On 26 July 1996, during the Sao Paolo Forum, an international meeting of left-wing parties and movements taking place in San Salvador, the underground right-wing political group the Fuerza Nacionalista Mayor Roberto D’Aubuisson (FURODA) issued a threatening communique to the media, urging them “to report the truth and not to distort it.” FURODA also announced […]
On 26 July 1996, during the Sao Paolo Forum, an international
meeting of left-wing parties and movements taking place in San
Salvador, the underground right-wing political group the Fuerza
Nacionalista Mayor Roberto D’Aubuisson (FURODA) issued a
threatening communique to the media, urging them “to report the
truth and not to distort it.” FURODA also announced that the
detention of the editor-in-chief of the daily “Colatino”,
Francisco Valencia, was only “the beginning.” (The journalist was
arrested by the police on 12 July 1996 after having been charged
with defaming a police officer.) The communique called Valencia a
“pig” and warned that he would no longer continue to be “the
voice of the communists” (“de seguir siendo el vocero de los
comunistas.”) As well, FURODA swore to do away with (“acabar
con”) everyone, including politicians and journalists, listed in
its first communique issued on 26 June.
**For background, see IFEX alert dated 1 July 1996**
On 3 July, the group had issued a second communique threatening
the media.
Background Information
FURODA takes its name from the founder of the ruling ARENA party,
Commander Roberto D’Aubuisson, who was accused in the early 1980s
of supporting the death squads in El Salvador. However, the
government has denied having any links to the group.
According to information in an alert originated by the World
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), FURODA sent
a communique on 26 June to several media outlets in San Salvador
containing death threats directed at several journalists, priests
and politicians accused of being behind a “frantic opposition”
campaign against the government of President Armando Calderon
Sol. FURADO also mentioned the “pernicious foreign media which
conveys a false image of El Salvador and its government,” warning
that “every time [the foreign media] spreads disinformation, it
will result in an act of sabotage on our part” (see IFEX alert).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to Salvadoran authorities:
journalists and that they identify and punish the authors of
these threatening communiques
Appeals To
His Excellency Armando Calderon Sol
President of the Republic
Presidential House
San Salvador, El Salvador
Fax: +503 281 0018/0017 or +503 271 0950
Please copy appeals to the originator if possible.
