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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, DECEMBER 4, 1981
PAGE 5
can they discover, the abuses which are being committed by these
people who are misusing their authority in carrying out these irre
sponsible acts.
But it's not only the leftists who torture, murder, rape and destroy;
it's also the right wing groups. These have lately acted mercilessly
and have plummeted to the depths of savagery, murdering defenseless
people by beheading them, leaving the bodies on one side of the street
and the heads on the other. The bodies are left abandoned since nobody
wants to become involved--sometimes it's not even known who they are,
much less where they are from. They are left to be devoured by birds
of prey, dogs and pigs.
Suffering has made its appearance in so many different forms in El
Salvador that one can safely say that there isn't a single person in
the whole country who has never shed tears of sorrow. I could add that
it would be rare to find a family who has not been, directly or indi
rectly, affected by the level of violence that plagues El Salvador.
And I should add that the most stricken group has been that of the
peasants, mainly in the eastern part of the country. The residents of
many of these small towns and villages have had to flee from the hor
rible ongoing situation in these regions, thus multiplying the already
great number of refugees. Despite these critical circumstances, the
results obtained through the cooperatives brought about by agrarian
reform have made possible such good harvests of primary foodstuffs
(beans, rice, corn, sorghum, etc.) that we have been able to export
some excess to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and even to Mexico.
Unemployment increases more each day.
The only alternative people
have is to leave the country, if one has the financial means to do so,
although some go into debt in order to pay the cost of transportation.
Foreign tourism doesn't exist; nevertheless the hoteliers have come up
with ways of developing local tourism. It is common to see them offer
weekend specials: one arrives on a Friday or Saturday and stays in the
hotel until Sunday.
There one can enjoy dancing, meals, shows,
sports, etc., as well as the room, all for a set price. Moreover,
there has been a proliferation of dance floors and skating (called
"roller boogie") rinks for young people's entertainment. This has
continued in spite of the fact that several of these rinks have been
ruined by the vandalism of terrorist groups who declare that we are
not here to have fun, but to make war.
However, despite these crises and problems, the people stoically bear
up, and at times, to relieve the tension, they turn to entertainment
as a form of escape, perhaps thinking that soon this nightmare will
end. That's why they attend the various sports centers.
With regard to the Church members, they still have their jobs, but
owing to the inflation that exists, as well as the political tragedy
that assails this nation, some of them obviously have to be under
pressure in different ways. Nevertheless, in spite of all this, we
have never been forsaken by God. Moreover we continue to be faithful
to God and loyal to His apostle, Mr. Herbert
w.
Armstrong.