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Gender Equality and Electoral Politics on the Left: A Comparison of El Salvador and Nicaragua

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Ilja A. Luciak*
Affiliation:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Extract

Cuando una mujer llega a la política cambia la mujer; pero…

cuando las mujeres llegan a la política cambia la política.

“Poder feminino,” FMLN election pamphlet

The long-drawn-out military conflicts in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala have finally ended. Following the demobilization of the Nicaraguan resistance in 1990, the Salvadoran and Guatemalan guerrilla forces signed peace accords in 1992 (El Salvador) and 1996 (Guatemala) with their respective governments. In the wake of these agreements, Central America presents a new reality. The focus has shifted from war strategies to the consolidation of emerging democratic structures. The revolutionary Left, one of the main protagonists in the conflict that ravaged the region during the 1980s, now confronts a new challenge: it must demonstrate to its supporters and the general public that it indeed presents a viable political alternative.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 1998

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