ISSS Security Contract Fraud, Cost of $3.6 Million to “Ghost” Employees

The director of the Salvadoran Insitution of Social Security (ISSS), Óscar Kattán announced yesterday that the institution is investigating at least 230 “ghost” employees that ISSS has been paying salary for through the ISSS’s contract with the security business, SERCONSE. 

These “ghost” employees were part of the private security division, but while the contract calls for 715 guards, only 485 employees were actually working.

Kattán confirmed that $100,000 has been paid monthly to SERCONSE for the last three years that the contract has been in place. This has resulted in a total of $3.6 million paid for a service that does not exist.

 ”These are outrageous and alarming rates, when we understand the needs that the patients and workers of ISSS have,” commented Kattán. 

The Funes administration has also created a commission of lawyers and experts to investigate fraud and corruption in all the government institutions. The president plans to use these recommendations to eliminate corruption and move forward with new policies and practices.

photo from La Prensa Grafica

H1N1 Cases on the Rise While Dengue Fever Cases Increase This Year As Well

As of today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 226 cases of the H1N1 strand of influenza in El Salvador. In the last couple of months, these numbers have continued to  rise in El Salvador where the rainy season is just beginning. In the last 48 hours, the ministry has confirmed 31 more cases. In one hospital in San Jacinto, the doctor, Miguel Navarro, said that the number of flu patients has increased about 20% since the end of April.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently labeled the virus as a pandemic. Worldwide, there have been at least 59,814 cases of H1N1, 263 deaths, and 113 countries affected. 

The virus has been most widespread in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, but there have also been cases in Europe and Asia.

Schools throughout El Salvador have closed due to H1N1. However, many have reopened. On June 25, La Prensa Grafica reported that at least ten public schools and six private schools had been closed because of the virus. 36 education centers have been affected by H1N1.

Julio Armero, the chief of the Health Surveillance Unit has said that within the 11 most affected municipal areas, the majority of cases are youth between the ages of 10 and 19.

Also, there has been an increase from last year’s rate of dengue fever in the western part of the country. Last year at this time, there were only 131 cases confirmed in Ahuachapán, Sonsonate, and Santa Ana, but this year there have been 208. 

 

photo from La Prensa Grafica

 

Social Leader Marcelo Rivera Disappears

The social leader and activist, Marcelo Rivera, has been missing since June 18, and people in the community of San Isidro, where Rivera lived and worked claim that his disappearance is a result of human rights offenses and institutional corruption. While community members in San Isidro, Cabañas demonstrate against his disappearance and demand his return, the search for Rivera has had shown no success thus far.

Rivera was last seen by neighbors and family on June 18 in late afternoon hours in El Molino in the jurisdiction of Ilobasco. The search began on Sunday, June 20, led by family, neighbors, and community members. Some family members have said that they “have not seen involvement in the investigation neither from the PNC, or from the Attorney General of the Republic.”

The activist is a well-known social figure as a member of the Departmental Board of Directors of the FMLN, Director of the Casa de la Cultura, and Legal Representative of the Association of Friends of San Isidro Cabañas (ASIC). In January, Rivera was a head opposition leader in the denunciation of local election results in San Isidro, claiming fraud and corruption. Rivera has also been highly involved in the resistance to Pacific Rim’s mining projects.

photo from El Diario Co-Latino

Government Launches Comunidades Solidarias Rurales in Verapaz

Yesterday, President Funes and members of his administration delivered the first round of bonuses for healthcare and education from the Comunidades Solidarias Rurales program, the successor to former President Saca’s Red Solidaria.

The first town to receive bonuses was Verapaz in the department of San Vicente. Among the 68 poorest areas in the country determined by the government, Verapaz is number 62.

In Verapaz, 804 families were given bonuses, totaling $26,720. There are a few different types of bonuses that families received with the amount varying depending on the number of children and their ages in the families.

Héctor Silva, president of the Social Investment Fund for Local Development (FISDL), and President Funes stressed that although there are similarities in the previous government’s program, Red Solidaria, there are differences in the Communidades Solidarias Rurales program.

In in article in La Prensa Grafica, it was explained that this program will also be aimed at “social and productive infrastructure” and “closing the gap of basic services” like electricity and running water, along with the goals of education and health services.

In the following months, more towns will be supported by the program, and by November, at least 9,000 beneficiaries will have received bonuses.

ARENA and FMLN Agree to Create Transparency Law

ARENA and FMLN members of the Legislative Assembly have pledged to create a law to protect transparency and flow of information to citizens.

A recent article in El Faro reports that the two main parties will be working together with the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES) and the Iberoamerican Institute of Constitutional Law. These institutions have recently created a proposal that would facilitate the flow of information from the state to the public.

Both parties have stated their commitment to passing a law that would provide this type of transparency, and both say that they hope to get this moving quickly. However, at this time, there is no timeframe on when it will be completed.

This initiative follows recent reports that the Funes administration has found evidence of fraud and corruption in several institutions during the previous administration, most notably in the Centro Nacional de Registro (CNR). The president also recently announced that he plans to implement an austerity plan aimed at cutting unnecessary spending among public institutions.

Two Salvadoran Women Among 12 Immigrants Held Hostage in Texas

Two Salvadoran women were among the twelve immigrants held captive in Brownsville, Texas by armed men. The men, whose identities have not been released at this time, reportedly held the captives and demanded that their relatives pay them money for their release. Three men have been arrested.

The ten other victims were men from Mexico, also immigrating to the United States. El Diario de Hoy reported that police were alerted of the hostage situation when one of the captives escaped and called the police from a nearby house.

The victims told the police that they had been kept at a house near the Mexican border for four days against their will. They said they were hungry and thirsty and had swollen knees from kneeling for long hours in a room.

The 12 victims have been handed over to the U.S. Border Patrol for processing. This is not an isolated case.  Immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border face extreme peril, whether it be the climate of the southwest, the gangs that control the region, abuse those who they have paid to ensure their safe passage, or others they meet along the way.

FMLN Calls for Prohibition of Mining

On Tuesday, June 16, FMLN members of the Legislative Assembly called for the prohibition of exploration and exploitation of gold and silver in El Salvador. This prohibition would consist of a reform to Article 2 of the Mining Law. In the proposal, companies currently involved in mining activities in El Salvador would have 180 days to abort operations and leave.

In May 2008, during President Funes’ campaign, he granted an interview to Upside Down World, an online news source that follows activism and politics in Latin America. In the interview, Funes stated his opposition to mining. 

“On our behalf, what we will do is work hand in hand in alliance with the communities to preserve water.  This is also why, as a party and future government, we do not support mining exploration projects, as well as mining exploitation because they are projects that do not harmoniously coincide with nature. And, they pollute the few drinking water sources and reservoirs we have, putting public health at risk.”

With the call for new mining legislations the President and Legislative Assembly seem to be carrying out this and other promises made during the campaign. Though former President Tony Saca expressed his stance against mining, many ARENA party members still strongly supported mining. FMLN members proposed similar legislation in 2008, but they lacked the votes to get it passed. La Prensa Grafica reports that some ARENA representatives may likely support the mining prohibition, and provide the support necessary to pass the prohibition. Members of the PCN are less supportive. With the president’s high approval rating, and the public’s strong opposition to mining, the law may pass in the near future. 

The Salvadoran Government granted roughly 23 exploration permits before 2005.  Among those to receive permits were Pacific Rim Mining Corp. and the Commerce Group, both of which are currently seeking arbitration over their inability to secure or, in the case of the Commerce Group, maintain the permits necessary to engage in mining activities. They argue that the Salvadoran Government encouraged investment by granting the exploration permits and that by not granting, or taking away, their rights to mine was tantamount to expropriating their investment and a violation of Chapter 10 of CAFTA.  The new administration has yet to respond to either claim publicly, though the proposed ban on mining seems to indicate that they are planning to stand up to Pacific Rim and the Commerce Group.

Funes Administration Uncovers Corruption From Previous Administration and Plans to Curb Unnecessary Spending in Coming Years

Since taking office on June 1, 2009, the new administration in El Salvador has been uncovering corrupt practices in the government institutions of the past administration. President Funes announced on Friday, June 12 that the Centro Nacional de Registro (CNR) had the most irregularities and incidences of corruption found under ARENA administrations.

The Diario Co-Latino reported that government records show that within the CNR there were 29 “ghost” positions that cost the government $74,000 monthly in salaries, a total of $7 billion since the Saca Administration created the positions.

Other institutions with reported anomalies include the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), Justice and Security, and the Ministry of the Interior, among others. Because of the irregularities found, the president plans to create a presidential commission to investigate incidences of corruption.

The president also recently announced an austerity plan aimed at cutting unnecessary spending among public institutions. One example President Funes gave of how they will save money in the ministries was to be more frugal with the use of government vehicles. Publicity costs were also mentioned as a way to cut costs, and President Funes said that he planned to use publicity only on important measures or program announcements.

A recent poll found that the president has the support of 71.8% of Salvadorans, while former President Saca ended his term with 55.2%. President Funes campaigned on a message of change, and his recent efforts to look into the corrupt practices and unnecessary spending of the past administration seem to signal that he is acting on this agenda.

His efforts to prevent unnecessary spending and end corruption in the government are signs that the President is being proactive in addressing the current financial crisis, and that he is changing the way that public institutions operate.

El Plan Nacional de Educación 2021 Will Continue with New Administration

New Education minister Sánchez Cerén made it clear recently that El Plan Nacional de Educación 2021 will continue under the new administration. The program, started under former President Tony Saca, has the goal of improving the public education system and achieving universal primary and secondary education in El Salvador. On June 15, during a television interview the minister said that he was ready to initiate institutional reforms that would put a focus on the “economic development of the country.” 

 

 

Through its initiatives, the ministry of Education (MINED) hopes to provide adequate space, healthy lunches for children, and better salaries for teachers.  Cerén plans to continue and expand this program in the coming years. MINED has estimated that in order to repair and rebuild infrastructure in the public school system, it will cost $150 million. Luis Mario López, a representative of the public schools teacher union, announced recently that Cerén promised that teachers would be receiving bonuses within the next month of about $146 for each teacher. 

 

 

El Diario de Hoy reported that some ARENA politicians interpret Cerén’s comments about creating a new model of education to mean that the curriculum would include political doctrines. Some have even expressed their fears that this meant socialist doctrine similar to the educational curriculum used in Cuba.

 

Vice-President Cerén has stated that he will dedicate most of his time to MINED, and that he will focus most of his duties as Vice President on regional integration, for which he has a well-trained staff.

 

photo from La Prensa Grafica 

President Funes Announces Plan to Reinforce the PNC to Combat Violent Crime

On Thursday of last week, President Funes announced his plans to reinforce the national police force (PNC) and invest around $11.5 million in improving their capabilities and conditions. He spoke at a press conference following the induction of Carlos Antonio Ascencio Girón as the new General Director of the PNC and Mauricio Landaverde as the Assistant Director.

The president also announced that beginning in July, all sergeants, corporals, and agents would receive an extra $2 per work day towards food costs. The cost of these bonuses will total $36,064 per day for the18,032 members of the police force included in the plan. 

 

The PNC will also add 1,300 new agents who will provide reinforcements in 25 of the most violent municipalities in the country. Funes also plans to form municipal commissions that will work in coordination with the police and the mayor’s office to prevent violence. In rural areas, groups will work will the armed forces (FAES). The archbishop of El Salvador, José Luis Escobar Alas, recently voiced his support for the collaboration of the FAES and the PNC.

 

In the first 13 days of June, an average of 14 people were killed per day, over 10 times more than in the United States. Much of this violence is connected with gangs and affects the younger population. In the past, there have been reports of police corruption and collaboration with gangs and drug trafficking. 

 

President Funes also made it clear that his administration would not tolerate corruption within the PNC. He stated that “[t]hose that betray the institution and their fellow officers by involving themselves in crime will not have a place in the police family…they will be removed from the institution and will be held responsible for their actions.” 

 

photo from the PNC official website