The Media Freedom Foundation » election

Fraudulent Election Practices in El Salvador by Right Wing ARENA Party: Left Wing FMLN Still Wins Despite US Involvement

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:24:47 +0000

On March 15, 2009 Mauricio Funes won the presidential election in El Salvador. He was the candidate from the Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (Farabundo Marti for National Liberation), FMLN, left wing party.

A few days before the election a U.S. House Republican representative, Dana Rohrabacher(CA) said, “El Salvador’s election is on Sunday. If an ally of Al-Qaeda and Iran comes to power in El Salvador, the national security interests of the United States will require certain immigration restrictions and controls over the flow of the $4 billion in annual remittances sent from the U.S. back home to El Salvador.” Also Dan Burton (R-IN) made similar remarks. The mainstream media in El Salvador provided extensive coverage of the Republicans’ statements. This was a scare tactic where many Salvadorian news media reported that the TPS program (Temporary protection status) would be eliminated by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) for Salvadorian U.S. Residents

However, two days before the election the U.S. Embassy delivered a strong statement of neutrality distancing the Obama administration from the threats of the Republican representatives and promising to work with whichever party won.

Additionally many Salvadorian citizens were threaten by their employers and were told that they had to vote for Arena or be fired and even demanded employees to take a picture of their ballot to verify that they had cast their vote for right wing ARENA, Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (National Republican Alliance).

The night before the election there were reports of foreigners from neighboring Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras being bussed in and housed overnight in public government buildings and the national ARENA headquarters. Observers also saw dozens of mattresses trucked in and rapidly unloaded. In both instances ARENA officials appeared on the scene without a reasonable explanation for what was going on.

These foreigners were given fraudulent DUIs, Documentos Unicos de Identidad (Unique Identification Documents). There were reports of foreigners trying to pass as Salvadorian citizens and even a local TV reported a “Nicaraguan who had apparently voted 3 times in San Miguel before being caught by authorities.” Arena had also refused to supply equipment allowing poll workers to verify DUIs, there was no way to check the real identity of any voters.

FMLN members woke up at 2:00 am on election day to watch over the roads leading to the municipalities to prevent illegal voters from entering their towns. In San Salvador and San Miguel local residents as well as FMLN activist locked arms and sealed off buildings where foreigners were housed, vowing not to let anyone leave on election day.

Despite all of these illegal fraudulent activities, FMLN won with 57% to 36% lead.

Title: Si Se Pudo! Notes from an Election Observer

Source: Because People Matter: Progressive News and Views, SacIndyNews, May/June 2009.

Author: Susan Scott

Title:

2009 El Salvador Elections Analysis: The Road to Victory and Beyond by CISPES
Thursday Mar 26th, 2009

Source: Indybay.org

URL:

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/26/18583029.php

Author: CISPES

Title: Dana Rohrabacher Speaks out on El Salvador Election, Clashes With Obama’s Administration

Source: OC180NEWS.com

URL:

www.oc180news.com/…/ Dana _ Rohrabacher … El _ Salvador …/18445

Author: Dolores Barr, Editor and Publisher, OC180NEWS.com

Title:Despite familiar attempts at election fraud, the Left finally wins in El Salvador

Source: The Comment Factory

Author: Johan Boyden

URL: www.thecommentfactory.com/despite-familiar-attempts-at-election-fraud-the-left-finally-wins-in-el-salvador-2110

Title: Funes acusa a ARENA de Fraguar un Fraude

Source elsalvador.com

Author: René Serrano, Liseth Alas, León López

URL:

http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=6351&idArt=3421062

Title: Nicaraguenses a Votar en el Salvador, Camino al Al Fraude 2009

Author: Agencias internacionales en Contrapunto

Source: Salvapress

URL: S

alvapress.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/nicaraguenses-a-votar-en-el-salvador-camino-al-fraude

Student Researcher: Nohemi Castaneda Martinez

Faculty Evaluator: Patricia Kim-Rajal, Chicano/Latino Studies.

Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Iranian Election not Stolen

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:39:01 +0000

Because the issue of whether the election was stolen will remain relevant, both to our understanding of the situation and to US-Iranian relations, it is important to recognize the legitimacy of the Iranian election results.

Title: Iranian Elections: The ‘Stolen Elections’ Hoax

Author: James Petras,

Source: Global Research, 6/18/2009

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=14018

Student Researcher: Meg Carlucci

Faculty Evaluator: Janet Hess, PhD

Sonoma State University

Corporate Media Source:

Title: Was the Iranian Election Stolen? Does It Matter?”

Author: Mark Weisbrot, Washington Post, 6/26/2009

http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&-columns/op-eds-&-columns/was-the-iranian-election-stolen/Similar Posts:

Obama Sells Ambassadorships

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:23:47 +0000

President Barack Obama has picked three of his major campaign donors to fill diplomatic posts to Spain, Norway and the European Union. The three new ambassadors bundled more than $1 million combined toward Obama’s election efforts. Overall, they have contributed nearly $2 million to general candidates since 1989. Alan D. Solomont, nursing home industry entrepreneur and former lobbyist is slated to become the newest U.S. ambassador to Spain. Barry B. White, a partner at the law firm Foley Hoag, will be the new ambassador to Norway. William E. Kennard, Carlyle Group executive and former Federal Communications Commission chairman is Obama’s choice to be U.S. representative to the European Union, a position that carries the rank of ambassador. Solomont along with his family has donated about $1.8 million since 1989 all of which has gone to Democrats. White has contributed about $103,000 since 1989, of which 98 percent has gone toward Democrats. Kennard has contributed about $67,000 to Democrats since 1989. The president’s ambassadorial announcements come after a relative lull in news of ambassador picks with money-in-politics connections.
Title: Obama Elevates Three More Bundlers & Big Donors in Latest Ambassador Picks

Author: Michael Beckel,Source: Center for Responsive Politics at OpenSecrets.org, August 7, 2009http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/08/obamas-elevates-three-more-big.html

Student Researcher: Jenna Stiver

Faculty Evaluator: Rick LuttmannSonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Was the Iranian Election ‘Rigged’?

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:22:40 +0000

The conventional wisdom in the US corporate media, that the Iranian election was fraudulent, may in fact be incorrect and simple a propaganda ploy by US interests. Robert Parry reports on a new poll that was taken at the end of September showing that about 81 percent of Iranians had confidence with the election outcome and felt that Ahmadinejad was in fact the legitimate president. This is the exact opposite of how US media portrayed how Iranians felt right after the election. Ahmadinejad’s main support group in Iran continues to be the poor, which is the largest electoral segment in the country. Additionally pre-election polls showed Ahmadinejad with overwhelming support from 18-24 year olds in the country.

According to Parry Ahmadinejad’s opponent Mir-Hossein Mousavvi also suggested that his real fear may have been that he genuinely lost the election. In fact Mousavvi came out with a win declaration before the votes were even finished being counted. This article examines how the United States news media was heavily biased against this election and slanted news coverage was the result.

Title: Was the Iranian Election ‘Rigged’?

Source: consortiumnews.com 9/21/2009

URL: http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/092109.html

Author: Robert Parry

Student Researcher: Lizzy Dembosz

Faculty Evaluator: Rick Luttmann Ph.D.

Sonoma State University: Sociology of Media, Fall 2009

Instructor: Peter Phillips, #13Similar Posts: