B3-1599 and 1629/93

Resolution on El Salvador

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 22 April 1993 on the political situation in El Salvador and the Declaration of the Twelve of 28 October 1993,

A.deeply disturbed at the resurgence of violence in El Salvador which may jeopardize the next elections to be held in March 1994 and which undoubtedly represents a setback to the peace process in the country in the context of the Chapultepec accords,

B.recalling that a particularly barbarous feature of the disastrous civil war in El Salvador was the operations of death squads who frequently tortured their victims before murdering them,

C.recalling that this conflict, which ended in January 1992, lasted twelve years and cost more than 70 000 lives,

D.having regard to the recommendations adopted by the Truth Commission of the United Nations and the European Community calling for demilitarization of the country, disbandment of the death squads, reform of the legal institutions and aid programmes for the families of the victims,

E.whereas a recent UNSAL report contains documentary evidence of 52 attempted or actual summary executions between May and July 1993,

F.alarmed at the evidence emerging from official documents in Washington that the administrations of Presidents Reagan and Bush connived at the activities of right-wing death squads in El Salvador,

1.Roundly condemns the wave of murders and threats in the country which could wreck the peace accord, and in particular the crimes committed against members of the FMLN and ARENA parties;

2.Calls on the government to carry out an immediate investigation into the murders and bring the perpetrators to justice, and calls on the Salvadorean authorities to take the necessary measures to guarantee the electoral process and the full and free participation of all political forces;

3.Reiterates its demand for the death squads to be broken up as soon as possible and stresses particularly the need for an independent inquiry into the phenomenon of the death squads as demanded by the Truth Commission;

4.Urges the Commission to remind the Salvadorean authorities, in the context of the new cooperation agreement and the 'democratic clause', of their duty to guarantee full respect for human rights;

5.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Government of El Salvador, the Government of the United States and the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States.