(The following article is from the June 16-30, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

By Tania Portillo

After 20 years of right-wing power under the Republican National Alliance Party (ARENA), the left-wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) has formed the government of El Salvador for the first time. On March 15, FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes and vice-president candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren won the elections by 51%.

     The anticipated inauguration day, June 1, was a symbol of struggle and joy for many Salvadorians. The celebration started off on May 30, with the arrival of presidents and vice-presidents from around the world, including Daniel Ortega from Nicaragua, Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Lula da Silva of Brazil, Esteban Lazo of Cuba, Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela.

     On June 1, at 10 am, the swearing-in of Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Ceren began, which only lasted a few minutes. It was an historic moment when ex-ARENA president Antonio Saca handed over the presidential sash to Mauricio Funes. The audience cheered and chanted "the people united, will never be defeated" as Funes approached the podium for his first speech as the new president.

     The platform which Funes campaigned on fell under three main categories: eliminate the economic and social crisis in El Salvador, direct the country to development, and finally, construct and consolidate democracy and the rule of law.

     Maurico Funes touched many subjects which are causing a crisis in El Salvador. Priorities for the FMLN include employment, wages, delinquency, health care, improvement of the water and electricity system, and education. Starting the next school year, February 2010, uniforms, textbooks and bus transportation will be free for students who attend public school. Registration of students may increase as much as 500,000.

     The celebration of the people was held at the Cuscatlan stadium, which has a capacity of 65,000. Outside there were food and merchandise vendors, and line ups of people trying to enter. The celebration started at 1 pm with different performers showing their solidarity with the FMLN. The stadium was filled with supporters, and many had to remain outside. By 6 pm, vice-president Salvador Sanchez Ceren made his way to the stadium, and one by one, other presidents arrived for the celebration. After hours of waiting to catch a glimpse of Mauricio Funes, the new president arrived at 7 pm, and loud cheers echoed through the crowd. Each president gave a speech, starting with Correa.

     When the Cuban vice-president took the podium, he congratulated the Salvadorian people for their hard work and stated that a document was just signed by himself and Funes, which will expand relations between the two countries. The Salvadorian government had broken ties with Cuba after the 1959 revolution. Although the ARENA government did not want relations with Cuba, Shafik Handal (previous commander of the FMLN) and Fidel Castro maintained closed relations. Through this great friendship, hundreds of Salvadorian youth were given the opportunity to study medicine in Cuba. One specific goal is to open a Salvadorian embassy in Cuba, where Salvadorian students currently have to go through the Guatemalan embassy, which causes delays.

     Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega touched the subject of the absence of presidents Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales. In so many words, he stated that both planned to attend this historic day, but through Cuban and Bolivian intelligence learned that it was unsafe for them to travel.

     In his speech, Maurico Funes touched the hearts of everyone in the stadium, and even brought tears to many. He started by thanking everyone for their great support and patience for his arrival.

     "18 months ago, when I made my first speech as candidate," Funes said, "I made a promise. I promised that a right-wing president would have to hand over the presidential sash to the left-wing party." This statement caused an uproar and chanting of "yes we can!" from the crowd.

     The celebration lasted until 9, ending with fireworks and music from a famous Salvadorian group, Los Guaragous, whose music was banned during the civil war.

     The current standard of living in El Salvador unfortunately has not developed because of the greed and corruption of the right-wing government. The people have a lot of hope and trust in the FMLN to improve their lives. They fully understand that El Salvador will not drastically change in just one five year term. The process of tackling the crisis in El Salvador will be slow, but they know that they will see positive change in the near future.

     (Tania Portillo was among the Canadians who travelled to El Salvador for the inauguration of President Mauricio Funes.)