A hundred days of prepotency

The media heaped praise on the new Salvadoran president – both for free and through paid advertisements. A propaganda campaign, says MS partner CoCívica after comparing the electoral promises to reality.

Seventy seven percent of Salvadorans take a positive view of the new government but, at the same time, 47.1% would like to leave the country.

Antonio Saca, the president of El Salvador has just celebrated his first hundred days in office under a shower of praise, both for free and through paid advertisements. During his brief reign thus far, the prepotent president has kissed a great many children, without overlooking some wrinkled cheeks. He has inaugurated many a basketball court, and has seen to it that a national budget was finally approved, after the country operated for months without one. Further, he has sent his ministers to places that had practically never been visited by top ARENA officials. 

The president is popular. There is no doubt about it. A survey conducted by CID-Gallup from 3 to 9 September among 1,200 Salvadorans asked their opinion of Saca. Seventy seven percent had a “positive” opinion, and of this percentage 61% expressed a “very positive” opinion. However, a survey conducted by the Central American University (UCA) revealed that 47.1% of the population want to emigrate. 

CoCívica, which closely followed the electoral campaign and now the first hundred days in office of the new government, believes that the president is popular, but also a populist. “The Saca Administration’s propaganda campaign operates along two lines”, says CoCívica in its report on the government’s first hundred days. It uses paid ads, as well as “an extensive media coverage of its agenda, which is given broad and privileged space in the main newspapers, radio and TV stations in the country”. The media, in turn, enjoy close ties with the president. According to CoCívica, the new administration has spent at least fifteen million dollars in publicity during its first hundred days.

The government prides itself on being transparent and to some extent CoCívica is in agreement with this point, declaring that significant improvements have been made in comparison with previous ARENA governments. Nonetheless, the openness shown by the new administration does not run deep. As an expression of the government’s wish for total inclusion, Saca has set up a consensus-reaching table.  However, states CoCívica, while a variety of relevant issues are discussed at the table “parliament passed reforms to the Pension Act in a superficial manner and without further consultation”.

Saca has repeatedly highlighted the fact that he grew up in a modest environment and wishes to make social improvements. However, his slogan that the social area “is not a complement; rather, it is the basis of everything ... is not reflected in a clear tax policy.”

The report on the first hundred days is very critical, though it gives the new man in office a few encouraging pats on the back. The media have pounced on these words of praise. The newspaper La Prensa Gráfica published CoCívica’s analysis under the title “NGO Consortium Gives Saca Vote of Confidence” though it found this surprising, as the consortium has traditionally supported the FMLN.