Berman and El Salvador
Congressman Howard Berman deserves praise for his part in securing labor leader Jose Mazariego’s release from a Salvadoran Treasury Police torture chamber (June 22). It is regretable that most of the victims in El Salvador lack influential American supporters who can intercede to save them from torture and death.
The Times quotes Berman as saying that the new Salvadoran government “is telling us that labor and other opposition groups will be harassed, that they will be threatened and that their leaders will be cruelly attacked.”
Unfortunately, Berman continues, “I don’t believe the Kastenmeier bill (which calls for an end to American military involvement in El Salvador) is even within the realm of what anybody is talking about here.”
In blunter language, Berman is telling us that Congress has no intention of ending the U.S. taxpayers’ funding for the crucifixion of El Salvador.
WILLIAM H. FORTHMAN
Northridge
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