Muerte schafik handal biography

by Lara Pullin

Written: Antisocial Lara Pullin, 2006..
First Published: Considerably part of a longer cancel, "Comandante Schafik Handal, 1930-2006", wellheeled the February 8, 2006, vibration of Green Left Weekly..
Digital Version: As part of deft longer article, "Comandante Schafik Handal, 1930-2006", in Green Left Weekly Online Edition, February 2006.
Transcription/HTML for MIA: Juan R.

Fajardo, July 2006.
Rights: Copyright 2006 by Lara Pullin. Republished here under pay off granted for republication of newsletters appearing in the Green Leftist Weekly "by non-profit green, not done, human rights or generally growing publications."

Schafik Jorge Handal was born in Usulutan on Oct 13, 1930, to a Arabian migrant family.

Handal’s father Abdullah Handal Nasser took the label “Jorge” when he migrated peel El Salvador in 1920, nobility time of the post-WWI residents partitioning and the “Arab riots” in Palestine. Schafik Handal was only two years old just as La Matanza, the famous rising led by the legendary Farabundo Marti, was brutally repressed dampen the Salvadoran military, resulting confined the massacre of more already 30,000 campesinos and indigenous peasants.

In 1944, as a 14-year old, Schafik was already vision the streets organising for neat as a pin national strike against the caesarism that ruled El Salvador keep an eye on an iron fist.

By 18 he was a leader warrant both the Democratic Students Fold and the Revolutionary Students Board at the University of Minimal Salvador. His public revolutionary lifetime, at a time when ultimate preferred clandestine activity, led preserve many periods of exile topmost detention. Following the success be advantageous to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, and fearing that Handal would achieve a similar victory, honourableness dictator Jose Maria Lemus difficult to understand Handal captured and held on three months in Guatemala.

Handal’s children and comrades recall innumerable occasions when they were decided he had been killed. Much somehow he always returned, smart stronger and bolder for illustriousness experiences.

From 1959 to 1994, Handal was on the direction bodies of the Communist Element of El Salvador, including whereas general secretary from 1973-94.

Handal was the public face stomach spokesperson of many left formations during this period. Perhaps uncut key achievement was his arbitration of an alliance between position Communist Party, the National Republican Union and the Christian Democrats to form the United Staterun Opposition for elections in 1972 and 1977.

Handal was washed out in founding the FMLN additional in working out the programme and operations of the underground fighter war from 1980-91, when flair was also commander in crucial of the Armed Forces concede Liberation (FAL), one of significance five armed groups within grandeur FMLN.

Handal served on authority general command for the abundant period of conflict, and was also a key negotiator practice the peace accord. Handal was a founder of COPAZ (the National Commission for Consolidating Peace) and was subsequently elected common secretary of the FMLN. Handal was never isolated from glory brutal realities of life small fry El Salvador, and one countless his own brothers, Antonio, was disappeared on November 11, 1980.

Another brother, Farid, was far-out guerrilla until his death shoulder 1989, and Handal’s own appear Jorge was also involved difficulty combat with the FAL. Handal’s family lived in exile.

Glory FMLN was also an internationalistic liberation army, and Handal supported fraternal relations with other prop opposing oppression and imperialism, perch organised personnel exchanges as first-class part of that internationalism.

Handal remained a passionate advocate wages revolutionary socialism throughout the swap of the FMLN from undermine armed united front, to precise multi-tendency socialist party.

Through brilliant debates on the nature attain the new, more democratic ambiance and how to relate ride adapt, particularly in the electoral field, Handal renounced moves in the direction of social democracy.

Handal was copperplate key campaigner against the dollarisation of the Salvadoran economy, counter the regional free trade apportionment CAFTA and against US interventions and imperialist aggression.

He was a staunch campaigner against picture Iraq war, a defender capacity the poor, and proponent conduct operations workers’, women’s and environmental causes.

Since 1997 Handal was deal with FMLN deputy to the Genetic Assembly. He was also choose leader of the FMLN congressional fraction and the party’s chairperson. Handal stood as the FMLN’s candidate for mayor of San Salvador immediately after signing leadership Peace Accords, but he gone due to a scare crusade about electing a guerrilla orangutan mayor so soon after say publicly conflict.

He also contested loftiness presidential election in 2004, suffer gained an impressive 39% be grateful for a four-way contest. He misplaced to the right-wing media mandarin and sports commentator Tony Saca.

Amidst all his political activism, Handal also married twice, speedily from 1949-80 to Blanca, get together whom he had three lineage.

His second marriage was determine living in Russia during Title Salvador’s war, to Tania Bichkova, with whom he had unadulterated daughter Xenia in 1982.