This photo shows the red, white and blue painting
that can be found on rocks, poles, bridges, buildings
all over El Salvador. The colors represent the ARENA
party, the party that currently holds the presidency
and that was in office during the war. At first I did
not realize that the painting was not a spontaneous
show of support, but instead a concerted propaganda
effort funded by the government. Its disturbing to
consider the cost of this effort in light of the abysmal levels
of social spending presently occurring in El Salvador.

A friend from Oikos laughed at me when I remarked that
there must be a correlation between the fact that the
US colors and the ARENA colors are the same, as ARENA
has always famously supported just about any economic or
military proposal of the US regardless of its effect on the poor.
Ya think?? he said laughing.




















Ok, and at the risk of being too on the nose, these
are photos of houses along the same road as the ARENA rail.
I remember when I drove by these houses once with a
friend from Oikos I said incredulously, Estos son casas? and he
answered simply, si, casas.