Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-18-Speech-4-181"
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"en.20010118.10.4-181"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the figures and images coming out of El Salvador are terrifying, with the hundreds of dead, the thousands of wounded, the hundreds of people who have disappeared and the approximately 26,000 who have lost their homes. There are continual aftershocks in El Salvador and even in Nicaragua. This situation occurring in Central America is nothing new. As Mrs Maes and Mr Poméz Ruiz pointed out, Hurricane Mitch, in November 1998, also had tragic consequences in both human and material terms in that part of the world.
Central America is one of the world’s poorest regions. Around 40% of the population live below the poverty line and Europe therefore has a particular responsibility to the region not only because it is a region that has experienced much serious conflict and where there is still tension, particularly over borders, but also because we need to assist their recovery for the sake of democracy.
I am happy to say that all bodies there are democratically elected, but very undemocratic habits still remain in these Central American countries. Apart from this, they have a very large foreign debt and only two countries are involved in the initiative that has been launched. Therefore, the impression we receive from the principal authorities in Central American countries – and on Tuesday we had the opportunity to receive the President of Honduras – is of a people that is suffering and that, just when it sees a little light at the end of the tunnel and starts to pick itself up in order to confront its problems and its history, is struck by tragic situations caused by these natural disasters.
Europe acted promptly in sending emergency aid, both in November 1998 and this time. Nevertheless, the problem requires – as my two fellow Members have already stated more than adequately – more structural aid. It is vital that the Commission implements its reconstruction programme for Central America. What we are proposing, Commissioner Nielson, is that there should be a rapid redefinition of this programme, with greater resources, both human and financial, to achieve the objective of assisting El Salvador as well. On 26 March of this year, another meeting will be held between the San José Group and the European Union in Guatemala. A positive way to conclude this meeting with the San José Group would be to proceed to implement the reconstruction programme for Central America with the new procedure for helping the victims in El Salvador."@en1
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