wfn.org | Salvadoran Banks Trying to Thwart Land Reform Efforts

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

11-February-2000 
00070 
 
    Salvadoran Banks Trying to Thwart Land Reform Efforts 
 
    PC(USA)-aided agricultural cooperative is threatened 
 
    A missionary letter from Julie and Robert Dinsmore 
    Mission co-workers in El Salvador 
 
SAN SALVADOR - The Salvadoran oligarchy, perhaps now more firmly in control 
of El Salvador than ever, under the banner of globalization, blocked the 
Colima mill - a PC(USA)-aided agricultural cooperative - from milling 
organic sugar cane even as preparations were under way at the mill. 
 
    Owning the most powerful banks, it has systematically repossessed the 
land parceled out to cooperatives during the land reform. 
 
    According to government figures 97% of the land reform cooperatives 
have gone under and fallen into the hands of these powerful few. As these 
banks are the financial machine that controls the nations primary export, 
sugar, our project was victimized. 
 
    We are trying to recover from the disappointment, trying to keep the 
coops from burning their organic cane and going back to the less expensive 
chemical management, trying to explore possibilities of milling the next 
harvest for organic sugar and strategizing how to keep the co-ops afloat as 
the government increases pressure on them to pay off the cost of their land 
at highly inflated values which benefitted the original owners, the 
ancestors of the present bank owners. 
 
    It all seems so hopeless without the understanding that in the 
Creator's economy subtraction can result in gain, defeat in victory.  The 
weak are chosen to confound the strong, the meek to inherit the Earth. So 
we keep struggling and asking for your prayers. 
 
    And we keep dreaming ... big! 
 
    Last week the Colima co-op and Alfalit had an important meeting.  We 
were all still stunned by  the hard reality of the many jobs lost at the 
mill, amidst rumors the banks were going after the mill owner's home and 
ranch, with reports from fishermen that the fishing was difficult with the 
reservoir still so full,  with crop lands still flooded and with the 
unavailability of agricultural credit. 
 
    At this meeting the Colima co-op and Alfalit decided to work more 
closely together to try to increase income from the land, the teak 
plantation, the forest reserve and ecotourism, the hacienda and its 
swimming pool.  Three projects are underway this week. The coop will 
receive administrative training and share bookkeeping with Alfalit. 
Alfalit will also seek low interest loans and will explore the possibility 
of obtaining a grant or loan that would make possible the organic sugar 
cane growers union eventual purchase of the Colima mill for their own use. 
 
    We have received the green light to take as much sugar cane waste fiber 
as needed from the Colima mill for cooking fuel production.  The fuel log 
machine turned out some nice logs 
today.  We expect to move into daily production, now that the Presbyterian 
Hunger Program has granted us funds to purchase a hammermill that will make 
it possible for us to utilize 100% of the raw material available. 
 
    We are busy with restoration work in three of the hacienda's  rooms, in 
preparation for at least eight delegations coming here this year.  Bunkbeds 
are being built, ceramic tile and new pipes are being installed in the 
interior bathroom, the public restrooms for the swimming pool are well 
underway, electrical work is underway, a dormitory is being painted, and we 
are starting to look for financial help to get the colonial kitchen 
remodeled. 

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