The people of El Salvador will go to the polls on January 18 for the legislative elections, then again on March 15 for the presidential ballot.
Since colonisation, the governments of El Salvador have been dominated by a small elite and the military. However, the left-wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) is curently leading in the pre-election polls and a new government, which is on the side of the poor majority, looks very possible.
The FMLN has fought a 12-year struggle against the oligarchy and now governs the majority of the country at a local and legislative level. If the FMLN wins national government in El Salvador, it will strengthen campaigns for social justice throughout Latin America and the world.
Unlike ARENA, which is backed by El Salvador's wealthy elite and the US government, the FMLN represents the poor and working class, and relies on its mass base in El Salvador and supporters internationally to fund its campaign. The FMLN committees in Australia are working hard to raise funds for the 2009 election campaign and are appealing for our solidarity. Look out for the "A Dollar for Change in El Salvador" campaign at public events around, and make a donation.
[For more information, contact the FMLN committee in your city, or national coordinator Bernardo Zamora on 0409 151 099.]