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 [Mel King on El Salvador elections] Original Airdate: 3/29/1984 Length: 00:18:00 Item Type: newstape - original footage Go back to main record. Full Description 0:59:07 Visual: Mel King (social activist), Patrick deTemple (attorney, City of Cambridge) and Martin Putnam (attorney) sit behind a table at a press conference to report on their nine-day trip to El Salvador to observe elections. A moderator introduces them. 0:59:38 V: Putnam describes their trip to El Salvador. Putnam mentions the people and officials with whom the delegation met. Putnam talks about the delegation's visit to two prisons and a refugee camp. Putnam says that the delegation witnessed a political rally; that the delegation visited polling places across the country as authorized observers. Putnam describes scenes of violence and intimidation during the elections. Putnam talks about arbitrary exercises of power by the government and about "state terrorism." Putnam talks about violations of human rights and civil rights of El Salvadorean citizens; about meeting with political prisoners in state prisons. Putnam describes the electoral process in El Salvador. Putnam says that El Salvadorean citizens were confused about how and where to vote; that chaos reigned at many polling places; that voting is mandatory. Putnam says that many El Salvadoreans did not believe that elections would bring democracy or peace. 1:06:49 V: Putnam invites questions from reporters. DeTemple talks about the complex and bureaucratic voting system in El Salvador; about the confusion of voters. Putnam talks about the fines imposed on citizens who do not vote; about citizens' fear of reprisals by the government if they failed to vote. 1:10:31 V: A reporter asks if there was a political party directing or benefiting from chaos at polling places. King says that he has been reluctant to talk about the elections in El Salvador; that the election was prematurely held; that many political parties were not ready. King talks about the lack of hope for change among the El Salvadorean electorate. King talks about the national and international forces at play in El Salvador. King adds that the interests of the citizens are not represented; that citizens live in an atmosphere where harassment, intimidation, and death are common. King condems the US government for supporting elections in El Salvador. King notes that voting at some polling places was safe and free from intimidation. King says that the elections will accomplish very little; that the interests of the people are not represented. King says that the US Government and the El Salvadorean government are exploiting a fear of communism among the people; that this fear of communism diverts attention from issues of poverty and justice. |
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