El Salvador: COFOA action brings major breakthrough in land rights campaign

“We have been working for quite some time now and it affects us. We feel outraged because our problems have never been taken into account.” – COFOA leader, Raquel Chicas

As reported in La Prensa Grafica and other media outlets, one thousand COFOA leaders from departments across the country gathered outside the Ministry of Public Works to demand that the Minister of Housing, Michelle Sol, meet her commitment to assist 7500 families legally register their property deeds. The minister finally delivered on her promise and convened officials the following Wednesday to work with COFOA homeowners who had paid for their properties thirty years ago so they would finally get their deeds recorded. Read the full article here

You can also view a short video reporting on the victory of COFOA leaders who signed an agreement to build a new school in an isolated community in rural Chelatenango that had none for 105 years. In May hundreds of COFOA leader will present demands to the Ministry of Municipal Works to fund water, streets, schools and other needs prioritized in local community assemblies.

On another note, Guatemalan Bishop Bueso gathered clergy from across to Solala Diocese where COFOA Director, Alberto Velazquez, provided training in the Faith in Action model of organizing.