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Dirty War in El Salvador

Dirty War in El Salvador. 2/15/2010. Dirty War: Characteristics. State-sponsored violence against large segments of the general population Violent repression of non-violent groups deemed hostile to the regime in power Groups often branded as “terrorists” or “subversives” State Terror:

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Dirty War in El Salvador

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  1. Dirty War in El Salvador 2/15/2010

  2. Dirty War: Characteristics • State-sponsored violence against large segments of the general population • Violent repression of non-violent groups deemed hostile to the regime in power • Groups often branded as “terrorists” or “subversives” • State Terror: • Ideological logic • Efforts to foster uncertainty • Efforts to fragment society • Impunity

  3. Dirty War: Methods • Asymmetric violence • Extra-judicial detention • Disappearances • Torture and murder • Massacres • Use of paramilitary forces • Lack of accountability • Plausible deniability

  4. The National Context: 1823 - 1980 • 1823: Independence; the country is ruled by a series of liberal elites • 1850s: the global market price of indigo collapses • 1856 law requires communes to plant 2/3 of their land in coffee • 1880 communal landholding is outlawed • Vagrancy laws • 1930: limited democratic reforms • 1931: coup; military dictatorships • 1932: la Matanza • 1961: ORDEN forms • 1970: leftist guerilla groups begin to form • 1972: Duarte wins the presidential election • 1980: leftist groups unite to form the FMLN Augustín Farabundo Martí

  5. The International Context: the U.S. and the Cold War • Cuba: 1959 revolution • Guatemala: ongoing conflict between the government and a series of leftist opposition groups (Arbenz 1954) • Nicaragua: July 1979 overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship by the Sandinista National Liberation Front • 1977–1981: Pres. Carter • 1981–1989: Pres. Reagan • 1989–1993: Pres. Bush, Sr.

  6. The Dirty War: 1980 – 1992The Government Forces • The Military • Rapid response battalion ATLACATL • Intelligence Forces • Security Forces • Civil defense forces • Paramilitary death squads • ORDEN Strategies • 1980-1984: “Draining the Sea” • 1985 and later: targeting FMLN fighters Methods • Searches of persons and property • Arbitrary arrest and detention • Systematic use of kidnapping and torture • Mutilation and dismemberment of corpses which are then left in visible, public places • Judicial stonewalling, corruption, and the use of confessions obtained through torture • Impunity for violators and harassment of humanitarian, human rights, and relief organizations

  7. The Dirty War: 1980 – 1992The Opposition Forces Urban movements, based on unions and student groups Liberation Theology • 24 March 1980: Assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional • Numbered around 4,000 fighters • Mobility, familiarity with the mountain terrain • Quick, small operations • Survived on peasant support Radio Venceremos • Broadcast from military- controlled territory

  8. El Mazote, December 1981

  9. Ending the Dirty War • The failure of the FMLN • The “hearts and minds” strategy • The decline of U.S. support • End of the Cold War • 16 Nov 1989 Jesuit killings • The 1991 Peace Agreement • Reconciliation, Amnesty, Reintegration • 1992 the peace agreement takes effect, UN verifies weapons decommissioning • 1993 Peace and Reconciliation Commission • 1994 Presidential elections

  10. Ending the Dirty War • The Civil War lasted for 12 years: 1980-1992 • Roughly 70,000 people died • State-related forces were responsible for 80% of all deaths • four-fifths or more of these deaths were peasants and workers • 1979 population 4.5 million • 500,000 – 750,000 people fled the country • 500,000 – 1,000,000 IDPs • 10% reduction in per capita economic production

  11. El Salvador Today • Social Indicators • Median age: 22 years • Education: average of 5.5 years of schooling • Religion: 55% Catholic • Underemployment: 40-50% • Homicide rate: 55.3 per 100,000 • Higher than during the war • Gangs • Eighteenth Street • Mara Salvatrucha

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