This is a compilation of voices from participants in the documentary “9F: The Return of the Rifles”, a joint production of El Diario de Hoy and Factum magazine, with the support of journalists from El Faro.
Coup d’etat, black day, crossing an irreversible line, an attack on democracy, a shameful event, a reflection of Nayib Bukele.
These are some of the words used to describe the armed assault on the Legislative Assembly ordered by the President of the Republic on February 9, 2020. This was stated by the protagonists of the documentary “9F, The Return of the Rifles”, a co-production of El Diario de Hoy and Revista Factum, with the support of journalists from El Faro.
1 Mario Ponce, President of the Legislative Assembly
“9F will be remembered as the day of the coup against our democratic system, the day when we tried, say, to destroy the system of freedoms and our democratic system.”
2 José Miguel Vivanco, Human Rights Watch
“February 9 will be remembered as one of the most scandalous events in Central America in decades. It is not a matter of pride, but of national shame, that a president had the nerve to appeal to the Army to try to intimidate the Legislature.
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3 Mari Carmen Aponte, former US Ambassador
“I would say it was one of the smallest points in the history of El Salvador in the last 40 years. It was very painful. And I hope that, with an alert conscience, all Salvadorans can work so that it doesn’t happen again. ”
4 Yanci Urbina, FMLN deputy
“On February 9, I think, the very nature of this president was revealed, not only undemocratic, but also a person who did enormous damage to the country.”
5 Martha Evelyn Batres, ARENA Deputy
“For Salvadorans, it must be a day of remembrance, but one that will not be repeated. It was a sign of dictatorship, of authoritarianism towards democratic institutions “.
6 Leonardo Bonilla, nonpartisan deputy
“It was certainly a breakdown of the constitutional order. Whether it was restored at this time or not is still a debate, but at that time there was a breakdown of the constitutional order.
7 Rodolfo Gonzalez, former magistrate of the Constitutional Chamber
“It is the worst event to change the constitutional order since the end of the war and it did not end there.”
8 Bryan Avelar, Factum journalist
“It will be remembered as a day of great threat in democratic terms to El Salvador, due to the impetus of an authoritarian president.”
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9 Jessica Ávalos, Factum journalist
“For me that date was a break, because it showed us what a person with power and a person who does not measure the consequences of his actions can be capable of.”
10 Luis Parada, lawyer and former military man
“For me, it was a dark day in the history of El Salvador that marks the breaking of a border, a line that should not have been crossed.”
11 Lissette Lemus, photojournalist for El Diario de Hoy
“It will be remembered as a historic event that marked the beginning of a decline of the democratic state. It marked the beginning of something great. “
12 Nelson Rauda, El Faro journalist:
“It is the beginning of the democratic dismemberment that Bukele tried to make when he did not even have a year in office.”
13 Carlos Martínez, journalist at El Faro
“I think that day represents in a fairly faithful, fairly transparent way and is an excellent summary of who President Nayib Bukele is.”
14 Celia Medrano, human rights defender
“9F will be remembered as an immature, dangerous action that exposed the real profile of the current President of the Republic.”
15 Jorge Beltrán, journalist for El Diario de Hoy
“It is a totally reprehensible, reprehensible fact. In a country where the institution works properly, I believe that those responsible should be prosecuted. “
16 Eugenia Velásquez, journalist for El Diario de Hoy
“As for my journalistic career, it will be an unforgettable event because it reminded me of my childhood with the war, and it will also remind me that at that time everything that was built in the country could have go to the trash can “.
17 Fernando Romero, Factum journalist
“I have never seen such a manifestation of power, of military power in a public institution in which the Armed Forces do not belong. I felt it was an invasion. I felt that what the Army was doing was usurping. “