‘Death Squads? Could Be’

Re: “Death Squads? Could Be,” Editorial, July 21:

Three times in a row recently, as soon as the Salvadoran calling identified himself, my phone went dead. Whether strange coincidence or surveillance (he has spoken out about human-rights abuses in his own country), this incident gave me a small and unnerving glimpse into the ominous new intimidation confronting Central Americans in Los Angeles.

The appearance of death squads on our streets is shocking but hardly surprising. After all, not a single person has yet been tried for the tens of thousands of disappearances and tortures in El Salvador and Guatemala, and it is inevitable that some of those responsible have come here.

But coming at a time of tremendous insecurity for the majority of Central Americans not qualifying for amnesty, and in light of the sobering televised accounts of how freedom itself can fall victim to self-righteous advocates of a “dangerous world” view, these latest incidents raise fundamental questions regarding response and responsibility.

Public activity of Central Americans may indeed be curtailed, but citizens’ demand for thorough investigation can stop this evil before it expands. While we may find isolated perpetrators, we must confront the possibility of wider links to counter-insurgency operations in Central America, or even that this marks a potential prelude to more sophisticated domestic control, hidden by layers of compartmentalization and plausible deniability.

Whatever their cause, these events dramatically corroborate what many Central Americans have been saying all along, that they came here fleeing this kind of violence and death-squad activity. In the best humanitarian tradition, we can grant extended voluntary departure status to these people, enabling them to remain here until it is again safe in their home countries.

JAMES LOUCKY

Los Angeles