A. M. 
The United States government donated a new building that will house the Crisis Prevention and Education Center located in Zacatecoluca in the Municipality of La Paz Este. The construction of the new center, valued at US$1 million, was donated by the U.S. through the U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP). The donation includes the furniture and equipment necessary to operate the center.
This center will serve as the municipal command center for the different members of the emergency committee to have a place to work together and respond to emergency relief needs. In this way, the prevention center will be the place where the rapid and accurate exchange of information for decision making can be facilitated through joint work. The center will also play a crucial role in the prevention, training and response to natural disasters, directly benefiting the community of La Paz Este and neighboring municipalities.
The ceremony was led by U.S. Ambassador William Duncan who highlighted the continued commitment of the United States to support El Salvador’s readiness to respond promptly and in a timely manner to the needs of a natural disaster. This assistance underscores our enduring ties and the strong friendship between our two countries. Security is a necessary condition for prosperity and the strengthening of democratic institutions.
The ceremony was also attended by the Mayor of La Paz Este, Marcela Pineda, the Director General of Civil Protection, Luis Alonso Amaya, the Deputy Commissioner of the PNC La Paz Este, Miguel Ostorga, the Commander of DM-9, Colonel Armando Torres, and local community leaders.
Under the HAP Program, the United States, through the Southern Command, has facilitated several infrastructure donations and other humanitarian aid projects in El Salvador aimed at improving community resilience and local infrastructure.
