Four months after the US elections, El Salvador goes to the polls also, and Salvadorans will most likely also vote into office the Salvadoran Barack Obama, Mauricio Funes. …See! They even have the same program, if you can call talking vaguely about ‘CHANGE’ a program at all?

Here is Funes about his plans for his country…

‘Given the current international context, we do not aspire to build socialism in El Salvador. What we hope to build is a more dynamic and competitive economy, placing ourselves in the international playing field in a highly globalized and competitive world. We hope to have a stronger and more dynamic economy than what has been built up until now.’
(from El Salvador: The UDW Interview with FMLN Presidential Candidate Mauricio Funes- Part I)

Yawn, this is once again ‘change’ that one can hardly begin to believe much in. Funes will be about as inspiring as Lula in Brazil and Ortega in Nicaragua, it does appear. Or about as much a thrill as Obama will seem to us all, after a couple years into his presidency.

Good luck, El Salvador. You’ll need it almost as much as we will in the US. It is sad to see the FMLN sunk down to this state after so many years.