Peace Corps cancels next volunteer training class for El Salvador

From the Peace Corps Update on El Salvador:

Volunteers’ health, safety and security are the Peace Corps’ top priorities. Due to safety and security concerns, the Peace Corps has cancelled its March 2016 Volunteer training class for El Salvador. The agency is committed to continuing its operations in El Salvador to the fullest extent possible given safety and security considerations. All Peace Corps Volunteers in El Salvador are living and working in low-risk locations, and the agency has implemented specific policies and procedures designed to support their continued security. Peace Corps staff in El Salvador will continue to monitor the security environment in coordination with Peace Corps headquarters and the U.S. embassy in San Salvador.

Each Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) specific to that country and developed in cooperation with Peace Corps headquarters in Washington and the local U.S. Embassy. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities, and posts are prepared to respond to all emergencies. All Peace Corps Volunteer sites in El Salvador are in compliance with the latest U.S. Embassy travel restrictions.

Unfortunately, they were not persuaded by Tim's advice on traveling to El Salvador (not that traveling through El Salvador is the same as spending two years living there). On the positive side, they are not pulling current volunteers out of the country. Unfortunately, this is likely to have an impact on all those university and community groups that travel to El Salvador each year to stand in solidarity with the people.