Death Squad

                              Death Squad (1970-1991)



Women and Children murdered and seen as enemies of Salvadorean Government



These soldiers were given allowances to install terror and fear on all civilians.

 



















One of the most known massacres during the Civil War, in El Mozote. Men, women, children all tortured and killed.

                                 



This woman and her daughter were murdered for no apparent reason.






    


           

     

                         
Today I decided to let the pictures depict the horror that was part of a war, in which families were fighting to simply gain better treatment, better paid salaries, and more access to health clinics and schools for their children.  Yet, in the end, the government saw them as pests that needed to be wiped out or controlled.  Hence the formation of the Death Squad, under military compliance and rule.  The Police force joined in as well, and each were given the task to seek out any type of meeting, no matter their origins or intentions, and to make sure every civilian understood that they were to not join the leftist movement or create any anti government group, or else, they would suffer, torture, kidnappings, and harrassment from them; and if they still acted more upon their own convictions ect. then death would most certainly fall on them.  In the end, many religious groups were targeted and no one was safe.  If a baby had parents involved or suspected of being involved in any movement, that baby would be considered a threat to society and be exterminated, or killed.  In the end, it is said, that the soldiers received training, in regards to poisining water supplies, spreading disease among cattle and goats, and also what methods would inflict the most pain when used on any human being.
   And this is not something that is just in the past, but it still exists to this very day, not only in Central America, but in other parts of the world.  Yet, most of the time, most of these atrocities are well hidden. But now, with all the new technology, many media outlets are being able to witness accounts of horrendous acts, committed against civilians, like in Syria.  
  The main tactic used here, is to target the children and women, because a man cannot function properly after losing his entire family.  The Elderly are also targeted, and in some cases, even men have been murdered along side their children and wives.
  Let us not believe that for one instance, this world is becoming a better place, to live in.  The one way we can change is if we as individuals, decide to better ourselves first in order to be of help to others.
                                                                                              

The Mayans and the Spanish Invasion

                Before going into full discussion of the civil war that was fought during the early 1970's until 1992, I would like to take a quick look back at what took place before this war was brought about.  And in doing so, I would be taking a journey back into the Mayan world, and mainly go over certain points of their lives, and how the Spanish invaders or explorers, came about and drove most if not all into exile, among other indian tribes that roamed Central America as well.
                   It is told that most of the Mayan empire consisted of a landspan of around 400,000 to 5000,000 square miles, aproximately.  This area became known as,"Mesoamerica".  This consists of the following central american countries:

El Salvador

Mexico ( five mexican states)

Belize

Honduras

Guatemala

                        

                 

                 

                    

                                     They had various temples built, and most peasants and peoples whom were poor, came daily to the temples surrounding areas to sell, livestock, fruits, grains and vegetables, in order to survive and provide for their families.  Another factor was their height.  Men would not grow more than 4ft-10inches-5ft 5inches; women were known to be much shorter, ranging from 3ft 8inches to 4ft 11inches.  To say the least, this did not bother them one bit.

                       Towards the 16th Century, once the Spaniards had started conquering most of the Mayan and Aztec Empires, they came upon the land that would be known, as," El Salvador", which was populated by a tribe called the Pipil Tribe, and these indians had lived under the rule of the Mayans, up until their empire fell apart; the Pipil Indians, had settled within the boundaries of what is now known as,"El Salvador".

                      When the spaniards started exploring the region, in search for gold and other valuable minerals, to exploit, they were not impressed by the work, needed to be done in order to find these minerals within the boundries of El Salvador, yet in the end,  they decided to monopolize the land and ended forcing the Pipil Indians to either leave their ways behind and start living as the spanish people lived, mainly by dressing up more, ect..or to be taken by force, and be imprisoned, tortured or hanged to death.  Most of the indians, seeing very scarce ways of being able to provide food for their own families, relentlesly obliged to their demands and were allowed to work the lands and help cultivate corn, cotton, rice and coffee beans, amongst other things.

                     In the end, this led to them being overworked, not paid or promises were broken, and they and their children would get rationalized food, that barely would take away their hunger pain.  The ones that were against the Spanish conquest would fight to their death, and there would be several revolts in which the indians, would fight for the right to own their land and would demand better treatment, better food and shelter to be provided for them and their families.

                   Their patrons, were more than irritated by these demands and would withold food, all together, and or make their living conditions worse.  Children would die of starvation, and women would fall ill.  Towards the end, most of the pipil indians, would go into hiding and with that they also, would keep their heritage and culture and language away from the foreigners and only whisper it amongst themselves.

                 From hence onward, as this country became more populated and so forth, the oppresion from this time would continue to exist throughout the years under different threats and forms, and towards the end of the 1960's many revolts would have been attempted and held, at different points during the country's own growth.  Yet, in the end, the goverment and military force would come to join as one, and during the early 1970's, once the people started getting encouragement from several Jesuit Priests, would they end up creating the famous left known party within El Salvador, that pushed onward with the civil war and so forth.

                The Party's name was," Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (Frente Farabundo Marti de Liberacion Nacional--FMLN).  This party was made up of mainly, farmers, villagers, peasants, and just families whom were living under harsh conditions and in poverty seeking to better themselves and also to be treated as human beings verses animals, and they joined as one, to take a stand for what they called, " Their right to better treatment, payment and social openings in being able to send their kids to school and so forth.

                                    

                                                     

                                     

                        Before this party came about though, there were several years that were lived in the upmost terror, due to a military tactic, in which the Commander in Chief, made a deal with the President, to restore order, by creating the,"Death Squad", which was given authority to disrupt any meetings anywhere at any time, and even allowed to kill civilians if they even said a word against the military or government.
                       This was in between the 1960's and early to mid 1970's.  It seems that the General who made this agreement with the government, not only wanted to use this squad to gain favor with the ruling president but at the same time, had wanted to obtain some type of recognition, in which he would gain power over the entire nation.  Hence, this squad, was created to install fear, and to crush out any sign of hope, of ever over throwing military and goverment rule.  I have heard stories from my relatives, in which they either were witnesses of these brutal killings or had almost been put to death themselves.  There was no mercy shown to elders, pregnant women less teenagers, or children.  In some instances they would raid homes, where religious meetings were being held, and slay everyone there.  Babes, were torn out of their mother's screaming arms, and would be tortured and or killed slowly, in order to cause more agony to their mother.  Children were brutally killed and the elderly had no where to escape.
                   This would replay throughout the years, and even when the Civil War was given official recognition, this tactic would be used by both the goverment and the Left Party Leaders.  Each fighting to gain the citizens trust overall and respect.
                 Hence, the blood shed had only begun back then and it would continue onward through many years to come.

Identifying with my roots.....

              I am considered one of the lucky few, that was able to not only survive in the midst of an ongoing war, but more so, I was able to be taken out of a country, where blood shed was becoming out of control and life, as it had been known, was far from gone, and instead, there was a feeling of despair and loss of all hope.
             Being born in El Salvador, in the 1970's, pretty much placed anyone in the midst of a nasty, conflicted enviroment, where, the government was trying to contain the pheasants, and the villagers from overthrowing the existing president and get control back of its country. 
            As I look back into the time of my birth and the time of my adoption, I rarely would have known as a babe, why there was so much fear, of going out onto the streets.  I was brought to the state of Virginia by all legal means, and was raised in the U.S.  Little did I even know, that during my early years of childhood towards my preteen years, such war was ongoing, in my birth country.  I would hear whispers and rumours, of news, that would come from relatives, living in El Salvador, but I was so inclined to deny that I came from such country and I would choose to ignore or accept that no matter what, my roots came from the Mayan Indians, and that indeed, I was conceived and born in El Salvador.
            In fact, the way, that I learned all about the war, that was fought was when my family, moved back to El Salvador during the end of 1993.   Little did I know, that only a year ago, had a treaty been formally signed and that the country was struggling to come out of its post war depressive state.
           I was not attracted to any of this, at the beginning, not until I started attending the Jose Cañas University Of Central America, that this was brought to my full attention, due to the University's own role within this war.  And slowly, but surely, I started feeling pulled towards learning, the commence of this war, the ideaology behind it, and the misleading information given to the world, as well as the atrocities committed towards women, children and the ederly.  My eyes were opened, and my heart started reeling to find out if somehow my own birth mother or birth father had had anything to do within this war.
                                                                                    
            After years of denying my heritage and even being ashamed of it, I finally got to a place in which I felt compelled to not just do more research on such sensitive subject, but to find out more in regards to my own birth parents and even if I was ever reported as missing or stolen.  Believe me, most of what I read and uncovered, left my mind shaking, and my heart broken, for all those who lost their lives or a loved one.  No one can really say, if there were any winners within this war.  All that is known, now, is that the country is still struggling to regain its own identity and reconnect with its own beginnings.
           I had started writing a book, with fictional characters yet, interwined with real settings, and real events that took place within the war.  Throughout this entire blog, I will do my best to post links that have more information available in case, I leave or forget something.  Including pictures and images taken from those years.
        My primary focus will be in regards to how, this was was started, followed by how the people chose to get involved and the consequences that this brought upon many.  I will recount certain events, that I feel are worthy to mention and to bring to light, around the children that were somehow forgotten as innocent victims during the time that this war took place.
        Including some stories I was able to pick up from my adopted relatives and people I interviewed, during my years at the university.  In the end, I am not sure, if I will ever complete this essay, or not, and if this will truly become a book someday, but I just want to share, what I have learned and hope to reach out to those whom are still lost, and unsure of where they really come from.; to the ones that have looked for years for their lost loved ones, and have not found them yet.
        Once I am able to regain internet at my new home, I will be doing most of blogging from there.   As a prelude to what is to come I want to share this poem: 

                     The Missing Children
          
           Why is it so quiet at this time of day?
     For, the children, are normally running and playing along the side of the roads...
           Why are the elders, wandering around, as if in search of something they have lost?
     For, the children would keep them company and help them cross the street....
            Why are the women wailing and no one comes to  comfort them?
      For, the children, normally are always near their skirts, clinging to every word they say....
           Where have the children gone, where have they been taken to?
      Oh, why do you keep on asking, for they are gone, all gone!
            How is this so?  What about the babes that cling to their mother's chest?
       They also have been taken from us. Dead! Dead!
            Oh, the pain, oh the misery, for the children are no more, no more....