What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — violence and generals · Global Voices
Tim Muth

The high levels of violence in the country continue without solutions.  Much of the violence is tied to gang activity.  Blogger Hunnapuh notes that pressured by the business sector, which fears that foreign investment will avoid a country with high levels of violence, president Tony Saca has finally recognized that the situation is not improving.  Long forgotten is his campaign promise to make El Salvador the safest country in Central America (currently it has the highest murder rate).
Ligia at Que Joder writes about the violence that:
The police don't have a formula to stop this, nor the psychologists, nor the family.  Firm hands, helping hands, workshops, talks about values — these interventions don't work because the causes are not the same or simple.  For the moment, that's all we know.
Meanwhile, El Visitador is incredulous that the left-wing opposition FMLN wants to change the government's current anti-poverty program, Solidarity Net, so that funds go to municipalities to use as they wish.  The FMLN is also blocking approval of international loans necessary for the improvements in health and education infrastructure that are part of solidarity Net. The opposition party wants improvements in pensions and minimum wage in return for its vote on the loans.
El Salvador's minister of defense, General Otto Romero, was recently interviewed in the Salvadoran press where he was asked about the possibility of opening the archives of the Salvadoran military to provide information about the assassination of archbishop Oscar Romero and other crimes of the Salvadoran civil war which ended in 1992.  For the general, however, the idea of declassification of military archives is taboo.  Soy Salvadoreño comments on the general's paternalistic attitude displayed in the interview.  The general's view that the government knows best whether or not the population can handle the truth earns the scorn of that blogger.  Aldebaran at Enfrentamientos comments that Salvadorans don't want to know the historical truth to harass the government, but to make it possible that psychic wounds which are still open and sore, might find cleansing and healing.
Photo Blogs
Hunnapuh has images from the tradition-filled town of Panchimalco and of the flowers of El Salvador.  Salvador Canjura also has pictures from Panchimalco's festivals and the dance of the Moors and the Christians.  David Mejia at SV Days continues his regular posts featuring the sights and scenery of El Salvador.  NeoSlv has added pictures to his photoblog from around San Salvador.