NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9353

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From: [e-mail] (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Proceso 542: Peace Process
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/** reg.elsalvador: 150.0 **/
** Topic: Proceso 542: Peace Process **
** Written  4:22 am  Dec 13, 1992 by [e-mail] in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
From: [e-mail] (Centro de Informacion Documentacion y Apoyo a la Invest. - UCAJSC)
Subject: Proceso 542: Peace Process

Center for Information, Documentation and Research Support (CIDAI)
Central American University (UCA)
San Salvador, El Salvador

PROCESO 542
December 9, 1992

PEACE PROCESS:
On the eve of December 15

     The first and most decisive stage of the peace process is
about to conclude. Slowly and painfully, but also irreversibly, the
fundamental commitments necessary to guarantee a definitive end to
the armed conflict, as well as the groundwork essential for a
democratic transformation of Salvadoran society, have been and/or
are being fulfilled by the two sides. Profound mistrust between the
Armed Forces and the government, on the one side, and the FMLN on
the other, continue to muddy the waters of national reconciliation,
but armed confrontation is undeniably a thing of the past. The
process of dismantling the war machine, including the dissolution
of the FMLN's military forces and the government's elite
counterinsurgency battalions, constitute clear proof of this.

Destruction of the FMLN's weapons

     On December 2, one day after the deadline established by the
third rescheduling of the peace process, the FMLN began to destroy
the weapons utilized by its combatants during the war years. The
action was carried out simultaneously in all fifteen rebel
concentration points, and was verified on-site by ONUSAL military
experts. The main protocol event of this historic moment took place
in the Chaguital camp near El Paisnal (San Salvador), with the
presence of ONUSAL chief Iqbal Riza, accompanied by Gen. Victor
Suanzes, the ONUSAL military chief. The activity was headed up by
FMLN commander Leonel Gonzalez, who declared that the destruction
of the weapons by FMLN combatants constituted "proof of the FMLN's
determination to consolidate the peace process in El Salvador."
Riza termed the act "impressive," adding: "we are leaving the war
and entering peace."
     Using acetylene torches, ONUSAL delegates showed FMLN
combatants how to cut the arms in two. For assault rifles, there
were two diagonal cuts: one at the air intake chamber and the other
through the action chamber, thus rendering the weapons absolutely
irreparable. During the following days, ONUSAL also showed the FMLN
how to destroy other weapons, such as land mines and other
explosives. The mines and explosives will be detonated near
existing gunpowder stores, where security cordons will be set up.
It will also be ONUSAL's job to draw up a formal record of all
verified weapons destroyed, indicating their serial numbers,
caliber and/or characteristics.
     The other side reacted to this historic rebel gesture with
general skepticism. Defense Minister Ponce declared himself
"cautious in believing that the FMLN will destroy all its weapons"
before the end of the peace process. "We are almost sure to find
more arms caches after December 15," he added. The FMLN warned that
such doubts constituted "a clear sign that the Armed Forces is
designing some form of provocation" for after December 15. The FMLN
communique added that the High Command "is trying to create an
unstable climate in order to eclipse the good will demonstrated by
the FMLN in destroying its weapons."

The demobilization of the Atlacatl battalion

     The government's skeptical reaction to the FMLN's weapons
inventory, presented to the U.N., threatened to slow down the
positive progress of the cease-fire stage in its final stretch.
Despite the fact that the FMLN began destroying its weapons,
President Cristiani reiterated that he would not order the
demobilization of the remaining elite battalions until the U.N. had
officially certified that the FMLN's weapons inventory was
acceptable. For all practical purposes, this placed in doubt the
dismantling of the most important elite counterinsurgency force of
the army, the Atlacatl Battalion.
     However, the impetus of the peace process forced the
demobilization of the Atlacatl Battalion on the appointed date.
This event was also a particularly significant part of the cease-
fire process. The Atlacatl Battalion, founded and trained by U.S.
army Green Berets, symbolized the backbone of the counterinsurgency
war. Its aggressive methods, however, tied it directly to the most
execrable human rights violations ever committed during the war,
including, to mention only two of the most outstanding incidents,
the El Mozote massacre (1981) and the murder of the Jesuit priests
at the UCA (1989).
     The demobilization of the battalion was presided over by
President Cristiani and the entire High Command. In his speech,
Cristiani declared, "words are not enough to express, in the name
of our fatherland, our recognition and gratitude to our soldiers
who, with pride and under the flag of this battalion, have fought
with spirit, discipline, courage and valor." Outside the barracks,
members of the FMLN Youth and teachers belonging to ANDES [the
barracks used to be the national teachers' training school]
celebrated the end of the murderous battalion. Even so, Cristiani
said that the barracks would continue to belong to the Ministry of
Defense, and would soon house the Detachment of Military Engineers.

Other relevant aspects

     In terms of demilitarization, the peace process has moved
forward at an acceptable rate. Nevertheless, the dissolution of the
FMLN as a military force must also be accompanied by a set of
legislative reforms aimed both at helping the former rebels to
rejoin civil society and institutional life, and at establishing a
democratic system. There is plenty of uncertainty in this aspect of
the peace process. COPAZ, the body responsible for generating these
legal transformations, is in a race against the clock. Amendments
to the Electoral Code, the law governing the judicial profession,
and the law to protect war disabled, are only some of the key bills
that COPAZ must send to the legislature for approval before
December 15. Despite the pressures, there are still strong
differences among COPAZ members with regard to the final wording of
these laws. All in all, the obstacles are not impossible to
overcome, and it is expected that December 15 will see the first
and most crucial stage of the peace process coming to a
satisfactory conclusion.


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