Laos. Vietnam. and Nicaragua. If we were willing to recognize that the refugees from these countries faced lifethreatening situations if forced to return. we must recognize that Salvadoran refugees face an equal if not more dangerous situation if forced to return as well. Ironically. the President is concerned about the influx of refugees if a Marxist takeover in Central America occurs. yet the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled El Salvador have not done so in fear of the leftist rebels. on the contrary. they have fled in fear of the Salvadoran Army and security forces. Continued military aid to El Salvador will only increase the flow of refugees. The refugee situation will not be solved by forcing them to return to El Salvador. nor will it be solved by continued military aid to the very forces they are fleeing. The solution to the problem lies in a negotiated political settlement to the civil war in El Salvador with a significant improvement in human rights. Until this occurs. we should grant EVDS for Salvadoran refugees currently in this country. While EVDS is not a solution to the problems in El Salvador. it is one way that we can demonstrate our commitment to the improvement of human rights in El Salvador. I urge my colleagues to recognize the plight of Salvadoran refugees and act in a humanitarian way.
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