Some unrelated news stories out of El Salvador:
Contrapunto has a new video about Christian Poveda, a French filmmaker killed on September 2, 2009. Poveda was is well-known for the film La Vida Loca.
Funes is trying to revive the Salvadoran economy by allocating $1.2 billion towards public investment in 2011. At the same time, violence erupted in the capital last week when ARENA mayor Norman Quijano ordered the eviction of downtown vendors. Funes has given his support to Quijano's reorganization plans but says that Quijano must do more to help those dislodged find new work.
The Funes administration is also considering a plan to purchase eight-to-ten Super Tucano military aircraft from Brazilian Aeronautics (EMBRAER) for $100-110 million. The planes would replace several planes in the air forces' ailing fleet that date back forty years. The government last bought three new Israeli-made planes in 2008. While the new planes could be used for combat, they would primarily be used during natural disasters and in the fight against drug trafficking.
The National Association of Private Enterprise (ANEP) is one of many groups questioning the proposed purchase. ARENA, if you can believe it, is criticizing the administration for even considering a $100 million loan for the purchase of these planes during such tough economic times. Instead, the government should consider investing in additional social projects. Funes has responded that he has already proposed 1.2 billion in next year's budget for social projects.
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