EL SALVADOR: El Salvador elects new president
The ascension of Salvador Sanchez Ceren, who on June 1 became the president of El Salvador, marked the beginning of a new period for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front in the Central American country.
In his first public speech, the president said he will lead the fight against insecurity and urged Salvadorans to work for a consensus to resolve the country’s problems.
“Public safety requires us to work together against organized crime, drug trafficking, extortion and all expressions of violence,” he said.
It’s no coincidence that public affairs, such as violence and security, have been the driving points in Ceren’s political promises. In El Salvador more than 70,000 people are identified as members of violent gangs, 10,000 of whom have been arrested.
Ceren also plans to address his country’s financial situation.
“We are working for an austerity policy … [to] recharge the budget of ministries, mainly because of the issue of payment of the staff, which is where the brunt of the budget is,” said Ceren.
Furthermore, it was confirmed that Margarita Sanchez, first lady of the republic, will be the president of the Salvadoran Institute for the Integral Development of Children and Adolescents (ISNA).
COLOMBIA: Colombia reelects president
Juan Manuel Santos, leader of the Social Party of National Unity, was reelected June 15, winning approximately 51 percent of the vote to secure a second 4-year term. His primary goal is to end the conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) with whom he began negotiating in November 2012 in Cuba.
Santos’ opponent, Oscar Zuluaga, of the Democratic Center party, opposed Santos’ negotiations. Zuluaga called the guerrillas “a bunch of terrorists” and confirmed his closeness to former president Alvaro Uribe. The final result shows a clear divide in Colombian society in relation to the peace process.
BRAZIL: Soccer and politics in the world cup
While Brazil is a country where soccer is king, the lead up to the 2014 World Cup was anything but festive. Thousands of Brazilians rushed into the streets protesting against the government of Dilma Rousseff because of what they considered excessive organization costs in hosting the local event.
The day the opening ceremony kicked off on Thursday June 12, demonstrations took place in several cities. Brazil’s police did their part in breaking up the demonstrations, and in doing so wounded a CNN reporter. While Rousseff stressed that the investment in the world event would benefit her countrymen, she decided not to address the public and didn´t speak at the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, from the Vatican, Pope Francisco gave his message when the contest started: “I wish everyone can enjoy a wonderful World Cup, in a spirit of true brotherhood,” he said on Twitter.
–Translated by Berenice Taboada Diaz