Sunday, January 29, 2006

El Salvador: Huge March Buries Revolutionary Handal



in what the BBC says is the largest crowd to assemble in El Salvador in 25 years, at least 100,000 came out to say goodbye to leftist icon Schafik Handal. From the BBC:

Schafik Handal was the main leader of the political party formed by El Salvador's left-wing guerrillas at the end of the civil war in 1992.

During the war he was a top guerrilla top commander, for 12 years defying the largest US-led counter-insurgency effort since Vietnam.

Before that he was a veteran of decades of clandestine struggle against one of Latin America's most brutal military dictatorships, suffering imprisonment and exile.

This, San Salvador's deputy archbishop Monsignor Rosa Chavez told the crowd, was his most important contribution.

He said Mr Handal had himself wanted to be remembered as a fighter for democracy in his country, whose struggle to get the people of El Salvador the right to choose for themselves.

3 Comments:

Blogger jsb said...

He was also a kidnapper and murderer.

1:34 PM  
Blogger leftside said...

Anyone who knows anything about El Salvador knows that it was the rightist Military and ARENA who were kidnapping and murdering like there was no tomorrow - with US active support of course.

And Handal WAS fighting for democracy. Don't beleive me - read the history books or the words of the Archbishop again.

I don't know why you think I support "militias" in today's world. There are very few cases where I would support the lifting of arms against tyranny.... maybe in Nepal and Saudi Arabia. You are the one with Ninja in your name, so maybe you ought to look in the mirror.

Which "oppressed" country do you suggest I should visit? In Venezuela, where Chavez has won 8 elections? In Argentina, where Kirchner has 75%....In Bolivia, where Evo has a 74% approval rating? Or Bush's people in Haiti, who have an 8% approval, or Toledo in Peru with a 12% approval??

7:09 PM  
Blogger leftside said...

I am not a supporter of N Korea's model.

What blood of dissenters in Latin America are you talking about? Only right-wing government's have had blood on their hands.

11:44 AM  

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