The brutal killing on September 25th of Salvadoran Catholic priest, Ricardo Antonio Romero, has prompted much comment in the Salvadoran blogosphere. Fr. Romero's body was found bludgeoned to death on a roadway 40 miles west of San Salvador. The slaying was added to the daily murder tally(es) at 100 Days in the Republic of Death.

The blogger Hunnapuh notes that there are two operative theories(es)
about the motives for the slaying of the priest. Either he was killed by gangs operating in the region, or he was killed by a death squad because of his work in solidarity with the poor in the region of his parish. Hunnapuh sounds a note of alarm, admonishing those who would dismiss the possibility that “escuadrones de la muerte”, backed by wealthy interests, have returned to El Salvador.

Tepezcuintly, who also blogs with Hunnapuh, has no doubt(es) about the return of death squads and who is backing them. Along with similar blogs, he heaps scorn and hatred on the ARENA government and President Tony Saca. His comments are mirrored on blogs like Chichicaste(es), El Trompudo(es), and Samuel's Blog(es), which are virulently anti-government and anti-American and make their points with satire and parody.

The cutting down of trees at the El Espino estate close to San Salvador has prompted several bloggers to comment. El Espino has one of the largest blocks of forest close to the capital city, and trees are being felled to make way for a highway, a golf course and shopping centers. Aldebarán finds that this situation shows that Salvadoran society lacks a common vision(es) of what is meant by “development.” He fears that a consumption-based view of development is driving such projects without any concern for sustainability or environmental impact. Picking up that theme, Ligia at Que Joder writes that development which focuses on road-building(es) does nothing for the vast majority of Salvadorans who have no car to use the highways to get to the shopping centers (much less play golf).

In what appears to be a partial response to the outcry, the government plans to acquire a sizable block of the El Espino forest and dedicate it as a permanent preserve. But El Visitador predicts bad results(es) from the government plan. He scorns the idea that the government could do so in a competent fashion (his regular theme is a preference for private enterprise and free markets to act) and foresees the preserve being overrun with squatters and environmental degradation following.

The Spanish language Salvadoran blogosphere has expanded greatly in the past year. Soy Salvadoreño shows some of the growth in his running commentary on Salvadoran blogs(es). The Hunnapuh collaborative blog(es) has a lengthy list of Salvadoran blogs in its right hand column.