Yesterday was the 22nd anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, one of El Salvador’sgreat human rights leaders. It was also the last day of President Bush’s so-called tour of Latin America ­ a tourthat ended in a six-hour visit to El Salvador. During that visit, Bush met and dined with President FranciscoFlores, the same man who famously dedicated his presidency to the army major responsible for Romero’s assassination.Bush’s visit was met by protests both in and outside the country.

The president’s 3-day “tour” of Latin America began on Friday, in Monterrey Mexico, at the tail end of the UN summiton poverty. He then flew to Lima, Peru, where he was surrounded by tight security in the wake of a car bomb thatexploded in front of the US embassy just three days earlier. Finally, Bush headed to El Salvador. There hereiterated his call for free trade and “democracy.”

Well, today we will take our own “tour” of Latin America, shadowing the footsteps of President Bush. We will head toMexico, Peru, and El Salvador, where we will speak with a journalist, politician, and activist. We will begin withEl Salvador.

Guests:

• Javier Diez-Canseco, fourth vice president of Peruvian Congress.
• William Hernandez, Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) representative.
• Cherrene Horazuk, Executive Director, CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador).
• Dan Kovalik, Attorney, United Steelworkers of America.
• John Ross, journalist and activist speaking from Mexico City. John Ross is the author of ??War AgainstOblivion: Zapatista Chronicles, 1994-2000 and ??Rebellion from the Roots. He just returned from Monterrey,Mexico, where he was covering the UN summit on poverty.

Tape:

• “ROMERO”: Oscar Romero

Related links:

• Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional
• CISPES
• United Steelworkers of America