Denied entry to U.S., Salvadoran student is unable to give speech

The 13 people who came to Vance Hall Monday night to hear Jeanette Ramirez speak about problems at the University of El Salvador were surprised to find that Ramirez was not there when they arrived. The United States Embassy had denied an entry visa to Ramirez, an economics student and member of the General Association of Salvadoran Students, known as AGEUS. The speech was given instead by Luis Alvarado, another AGEUS member, who works with the Salvadoran community in Washington, D.C. "What we see is that the U.S. government, through its embassy, has censored AEGUS," said Alvarado. He said that Ramirez had all the papers necessary for entrance into the United States. Alvarado gave an informal half-hour talk in Spanish, which was translated by Mili Cisneros, a Temple University sociology graduate student. He spoke about the Salvadoran government's interference with the operation of the University of El Salvador, and about AEGUS's commitment to regain autonomy for the school. He said that although autonomy is guaranteed in the nation's constitution, the military is a constant presence at the university. The school's biggest problem is the government's threat to cut off all funds, Alvarado said. "Intervention isn't through bullets and force, but through economic strangulation," he said. Alvarado said that the United States gives $1.5 million in military aid to the Salvadoran government every day. Without this aid, Alvarado said, the military would have to negotiate with the people. He said that Americans must realize what the Salvadoran government is doing and do their part to stop it by trying to stop aid to El Salvador. "The problems in El Salvador have been blurred by what's happening in the Persian Gulf, but the violation of human rights is something that goes on daily," he said.