Figure 1.--This press photo is only marked "Sl Salvador offense' and dated April 2, 1984 We believe he is a boy figher with the FMLN. Notice the AK47, it would have been supplied by Cuba and probably delivered through Nicaragua.

The assaination of Archbiship Romero essentially ended political dialog in Elslvador. The result was a vicious civil war (1980-92). The left-wing terrorist and right-wing paramilitary violence escalated (early-1980s). This further restricted the range of political action and possibiity for compromise. The guerrill claims that they were seeking address socioeconomic inequities in Salvadoran societ brought them domestic recruits and foreign support. The nature and accurate description of the El Salvador conflict varies. We use the term civil war. Others prefer civil conflict or insurgency. The conflict was waged on several fronts. Militarily a battle-hardened and politically committed corps of FMLN guerrillas defied the Government's best efforts to eliminate them militarily. A lparallel effiort continued to win the 'hearts and minds' of the rural population. There was also an effort to win the international image. President Carter if he had been reelected may have moved strongy against the Government. Prsident Reagan strongly supported the Government. There was also a political front with the electoral process and efforts to reform the judicary.

Violence

Not long after the 1980 assassination of Archbishop Romero, political violence escalted. Opposition groups claim that the police fired on unarmed civilians at political rallies. This may well be true, although it is often difficult to determine what may have prompted the police to fire, especially when confronted by crowds. News footage of appear to show unarmed demonstrators being shot by the police on the steps of the National Cathedral. Right wing groups were determined toprevent a Cuban style take over in El Salvador. And another Communist takeover had just occurred in neighboring Nicaragua.

United States Involvement

The prospect of a Communist victory in Central America folloeing the Vommunist victory in Cuba n dinist victory in Nicaragua unnerved the United States. Thus the events in El Salvador caused great convern in Washington. Georgia Goveror Jimmy Carter who had been elected earlier (1976) gave more attention to human rights and wanted to make it a conerstone of American policy. He was less concerned over a possible Communist victory even after the Sandinista victory in neighboring Nicaragua (1979). California Govenor Ronald Reagan defeated president Carter (November 1980). President REagan was determined to adopt a more asertive American Cold War policy. The escating viloence also affected American policy. Just before President Reagan was inagurated four American churchwomen were raped and murdered (December 1980). They were targeted because they were seen as supporing left-wing groups. The United States responded by cutting off aid to El Salvador. Next two American land reform advisers were shot and killed in the Sheraton Hotel in San Salvador (1981). The Democratically controlled U.S. Congress demanded that the Salvadoran Goverment take measures to improve improvement in human rights record before approving further aid. This set up divisions in American policy with President Regan more willing to work Salvadoran military government to stop the spread of Communism. The Reagan administration moved to ubstantially increased military and economic aid to El Salvador.

Terminology

What transpired in El Salvador is commonly referred to as a civil war. Some authors believe that this is not the best description for what occurred in the country. They believe that the scale of violence and the extebnt of popular support for the FMLN-FDR were jnot substantial enough to justify the term civil war. Some want to use the erm Revolution comparing it to the Sandinista seizure of Nicatragua. The narrowing of the Salvadoran conflict in both the military and political dimensions may make the term 'insurgency' more appropriate. Others belief thatthe sale of the conflict and the support fir th FMLN-FDR among certain segments of the population as well as the number of casualties (perhaps as mnyh a 60.000 people) is not properly captured by the term insurgency. This some suggest 'conflict ' as alind of compromise term.

Frente Farabundo Marti de Liberacion Nacional (FMLN)

The Salvadoran left was splintered until 1980. The events of the year proompted them to join fiorces. Leftis political parties organized a resistance front with the guerrillas ikn the countdyside (1981). They formed the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (Frente Farabundo Marti de Liberacion Nacional--FMLN). Thy launched a counter offensive (January 1981). The Sandinsta victory in Nicaragua had made it easier to obtain arms, The FMLN failed to achieve major gains, especially in the cities. They did, howeber, secure strongholds in the countrtside. And they attracted considerable attention from the iknternational press. France and Mexico formally recognized the FMLN as a "representative political force" (August 1981). They called for an end to the violence and a negotiated settlement between the warring factions.

Casualties

The Civil War raged on in El Salvador, fueled by Soviet and Cuban arms funneled through Nicaragua and U.S. aid to the Salvadoran military government. The Government by all accounts harshly repressed dissent. The exact loss of life will never be knowm. Estimates of about 60,000-75,000 people killed are generally given. Most were apparently civilians. The Government conducted operations in government-controlled areas, including bombing raids. Right-wing death squads wiped-out entire villages believed to be acyively assisting the guerrilla efforts. One of the most agrgious incidents was the attack the village of El Mozote (1981). An estimated 1,000 people were killed. The Government at first dedined the incident. After the War, however, mass graves were uncovered, proving that lrge numbers of people were killed. The FMLN adopted a tactic of destroying the country's infrastructure, blowing-up bridges, cutting power lines, destroying coffee plantations and anything else to weaken the economy supporting the government. The FMLN also murdered and kidnapped civilians. The American press which seems to have favored the FMLN suggests that the guerilla attacks were targetted at government officials and the military. Now it is probably true that the FMLN did not target hole villages, but the udea that civilians were not targeted seems unlikely. We have not yet found adetailed and unbiased account of casualties. As the war continued, guerrilla tactics became more advanced and they became better armed. The FMLN progressed from using machetes and pistols to automatic weapons and grenade launchers. Their actions became more though out and strategic. The fighting persisted despite efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict. The FMLN refused to participate in presidential elections believing that they wre rigged by the Govrnment. The Government for its part declined to participate in peace talks organized by the FMLN. The Governmen's resources were fully committed to destroying the insurgency. The counttry's infrastructure began to destingrate and the economy suffered.

Presidetial Election (1984)

Jose Napoleon Duarte was again elected president (1984). He moved to reform the judiciary. President Duarte failed to make major accomplishments, although the Civil War began to wind down by the end of his administration. President Duarte filed to stabilize the economy. He also failed to turn his PDC as an alternative to the extremes of the reactionary right and revolutionary left. Many were disappointed wih President Duarte, but the FMLN realized that they wre losing. Thus they began planning one final big offensive. FMLN was not yet ready to make peace, but it was clear that by the time that Duarte left office that they were losing the struggle and that El Salvador was unlikely to be another Nicaragua. Any criticism of Duarte has to be tempored with the enormous problems he faced as president. Duarte had to struggle to control the military which was not accustomed to accepting civilian direction. He faced conservative opposition to his reforms, especially land reform. He also had to struggle to maintain critical economic and military support from the United States where he faced a hostile press and Democratic criics in Congress. He did begin efforts to negotiate a settlement with the FMLN-FDR. He also faced major personal challenges. The FMLN kidnapped his daughter (1985). He was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer (1988). The cancer did not help him in his struggle to gain control of the miitary. Duarte at the end of his presidency suggested tht his greatest achievemnent was transfer power peacefully to a civilan successor--Alfredo Cristiani Burkhard. This would be the first such transition in Salvadoran history.

Northern El Salvador (mid-1980s)

San José Las Flores is a municipality and city in northern El Salvador, Chalatenango Department, near the Honduran border. Las Flores played an important and strategic role during the country's Civil War. Las Flores was one of the first towns in northern El Salvador to be repopulated by refugees who fled the area by government bombing during the early-1980s. IDefying the military, civilians began returning home to to reconstruct the village (1986). This was part of a campaign of a number of towns throughout northern El Salvador, assisted by humanitarian groups in North America and Europe, to resist military attaxks on the FLMN complicate boming in the area. The idea was that when civilans returned to the area it would be more difficult for the military to hit FMLN positiins because of fear of civilian casualties. Some U.S. cities decided to become sister cities with Salvadoran towns to support the FMLN. Towns near Las Flores were also involvd, including Arcatao and Guarjila, both of which were repopulated (1987).

Presidential Election (1989)

There were hopes for peace at the beginning of the election year. The FMLN offered to participate in elections if the government agreed to postpone them for 6 months, to give them the time neded to prepre a political cmpign. The Governmentg rejected the demnds. Democrattically conducted presidential elections were held in El Salvador (March 1989). Alfredo Cristiani, a wealthy businessman, of the ARENA party won an impressive first round victory. Also notable was the fact that this was the first time in Salvadoran history that power was transferred from one democratically elected president to another. Numerous people were killed in election-related violence as the country's leftist guerillas refused to take part in the election and staged attacks to disrupt the voting. Still 55 percent of the elctorate participated. The election was controversial. Not only because of the left-wing violence, but because there were charges that ARENA was linked to El Salvador’s notorious death squads. The FMLN response was a massive military offensive on the cpital, San Salvador (November 1989). The military fought back. One report indicates an estimated 4000 'leftist sympathizers' were killed. Among the dead were six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter, who were murdered at the Centro Monseñor Romero at the Universidad Centroamerica. Contrary to expectations, however, President Cristiani, while not giving into the FMLN, proved a moderating figure. He began engaging the FMLN in the peace process.

International Pressure

Developments in El Salvador began attracting less attention in the international press. The murder of Jesuit priests at the University of Central America shocked the world, bringing the Civil War to the War back to the world's attention. The U.S. Congress responding to continuing press reports of atrocities and political killingscommited by the Government, Congress began to incresingly question the State Department's assurance that El Salvador was making progress in the area of human rights. Democratic Speaker of the House Tom Foley established a special task force to monitor El Salvador's investigation of the killing. Congressman Joe Moakley of Massachusetts was selected to chair the investigation. Moakley oversaw extensive research and visited El Salvador. He reported a widespread cover-up and extensive influence of right-ring paramilitaries. He challenge Administration policy. He discovered that from a very high level, the armed forces of El Salvador had been responsible for the murders of the Jesuits. His investigation also led to the conclusion that certain levels of the U.S. government had known about the situation long before the task force was created. Too often ignored in the discussion is the potential impact of a FMLN which woulx have meant a Communist Government in El Salvador. That said,the FMLN insurgency did force neded reforms and the creation of a democrattic political system.

Peace Process

Some believe that Congressman Moakley's subsequent report set a peace process in motion to end the war. Perhaps equally important was events in Eastern Europe and the beginning of the unraveling of the Soviet Union. As a result both sides approached the United Nations for help in negotiating a political settlement. The U.N.-mediated negotiations began between the government and the FMLN (April 1990). The first agreement resulting was a human-rights accord signed almost immeditely by both parties (July 1990). Violations, however, continued to occur. Violent deaths tragically increased (1991). This was the year that the U.N. mission arrived to monitor human rights. The United Nations sponsored talks, which culminated in the signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords Peace Accords (January 1992). Not entirely unrelated, this was the same time that the Soviet Union was officilly disolved. The Peace Accords finally ended 12 years of civil war. The Accords provided that the FMLN surrender their weapons to U.N. Forces. In return, the Government agreed to dismiss 102 Salvadoran officers believed to have connections to right-wing para-military groups. The Salvadoran peace process is widely believed to be he most successful of various U.N.-brokered peace agreements. Both sides generally adhered to their commitments. And the Government initiatd a land distribution prigram. It was finnced by loans made through the United States Agency for International Development (AID). There were unpaid loans which were forgiven (1997).

Cost

Truth Commission

A Truth Commission, held under U.N. auspices to investigate human rights abuses in the 1980-91 period, results in the removal from office of 15 senior army officers (1993). "In examining the staggering breadth of the violence that occurred in El Salvador, the Commission was moved by the senselessness of the killings, the brutality with which they were committed, the terror that they created in the people, in other words the madness, or locura, of the war." [Figueredo]

Sources

Figueredo, Reinaldo, UN Truth Commission.

Created: 1:15 PM 9/19/2012
Last updated: 6:17 AM 10/26/2015