BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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SENATE THIRD READING
SCR 103 (De León)
As Amended June 18, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :33-0
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 8-0
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|Ayes:|Medina, Daly, Fong, Fox, | | |
| |Linder, Melendez, V. | | |
| |Manuel Pérez, Brown | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Memorializes the Legislature's praise of the
professional and democratic handling of the March 2014
presidential election in El Salvador and recognizes the deep
cultural connections between California and El Salvador.
Specifically, this resolution :
1)Makes declarations, which among other things, state:
a) The 12-year Salvadoran Civil War took the lives of over
75,000 Salvadorans and resulted in a massive influx of
refugees to the United States (U.S.);
b) Of the 1.6 million Salvadorans residing in the U.S.,
more than 500,000 live in California, making Salvadorans
the second largest Latino population in the state;
c) March 24, 2014 is the 34th anniversary of the martyrdom
of Monsignor Óscar Romero, who is a cultural icon to the
people of El Salvador and whose life and teachings millions
of people around the world pay tribute; and
d) El Salvador held a presidential election on March 9,
2014, which was considered by expert observers to be
administered under a free and democratic process and was
praised for its transparency and professionalism.
2)Resolves that the Legislature, on behalf of the people of
California, commends the Salvadoran people for their high
turnout in the election, as well as the state institutions for
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their professional handling of the election process. Further,
that the California Legislature looks forward to a positive,
cooperative relationship with Salvadorans living in California
and President Salvador Sánchez Cerén and his government as
they continue to forge new policies and take actions to
promote democratic institutions, the rule of law, and economic
opportunity and growth for all Salvadorans, in the spirit of
the Chapultepec Peace Accords of 1992.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
COMMENTS : In the 1980's, El Salvador was embroiled in more than
a decades long civil war that took the lives of over 75,000
Salvadorans and resulted in a massive influx of refugees to the
U.S. with a majority arriving in California. Today, two million
Salvadorans live in the U.S., and more than 500,000 call
California home. Los Angeles - sister city to San Salvador, the
capital of El Salvador - is home to the largest concentration of
Salvadorans in the U.S.
This resolution acknowledges the significance of the recent
democratic election of the President Salvador Sánchez Cerén,
reflects on the outcomes of the civil war, and commemorates the
important role Monsignor Óscar Romero continues to play for the
Salvadoran people.
Civil War in El Salvador: Tensions in El Salvador among the
indigenous, the poor, and the working class had been simmering
for decades due to their poor economic and social circumstances,
especially as compared to the growing prosperity of a select
few. In the 1970s the struggles continued with escalating acts
of violence between the military and the rebels often including
civilian causalities. The public assassination of an out-spoken
priest and human rights activist provided the final spark that
led to a 12-year civil war which displaced half a million people
and resulted in the death of 75,000, according to documentation
from the United Nations.
On March 24, 1980, Monsignor Óscar Romero, a former Nobel Peace
Prize nominee for his advocacy for the poor, was assassinated
while serving mass. Only days after the murder, a peaceful
rally in front of the National Cathedral commemorating the
Monsignor's death was broken up by a bomb blast and bursts of
gunfire leaving 27 to 40 dead and 200 wounded, according to the
Report of the U.N. Truth Commission. Later that same year, four
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U.S. church women working with refugees in El Salvador were
abducted, raped, and murdered.
Throughout the duration of the civil war, there were continued
reports on the extreme conditions in El Salvador including the
1981 massacre at El Mozote, which left 1,000 civilians dead and
the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her
daughter, to name just a few. As the violence grew and the
attacks on both sides escalated, refugees swarmed into the U.S.
and Canada, as well as neighboring countries including Mexico.
Further complicating the war was the involvement of foreign
countries and the perceived regional significance of the civil
war as a challenge to democracy in the Western hemisphere. U.S.
involvement shifted between being concerned over violent acts
and human right abuses of civilians to apprehension that the
fall of El Salvador to leftists would have a domino effect on
other areas of Central and South America. One BBC report
described the U.S. involvement in El Salvador as being the
largest counter-insurgency war against left-wing guerrillas
since Vietnam. During the height of the civil war, some sources
reported that U.S. aid averaged $1.5 million dollars a day.
U.S. support only ceased in 1990 after the United Nations became
involved to help forge an armistice, and U.S. Congressman Joe
Moakley published a Congressionally-mandated report that
confirmed the prior reports of human rights violations in El
Salvador.
The civil war officially ended in 1992 when the government and
leftist rebels signed a treaty, the Chapultepec Peace Accords,
which provided for substantial military and political reforms
including the implementation of human rights measures; adopting
electoral and judicial reforms; the establishment of the rebel
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front as a political party;
and the reintegration of its combatants into society.
Background on the Salvadoran President: On June 1, 2014,
President Salvador Sánchez Cerén was sworn into office. He
began his career as a rural school teacher and eventually became
a leader within the teacher's union. During the civil war he
fought with the rebels and later served as a negotiator in the
Chapultepec Peace Accords. His democratic election, including
high voter turnout, serve as a symbol of country's own
transition from civil war to a modern democracy and economic
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partner.
Analysis Prepared by : Toni Symonds / J., E.D. & E. / (916)
319-2090
FN: 0004031