A march against violence walked through Suchitoto Thursday morning.  I attended and walked with Maty, our AVP co-facilitator. After the march arrived at the plaza there were speeches.  The first noted the importance of not blaming youth for the violence, since they learn from their elders and it is the responsibility of adults to address social issues. Sister Peggy used the town’s slogan “Suchitoto, more than a city . . .” to remind the audience that Suchitoto is also a region/district, and that the people of the city need to be in solidarity with the people of the rural areas where the killings are taking place.

And in the midst of all that turmoil, I have had lovely walks birding and to the waterfall, attended two classical concerts and feel as safe as ever walking home at night.  Life has so many contrasts and contradictions. 

Val adds:   We wonder how gang violence can be overcome in the very fearful environment of today’s El Salvador.  Several friends who lived here during the war say, “In a way, the violence was more predictable then, you knew who your enemies were.” That would apply to people on both sides.

Awash in weapons, El Salvador at peace seems in some ways more dangerous than during the war, and people seem more isolated, more fearful. During the war, organized communities nonviolently prevented death squads and soldiers from taking away members of their communities. But now, though surely many people know about who is in a gang, who has committed crimes, no one feels able to speak about it, nor does anyone trust the security forces to prevent or prosecute crimes, much less protect witnesses. A mother of one of the victims of this week’s crime was trying to get asylum for them both in Canada, but it hadn’t come through. An AVP participant has had three family members killed in the last year, and believes the gang knows that she could recognize them. She also believes she must leave the country with her young son to save their lives, but has not been able to get asylum either.

On February 8 we leave for Honduras and an AVP workshop with a group of women associated with the Sisters of Mercy in San Pedro Sula.