To: Rep. Albio Sires (NJ-8)
NEW JERSEY SUPPORTS FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN EL SALVADOR
Honorable Congressman Sires,
As a resident of New Jersey, I wish to express my conviction that representatives of the US government should remain neutral in the upcoming presidential elections in El Salvador.
Members of Congress have attempted to intervene in El Salvador’s recent presidential elections by making slanderous remarks against the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) or by threatening repercussions against Salvadoran immigrants and their families if the FMLN were to win.
We hope you agree that such actions are an egregious violation of the Salvadoran people’s right to participate in a free and fair electoral process.
Thus, we have been concerned by recent actions you have taken as Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs that seek to sway public opinion in favor of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party.
You recently co-authored a letter with Representative Salmon (R-AZ), which was circulated through the Salvadoran media that made several unsubstantiated allegations about the FMLN’s presidential candidate. Actions like these perpetuate a long-standing pattern of interference in El Salvador’s democratic affairs that we, your constituents, oppose.
New Jersey is home to over 55,000 Salvadorans, who represent diverse political opinions. However, we- Salvadoran Americans living in New Jersey, and constituents who support our Salvadoran neighbors- believe that this election should be free of any attempts by United States government officials to sway the election in one way or the other.
We call on you to refrain from making any statements in the weeks before the elections that are intended to influence the elections and thus jeopardize the Salvadoran people’s right to self-determination.
We have been heartened by recent confirmations of the United States’ commitment to neutrality:
• In December, fifty-one Congressional Representatives signed a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry calling for neutrality in the upcoming elections.
• In response to this letter, US Ambassador to El Salvador, Mari Carmen Aponte stated to the Salvadoran public that “we [the US] will not intervene in any way; the Salvadoran people will be the ones making this decision.”
• In January, Senator Menéndez released the following statement: “As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to working with El Salvador’s next president and all political actors in the country to build upon the strategic partnership that our two countries enjoy.”
We call on you to join your fellow Members of Congress and the Obama administration in making it clear that you will respect the will of the Salvadoran people, including those of us here in New Jersey.
Sincerely,
NEW JERSEY APOYA ELECCIONES LIBRES Y JUSTAS EN EL SALVADOR
Honorable Congresista Sires ,
Como residente del Estado de Nueva Jersey, deseo expresar mi convicción de que los representantes del gobierno de EE.UU. deben permanecer neutros en las próximas elecciones presidenciales en El Salvador.
Los miembros del Congreso han tratado de intervenir en las recientes elecciones presidenciales de El Salvador haciendo comentarios difamatorios contra el partido gobernante, el Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN ) o haciendo amenazas repercutantes contra los inmigrantes salvadoreños y sus familias si el FMLN ganaba .
Esperamos que usted esté de acuerdo con que este tipo de acciones son una violación flagrante del derecho del pueblo salvadoreño a participar en un proceso electoral libre y justo.
Por lo tanto, nos hemos preocupado por las recientes acciones que ha tomado como miembro de alto rango del Subcomité del Hemisferio Occidental de la Cámara de Asuntos Exteriores, que buscan influenciar en la opinión pública a favor de la Alianza Republicana Nacionalista de derecha (ARENA).
Recientemente usted ha co -escrito una carta con el Representante Salmon (R -AZ), la cual fue distribuida a través de los medios de comunicación salvadoreños que han hecho varias alegaciones infundadas sobre el candidato presidencial del FMLN. Acciones como éstas perpetúan un inmenso patrón de la interferencia en los asuntos democráticos de El Salvador a la que nosotros, sus electores, nos oponemos.
El Estado de Nueva Jersey es el hogar de más de 55,000 salvadoreños, que representan una diversidad de opiniones políticas.
Sin embargo, nosotros los salvadoreños estadounidenses que vivimos en Nueva Jersey, y votantes que apoyamos nuestros vecinos salvadoreños, creemos que estas elecciones deben estar libre de cualquier intento por parte de funcionarios del gobierno de los Estados Unidos para influenciar en las elecciones de un modo u otro.
Le hacemos un llamado para que usted se abstenga de hacer declaraciones en las semanas previas a las elecciones que pretende influenciar y por lo tanto poner en peligro el derecho del pueblo salvadoreño a la libre determinación.
Hemos sido alent...
As a resident of New Jersey, I wish to express my conviction that representatives of the US government should remain neutral in the upcoming presidential elections in El Salvador.
Members of Congress have attempted to intervene in El Salvador’s recent presidential elections by making slanderous remarks against the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) or by threatening repercussions against Salvadoran immigrants and their families if the FMLN were to win.
We hope you agree that such actions are an egregious violation of the Salvadoran people’s right to participate in a free and fair electoral process.
Thus, we have been concerned by recent actions you have taken as Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs that seek to sway public opinion in favor of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) party.
You recently co-authored a letter with Representative Salmon (R-AZ), which was circulated through the Salvadoran media that made several unsubstantiated allegations about the FMLN’s presidential candidate. Actions like these perpetuate a long-standing pattern of interference in El Salvador’s democratic affairs that we, your constituents, oppose.
New Jersey is home to over 55,000 Salvadorans, who represent diverse political opinions. However, we- Salvadoran Americans living in New Jersey, and constituents who support our Salvadoran neighbors- believe that this election should be free of any attempts by United States government officials to sway the election in one way or the other.
We call on you to refrain from making any statements in the weeks before the elections that are intended to influence the elections and thus jeopardize the Salvadoran people’s right to self-determination.
We have been heartened by recent confirmations of the United States’ commitment to neutrality:
• In December, fifty-one Congressional Representatives signed a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry calling for neutrality in the upcoming elections.
• In response to this letter, US Ambassador to El Salvador, Mari Carmen Aponte stated to the Salvadoran public that “we [the US] will not intervene in any way; the Salvadoran people will be the ones making this decision.”
• In January, Senator Menéndez released the following statement: “As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to working with El Salvador’s next president and all political actors in the country to build upon the strategic partnership that our two countries enjoy.”
We call on you to join your fellow Members of Congress and the Obama administration in making it clear that you will respect the will of the Salvadoran people, including those of us here in New Jersey.
Sincerely,
NEW JERSEY APOYA ELECCIONES LIBRES Y JUSTAS EN EL SALVADOR
Honorable Congresista Sires ,
Como residente del Estado de Nueva Jersey, deseo expresar mi convicción de que los representantes del gobierno de EE.UU. deben permanecer neutros en las próximas elecciones presidenciales en El Salvador.
Los miembros del Congreso han tratado de intervenir en las recientes elecciones presidenciales de El Salvador haciendo comentarios difamatorios contra el partido gobernante, el Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN ) o haciendo amenazas repercutantes contra los inmigrantes salvadoreños y sus familias si el FMLN ganaba .
Esperamos que usted esté de acuerdo con que este tipo de acciones son una violación flagrante del derecho del pueblo salvadoreño a participar en un proceso electoral libre y justo.
Por lo tanto, nos hemos preocupado por las recientes acciones que ha tomado como miembro de alto rango del Subcomité del Hemisferio Occidental de la Cámara de Asuntos Exteriores, que buscan influenciar en la opinión pública a favor de la Alianza Republicana Nacionalista de derecha (ARENA).
Recientemente usted ha co -escrito una carta con el Representante Salmon (R -AZ), la cual fue distribuida a través de los medios de comunicación salvadoreños que han hecho varias alegaciones infundadas sobre el candidato presidencial del FMLN. Acciones como éstas perpetúan un inmenso patrón de la interferencia en los asuntos democráticos de El Salvador a la que nosotros, sus electores, nos oponemos.
El Estado de Nueva Jersey es el hogar de más de 55,000 salvadoreños, que representan una diversidad de opiniones políticas.
Sin embargo, nosotros los salvadoreños estadounidenses que vivimos en Nueva Jersey, y votantes que apoyamos nuestros vecinos salvadoreños, creemos que estas elecciones deben estar libre de cualquier intento por parte de funcionarios del gobierno de los Estados Unidos para influenciar en las elecciones de un modo u otro.
Le hacemos un llamado para que usted se abstenga de hacer declaraciones en las semanas previas a las elecciones que pretende influenciar y por lo tanto poner en peligro el derecho del pueblo salvadoreño a la libre determinación.
Hemos sido alent...
Why is this important?
The New Jersey Coalition For Fair Elections in El Salvador was started by members of Pax Christi, several prominent Labor Unions and concerned citizens to advocate for neutrality in the upcoming Feb 2, 2014 elections in El Salvador.