[NYTr] El Salv: FMLN Pres Candidate Slams Servility to US

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

El Salvador Runner Slams US Servility

El Salvador, Nov 12 (Prensa Latina) Salvadorian presidential candidate
Mauricio Funes announced that if he were to reach power, he would
strengthen relations with Latin America and Europe, and reject
servility in the relations with the United States.

"A democratic government should build a multi-polar vision that allows
establishing of relations with all countries, based on cooperation,
solidarity, and above all, respect for sovereignty and the right of all
the people to define their fate," he said.

The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) candidate
criticized the Salvadorian governments that have rejected relations
with some nations "to favor a mean and old-fashion vision of
international relations."

He announced that, if he reaches the presidency, he would reestablish
diplomatic relations with Cuba and the People's Republic of China, and
would strengthen those with Venezuela.

Regarding the United States, he recognized the strategic importance of
those relations, because 2.5 million Salvadorians live and work in that
country.

Funes said his government would keep and reinforce relations, based on
respect to achieve stability and security of his compatriots in that
country, and asserted he would support regional initiatives to
establish fair laws for emigrants.

"But there is something that we cannot forget. We would reject
servility, which has characterized the governments of the Nationalist
Republican Alliance with the United States," the front's candidate
asserted.

Funes asserted that an FMLN government would end the sending of troops
to Iraq, because it puts in danger the Salvadorians' lives, and
threatens independence of the foreign policy.

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PL-21