No Sugar Coating to it, Funes Addresses the State of Affairs in E.S

            According to an interview by DiarioCoLatino with Gerson Martinez, Minister of Public Works, as of November 5^th progress in El Salvador is being made to address

“the impact of contingency, rehabilitation, rehabilitation reconstruction, but we have to turn around, we have to make a turning, change, change the old concepts of reconstruction, which has been an eternal return and that has flooded cities, where the river banks slums and there is an eternal return. That's what we have to change to a change of direction and move towards a new concept for reconstruction. A reconstruction articulated to the adaptability of social and productive infrastructure, climate change. A reconstruction concept also articulated the logic of development, but sustainable development, friendly nature in harmony with the environment, that is the way that it moves now El Salvador.”

Martinez also makes a point that it is important for Salvadorans to reconsider how they live as a country, not just how the roads and bridges are built. In the past many people in the rural lands of E.S. have redirected rivers and built levees in order to make farming more feasible. Even though this has been beneficial to the mercantile wealth of the people and country, recent storms are proving it to be more problematic than beneficial. In fact, when asked if the levees and riverwalls should be rebuilt Martinez responded:

“Nature can not be mastered. The riverbeds you can change, but the rivers have memory and return to their own causes. You can violate the dictates of nature, but nature has the final word... This is not about rebuilding today, only to restore, to replace what was destroyed, we can not keep doing more of the same and the same way, we have to replace what was destroyed, but under new technical standards, increase the bridge heights, increase water flow, new construction standards for housing.”

“ We are making progress in addressing the impact of contingency, rehabilitation, rehabilitation reconstruction, but we have to turn around, we have to make a turning, change, change the old concepts of reconstruction, which has been an eternal return and that has flooded cities, where the river banks slums and there is an eternal return. That's what we have to change to a change of direction and move towards a new concept for reconstruction. A reconstruction articulated to the adaptability of social and productive infrastructure, climate change. A reconstruction concept also articulated the logic of development, but sustainable development, friendly nature in harmony with the environment, that is the way that it moves now El Salvador”

This need for innovation was also stressed by President Funes on Tuesday when a temporary bridge was opened in La Libertad. He stated that the government’s purpose is to reengineer the entire country “A restructuring is based on responsible management of environmental risk.” Unfortunately, the price of innovation and reconstruction is well above what El Salvador can manage on their own. Even after recently receiving a grant and a donation of 7,000,500 hygiene kits and clothing from the Inter-American Development Bank to supplement previously received loans and grants, the cost of reconstruction and repair is still too much for El Salvador to bear on its own. President Funes admits to this and announced that his intentions are not to beg but: “We have to appeal for international aid to rebuild the country... but we need a fiscal pact where those who have more, give more to bring sufficient resources to the state coffers.” Funes concludes by stating: “I was going to say we all have to put in a bit, but it was for 20 years and nothing helped. Better say, we all have to turn our will, our spirit of solidarity, putting our hearts, our minds and our hands in the heart of the people to get ahead, and God help us”.