Today I went to go see the Free Trade Zones in El Salvador. Free Trade Zones are areas within in El Salvador in which goods can be manufactured without involvement of local government authorities. These areas often assembly of involve labor intensive goods which are later exported. These zones are created to bring money to the host country and allow foreign countries to take advantage of lax labor laws and cheap labor.
I was not able to go into the Free Trade Zones. No permission is granted unless you are able to obtain an appointment with one of the companies. I was informed by one of the guards that tours are granted with certain companies and he told me to contact an office. When I attempted to reach them, they were no longer in service. I was then given another contact by another guard and I will try to reach them. Fingers crossed that I am granted access to one of the maquilas or factories.
Here are some pictures I was able to take from a bridge located near a Free Trade Zone. Although the buildings look like wharehouses, there are actually maquila workers inside working and assembling garments.
I also interviewed a deportee today. He is from the Los Angeles area and was deported to El Salvador about a month ago. He told me about his experiences within the prisons and the deportation process. More importantly, he told me about the abuse detainees and deportees receive from ICE officers. This is an important issue that needs to be discussed. There are many deportees in the area in which I am in and each have a unique story. They all left spouses in the U.S, some left their children. Despite what we think about immigration and immigration laws, I think we can all agree that humans should not be abused by any means.
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