In the rural community of San Julián, a group of women hike along a hillside. They carry hoes, trays of seedlings, and sacks of natural fertilizer. The town is part of Sonsonate in western El Salvador, which is home to most of the country’s Indigenous communities.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the senior senator from my state. His name is Joe Manchin. He’s been in the news a bit lately.
While some people around the U.S. seem to think he appeared out of nowhere early last year, that is not the case. West Virginians have known him for a good while. I’ve followed his career since the late ’80s as he went from state senator to unsuccessful candidate for governor to West Virginia secretary of state to governor to U.S. senator.