Vol. 442 No. 2
86 Mr. Dukes asked the asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recruitment of personnel by APSO for the Government-controlled institute INSAFOCOOP in El Salvador, in view of the Government's policy of not sending aid to a Government which has been consistently denounced for human rights violations and the non-compliance with the terms of peace accords.
There were general elections in El Salvador on 20 March and voting for the presidential elections on both 20 March and 24 April. The Republican National Alliance, ARENA, emerged as the victor in both the general and presidential elections over a left-wing coalition including the FMLN.
There are over 1,500 co-operatives in El Salvador, benefiting some 300,000 of the country's poorest people. Most of them were established during the long civil war in areas under FMLN control.
The Agency for Personal Service Overseas has been working in El Salvador for many years. Working with community-based non-governmental organisations and co-operatives is the cornerstone of its work.
APSO has recently agreed to provide three trainers to an autonomous State institute, INSAFOCOOP, which provides basic training to co-operative workers. APSO consulted the leaders of the co-operative movement, COASES and CONFRAS, and received their full backing before agreeing to the request. The FMLN, which still maintains close links with the co-operatives, has written to me as recently as this month strongly supporting the technical assistance offered by APSO to INSAFOCOOP. I am, therefore, satisfied that APSO's role does not call into question the principles underlying our relations with El Salvador or the objectives of our official aid programme.
