Lara Pullin
Within hours of the federal budget being passed on January 28, outraged students and staff occupied the University of El Salvador, vowing to lead national mass actions to overturn it. They have called for mass protests at the national palace and outside the assembly.
Just days earlier the the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front's (FMLN) Shafik Handal had launched "Mission Truth" to expose the corruption and economic misery that President Tony Saca is bringing to El Salvador, and empower people to overturn his Arena government. To pass the budget, which is based on privatisation and increasing foreign debt. Arena had to buy the vote of an FMLN deputy, who it appears was always an infiltrator from the right.
FMLN fought hard, within and without parliament, to block the national budget. Unions, popular movements and even the churches opposed the budget. FMLN protesters barricaded streets and municipalities. Some protesters have pointed to the example of the Venezuelan revolution, and festive protests called "Peoples Assemblies" have been held outside the Legislative Assembly, which was occupied for a period in December.
From Green Left Weekly, February 2, 2005.
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