Mayor of San Salvador travels to San Francisco

Violeta Menjivar, mayor of San Salvador, was in San Francisco last week where she met with city officials and community leaders. The San Francisco Chronicle had this story about the visit:

Violeta Menjivar, the first woman to govern El Salvador's sprawling capital of 2 million people, told community leaders and city officials she is willing and eager for a collaborative relationship, but she cautioned, "It will take work."

At City Hall, Menjivar, a physician who was elected from the party of the leftist FMLN, the former guerrillas who fought the U.S.-backed Salvadoran government in the 1980s, addressed the Board of Supervisors and met with the mayor's staff.

Supervisor Tom Ammiano said he would push for a sister city relationship.

"It's goodwill. It's trade, but there are other ways to have sister cities," he said. "If we're dealing with problems around youth, this could offer a practical approach to that."

Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval talked with Menjivar about sharing gang prevention efforts, such as the resource center's tattoo removal program, that would be a good way to help break the international cycle of violence.(more)