Urgent action needed to defend BPJ youth in El Salvador

Further to our earlier publication we are calling on our supporters to do everything possible to demand that the El Salvador authorities stop harassing left youth and in particular they find the whereabouts of Edwar Francisco Contreras Bonifacio. Details are provided here.

Today we published an appeal about the disappearance of a member of the BPJ in El Salvador. Since he disappeared there has be no news of his whereabouts or what has happened to him. It would seem that mafia elements have been involved.

Social conditions in the poor neighbourhoods of El Salvador are atrocious and the comrades of the BPJ constantly face harassment from the mafia gangs. The police also harass the comrades.

The BPJ is a traditional youth organisation in San Salvador and has attracted some of the best working class youth in the country. The leadership of the BPJ have decided to wage as wide a campaign as possible on the disappearance. The only real defence they can build up is to publicise this event as much as possible.

It is very important that we organise a campaign on this question. The other members could also be at risk in the next period. Therefore the purpose of the campaign would be to find the whereabouts of Edwar and ward off any future attack on this group. There is an ongoing attack on youth groups in El Salvador and the BPJ is bearing the brunt of these attacks.

We ask that all our supporters publicise as widely as possible this case. We should get letters of protest and solidarity sent both to the El Salvador authorities and to the comrades of the BPJ.

Please contact the El Salvador consulates and embassies demanding that the authorities do everything possible to find the disappeared youth and they do everything possible to stop these attacks:

Embassy in the United Kingdom: +44 20 72249800 / email: elsalvador.embassy@gmail.com

(See full list of embassies around the world here: http://www.rree.gob.sv/sitio/sitiowebrree.nsf/pages/sembajadasconsulados)

And write politely worded letters of protest to:
http://www.gobernacion.gob.sv/eGobierno/SeccionesPrincipales/Contactenos/

Messages of solidarity can be sent through the Mexican Marxist Tendency Militante (redaccion@militante.org)