Salvadoran lawmakers back water as a human right

Members of El Salvador's legislation and constitutional committee are discussing two motions to reform article 69 of the constitution and recognize water as a human right.

One of the motions was submitted by representatives of ruling party FMLN, while the other was presented by the right-leaning ARENA party, and is also backed by opposition parties PCN and PDC.

Although all the groups expressed their support for amending the constitution, they agreed that the legislators who filed the motions should work on a proposal that obtain unanimous approval, the legislative assembly said in a release.

The approval of such a motion would require at least 43 votes in favor on the floor of the assembly, which has 84 members, as well as subsequent ratification by the next legislature.

If approved, the amendment would be separate from a general water bill, which is currently being drafted by the environment and climate change committee.