia will discuss:

* impacts of the current economic crisis on Salvadorans at home and in the
US
* the next big elections in Latin America‹El Salvador 2009!
* just how hard the US government is working to prevent El Salvador from
going ³left²

Help get the word out about these exciting events by printing out the
attached flyer and sharing it with your fellow students, coworkers or
community members!

For more event information, contact us at Boston CISPES:
Call us 617.576.1709  or email us mailto:boscispes at speakeasy.net.


Speaker¹s Bio: 
Claudia de Cuellar is a Salvadoran who recently immigrated to the United
States for economic reasons.  She grew up in a municipality north of San
Salvador and her commitment to social change and building democracy led her
to eventually join the city council in the town of Ayutuxtepeque where she
worked for more than two years.  During this time she collaborated on local
development and gender equality projects in the municipality in addition to
being part of a team which helped develop the section of the FMLN¹s platform
on sports and recreation.  Despite having a successful career in the city
council, Claudia was forced to leave El Salvador earlier this year and
migrate to the United States.

The economic crisis in El Salvador has increased because of the
implementation of CAFTA and other neoliberal policies by the right-wing
ARENA government ­ with the complete backing of the U.S. government ­ which
has left Claudia and many other Salvadorans with no other option but to
migrate.  In the end, although Claudia has a university education she was
unable to get stable work in El Salvador.  Now that she lives in the U.S.,
she has realized the ways in which the right-wing government has carried out
a fear campaign targeting Salvadoran immigrants, saying that the Salvadorans
will lose their Temporary Protected Status and the capacity to send
remittances if the FMLN were to win the presidential elections.  However,
this challenge has strengthened her commitment to confront the social and
economic crisis in El Salvador, and from her position in the United States,
to work against U.S. government intervention and its backing of the dirty
election campaign. 


Boston CISPES
2161 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02140

tel: 617.576.1709
email: mailto:boscispes at speakeasy.net