Despite the covid pandemic – 19 has not ended, Los Angeles municipal authorities gave the green light that, in the heart of Hollywood, the Great Parade and Festival of Salvadoran Independence ( DEFISAL ).
From the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue, thousands of people were stationed in the sidewalks to delight and shout with joy Long live El Salvador!
Under an inclement sun and a temperature higher than 90 degrees, Salvadorans of the diaspora in Los Angeles They marched together with their children born in the United States, but who have a love and enormous patriotism imprinted in their hearts.
“El Salvador is culture, family, friends,” said the little baton Genesis Riv as, from 14 years, whose mother Ana, a Bell resident, was born in San Juan Nonualco, Department of La Paz.
“I believe that my parents’ culture makes us stronger, added Valeria, the little sister of 10 years, who wants to be a professional dancer in the future.
El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate their bicentennial of independence that freed them from the Spanish yoke. Contingents from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico were also invited.
The celebration was enjoyed even more, after the cancellation of all kinds of massive events in the year 2020, because of the coronavirus.
“We returned to ‘normal’ life in Los Angeles, in Latin America and around the world; we must give thanks to the Creator who has kept us alive to have the parade ”, declared Oscar Gil, president of DEFISAL and leading organizer since 1997.
However, the pandemic has not been controlled.
On Sunday, authorities from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 11 additional deaths associated with covid – 19 and 2, 122 new infections. Deaths likely reflect reporting delays over the weekend.
Without mask
Likewise, it was evident that hundreds of people ignored the recommendations to maintain an adequate distance, and also forgot to protect themselves with a mask.
“In social networks, we recommend people to be cautious,” said Sylvia Gil, director of DEFISAL. “It was the only thing we could do, but we have no guarantee of people’s behavior.”
Herself knows the suffering and pain of having lost a sister and her mother-in-law, victims of the coronavirus, as well as Néstor Molina, who served as the official photographer of the parade during 14 years .
“We celebrate the 200 years of existence of our country, but we also celebrate and honor the lives of all those who left us, ”said Sylvia Gil. “They are mixed feelings, because many of us lost a family member, a friend or someone close to us and no one thought that this pandemic would be so long, but in the end God will protect us.”
After a long ceremony of speeches, the presentation of the song and folk dance “El Carbonero” -considered as the second national anthem of El Salvador, composed by Francisco Antonio Lara Hernández, known as “Pancho Lara” – gave way to the civic parade , sporting and cultural.
An immense blue and white flag was displayed across the width of Hollywood Boulevard, by from 14 members of United for Human Rights , an international organization that has provided food, clothing and basic necessities to Central American immigrants who are stranded on the border of Mexico and the United States, waiting for their asylum cases to be accepted in this country.
“Asylum seekers is a universal declaration of respect for human rights”, said to Real America News, Betsy Davis, member of United for Human Rights.
In allegorical floats, to the drum of musical bands, fans of the national soccer team of El Salvador “Bichos Unidos LA ”And cuscatlecos proud of their roots gave color and excitement to the traditional parade, while being applauded by the crowds on the sidewalks.
One of them, William Banega, from 42 years old, waved his native flag in the wind and remembered the land where he was born: Cojutepeque, Cuscatlán, as well as the reason for which he had to emigrate to the United States in 1997.
“Here I have done better than there; I had to come because the gang members wanted to kill me if I didn’t join them, “he explained.
The parade that was scheduled to start at 9: 45, but started a few hours later, ended around 2 o’clock: 30 pm, on Vermont Avenue.
The ” re-election ”of Nayib Bukele
After recognizing the conquered sovereignty does 200 years and break the confinement due to the pandemic, the consul general of El Salvador in Los Angeles, Alejandro Letona highlighted the fact that in the Salvadoran Parade there has been a place for people to disinfect their hands and a covid vaccination site – 19.
“I love that people are responding to get vaccinated, in the midst of the end of the pandemic ”, said Letona, prior to the official cutting of the ribbon to start the civic-patriotic parachute. “In El Salvador we are also vaccinating people from 12 years onwards. ”
According to data from the consulate, in the “Thumbelina of America” they have been counted to date 90, 80 cases and 2, 952 deaths as a result of covid.
Questioned about the ruling of the Constitutional Chamber so that President Nayib Bukele has the possibility of re-election in the presidential elections of 2024, the consul commented that this change corresponded to the request of the majority of the people.
“That is a response to what our external people in social networks and opinion polls, “he explained. “People want a real change to break the ties that have kept us behind as a country.”
To the same question, Juan Pablo Duran Escobar, general manager of the Development Bank of the Republic of El Salvador, “Grand Marshal” of the Salvadoran Parade, stated that in the “express” resolution passed, Bukele “is not being given anything away …, they are giving him the opportunity to compete.”
The Constitutional Chamber is the highest court of justice in El Salvador and is in charge of interpreting the Constitution.
May 1, 2021, thanks to the arrival of the official party to the Legislative Assembly, President Bukele took control and then came the dismissal of the magistrates.
“At least with Bukele there are not as many killings of the gangs as before” , expressed Christian Lemus, a Salvadoran construction worker, born in Santa Ana, El Salvador.