FMLN CONVENTION: WILL PLEDGED REFORMS AND MODERATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN SALVADOR 000980

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/23/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL ES
SUBJECT: FMLN CONVENTION: WILL PLEDGED REFORMS AND MODERATE
OVERTONES WIN CENTRIST VOTERS?

Classified By: The Ambassador, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The (left-wing) Farabundo Marti National
Liberation Front (FMLN) party presented its government plan
for its presidential campaign at its annual convention August
17 in San Salvador. The audience was energized, and grew
more so as the convention progressed. Mauricio Funes, FMLN
candidate for President, stressed economic, political, and
social reform during his address. Funes announced support
for economic programs to combat unemployment and inflation,
CAFTA and the expansion of free trade agreements, deepening
and improving diplomatic relations with the United States,
the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba and other
communist governments, the fight against violence in El
Salvador, and the improvement of social programs. Several of
these issues represent departures from the FMLN's previous
stances. End Summary.

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Convention Atmosphere: Electric and Committed
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2. (C) Poloffs attended the National Convention of the FMLN,
where the party presented its party platform. Funes, along
with VP candidate Salvador Sanchez Ceren, and Medardo
Gonzalez, the party's General Coordinator, all spoke. Some
9,000 FMLN supporters filled the arena, their energy level
increasing and peaking during Funes' speech. The FMLN did
not announce its candidate list for municipal and legislative
elections, as several slots are still in discussion.

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Economic and Foreign Policy; Social Program Expansion
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3. (SBU) All speakers blamed the reigning (center-right,
pro-U.S.) ARENA party for all of El Salvador's woes,
including economic, criminal, and social problems, and said
that party should have been able to demonstrate better
results over its 19 years in power. The speakers labeled the
ARENA governments as instruments of privilege and corruption.


4. (SBU) Funes, Sanchez Ceren, and Gonzalez all focused
heavily on the state of the economy during their speeches.
All blamed ARENA's economic policies for the high level of
unemployment and skyrocketing cost of living, claiming that
the current policies only support people of privilege. Funes
pledged to confront unemployment by creating new sources of
work that will pay a living wage.


5. (SBU) Funes noted his support for CAFTA and existing free
trade agreements, a departure from the party's prior
position. He added that the country should pursue additional
free trade agreements with the EU, Japan, China, India, and
others in order to spark public and private investment.


6. (SBU) The FMLN has long been critical of dollarization,
and in previous campaigns, had supported the end of that
policy. However, Funes said that his administration would
keep the dollar but, in a gesture to those in the FMLN still
opposed to dollarization, would also analyze options for
monetary stability.


7. (C) The speakers were all in favor of expanding the scope
of El Salvador's international relations. Funes said that
his government would establish formal foreign relations with
communist countries, earning raucous cheers when specifically
mentioning Cuba. He also stressed the importance of the
country's good relationship with the United States and
strongly supported deepening that bond. Sanchez Ceren, an
FMLN hardliner, went furthest, giving special welcome to
poloffs and pledging the FMLN would strive to further improve
relations with the U.S. He spent more time addressing El
Salvador-U.S. relations than on any other bilateral
relationship.


8. (SBU) Funes also discussed the pervasive violence in El
Salvador, again blaming ARENA, and specifically ARENA
presidential candidate Rodrigo Avila, who twice served as the
director of the National Civilian Police (PNC),for the
current state of security in the country. He said that the
government must not hide from the situation, and must instead
confront it directly.


9. (SBU) Funes expressed his support for the Salvadoran Armed
Forces, but condemned the current government for using them
for political purposes, and not for the support of the
people. Funes' comments are in the context of a week of
media reporting of segments of the FMLN who advocate
abolishing the Salvadoran Armed Forces.


10. (SBU) Finally, Funes promised improvements in social

programs. First, he assured improvements in the health care
system, including hospital infrastructure upgrades. Then, he
vowed to improve social security, making it available to a
greater percentage of the population, including independent
workers not covered by current regulations. Then, he cited a
plan for a universal basic pension that would be large enough
to cover the minimum cost of living. Finally, Funes
announced support for equal rights and pay for women.

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FMLN Platform Summary
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11. (SBU) The FMLN platform has four categories: social
reform, economic reform, environmental management, and
political reform.


12. (SBU) Social Reform ) The plan calls for a focus on the
relationship between social and economic policies, with
several specific goals:
- Substantially reduce poverty and increase employment
opportunity
- Increase education levels
- Curb cost of living increases
- Eradicate economic, social, and political exclusivity
- Elevate the quality and performance of social investment


13. (SBU) Economic Reform ) The government plan says that
the current economy suffers because it is a system of
privilege, in which the major players fail to respect the
laws. It supports expanding commercial trade with the U.S.
and other markets, stimulating exports, and improving labor
rights. It aims to create "the most dynamic economy in
Central America" by stimulating domestic production and both
public and private investment.


14. (SBU) Environmental Management ) The plan refers to an
environmental crisis on the continent, claiming that
irrational use of natural resources, high levels of
pollution, and a lack of public policies and education have
led to the current substandard state. The platform supports
a renewed focus on environmental sustainability, and strives
to improve the availability of potable water in the country.


15. (SBU) Political Reform ) The government platform
includes expansion of international relations, further
strengthening of El Salvador's relationship with the United
States, and the development of democracy. It calls for
support of Salvadorans abroad, political decentralization,
support for Central American integration, and improved
security forces to combat crime while respecting human rights.


16. (C) Comment: The FMLN continues to maintain its moderate
message in order to attract the centrist voter base that has
eluded the party. In several cases, the positions they have
outlined, both in their government plan and during their
convention speeches, represent departures from the hard-line
left-wing stances they have taken in past elections. They
repeat many of these mantras privately to USG interlocutors,
having mastered the art of speaking consistently from talking
points. Embassy will be reporting separately on what we
believe life under the FMLN would really look like, talking
points notwithstanding. End Comment.
GLAZER