Thread by @ElFaroEnglish

Ricardo Zúñiga, @StateDept Special Envoy to the Northern Triangle, is in #ElSalvador today in Washington's first visit to #CentAm since Biden took office. Photo: Zúñiga, left, during a meeting yesterday with members of the Guatemalan justice system.

There is a stark contrast between Zúñiga's two-day visit to Guatemala, which begain with a meeting with @DrGiammattei, and his one-day trip to El Salvador. State Dept sources say he has no plans to meet with @nayibbukele.

His first meeting in El Salvador will be with the @OEA_CICIES and @MelaraRaul at 4:45 EST. He will then meet at the @USEmbassySV with representatives of various pro-transparency organizations from civil society, including @fusades, @Fundeorg, @CiudadanaAccio1 y @FundacionDTJ.

This morning, these civil society organizations held a press conference on the legislative proposal to make the CICIES a more robust, independent monitor of government corruption.

Read up on the proposal here: elfaro.net/en/202102/el_s…

“Just seeing the logos of the NGOs behind this “proposal” and the “newsrooms” publishing it, I’m sure it would be the worst we could do,” Bukele said of the presser. “Don’t keep insisting. Nothing approved by the outgoing Assembly will ever become law.”

Zúñiga is also expected to meet with representatives of the Salvadoran private sector, as he did in Guatemala. He also met with members of the Guatemalan justice system yesterday to discuss anti-corruption efforts amid threats to judicial independence. elfaro.net/en/202103/colu…

Zúñiga will not travel to Honduras, where bilateral relations have deteriorated amid the mounting drug trafficking allegations against @JuanOrlandoH. Chancellor @lisandrorosales will travel to Washington to meet with Zúñiga next week.

#efSUBSCRIBE | We cover Zúñiga's visit and more in our most recent news brief: "The Justice System on Trial in Honduras"
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