CISPES Solidarity Cyclists raises $11,000 to fight water privatization in El Salvador

HD video of the ride's last miles in VA and in DC 1 min 40 seconds

On the 27th of May, the annual CISPES Solidarity Cyclists' Ride arrived in DC after three days on the road. Bikers endured rain the previous day and the usual flat tires and kept up a strong pace despite the distance. The ride raised $11,000 to fight water privatization in El Salvador

90% of El Salvador's otherwise plentiful water has been contaminated by industrial and agricultural waste, and National Geographic reports underground aquifers have receded as much as 13 feet between climate change and dependence on them driven by the fouling of surface water.

Now newly-empowered right-wing legistlators are pushing a "Comprehensive Water Law." to promote privatization of the remaining usable water. This would ensure the wealthy always have water to waste while everyone else and children in particular get sick from drinking contaminated water. Already "water wars" are breaking out in El Salvador, and the wealthy and the far-right may well turn that into a national water war. Had it not been for the successful campaign to ban (cyanide-spewing, water poisoning) gold mining, this war would have been lost years ago, and lack of water would be compelling even more migration.

http://cispes.org/article/el-salvador-social-movements-resist-water-priv... https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/sep/25/campaigners-f...