El Salvador: Encounters With Death Squads

December 8, 2018

Encounters with Death Squads

During our Witness for Peace Delegation to El Salvador 1991, we visited the“campus of José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA El Salvador) in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Jesuits were advocates of a negotiated settlement between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), the guerilla organization that had fought the government for a decade. The murders attracted international attention to the Jesuits' efforts and increased international pressure for a cease-fire, representing one of the key turning points that led toward a negotiated settlement to the war” (1). 

After an in-depth briefing with the Jesuit President of UCA about the current political situation, we visited the campus site of the 1989 murders of the six Jesuit priests and the two housekeepers. A small chapel had been erected near their gravesites. The religious community considered this a sacred place. 

While paying our respects, a scene out of a bad movie unfolded. Up drove an Isuzu Trooper, out stepped a young dude in jeans, with an American Flag on the back and sporting one-way Ray Ban sunglasses. He strutted into the group and aggressively entered my personal space, asking me, with a snarly voice, “How was I enjoying our visit?” Looking at the American Flag on his jacket, I informed him that I didn’t appreciate his tone and commented that my tax dollars probably bought his car and glasses. Furthermore, I told him that my understanding of the values embroidered in the American flag on his jacket didn’t jibe with his harassing and bullying attitude towards us. Someone was giving him a distorted message about America. The conversation stopped, we stared at each other for a bit, he walked back to his car and created lots of dust as he pealed out. The man was a sandlot bully.

Hmm…was that a good idea? The answer came later as we returned to our hotel to discover that the dude and his newly formed posse had inquired at the hotel about us. The tension of being in this place heightened.

Later on we visited the Jesuit retreat residence located in a nearby suburb. On the way there we passed through neighborhoods with armed men sitting in lawn chairs outside homes. The Jesuit house had a large mural of the six-martyred priests painted on an outside wall. The priests shared that a death squad had recently visited a nearby home and killed all eleven of its occupants for being suspected guerrilla sympathizers. And then … all of a sudden, rapid explosions sounded outside. I almost pooped in my pants!! Without concern, the priests reported that it was just firecrackers celebrating a neighbors birthday party and not another visit by a Death Squad driving in an Isuzu Trooper, wearing Ray Bans and American made denim.

We had a visit scheduled at the American Embassy to get educated about the current US perspective. Upon arriving there, we were told that our visit had been cancelled without reason. With a Death Squad looking for us, I wondered where would be a safe harbor, if needed. Visions of the 1982 movie “Missing” (2) added to the drama. 

One would argue that this type of atmosphere is prevalent in any war zone. Having said that, what we experienced created a multitude of questions about the relationship of the US and the El Salvadorian government. People with nothing to hide usually don’t shut the door in your face.

(1) “1989 murders of Jesuits in El Salvador,” Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_murders_of_Jesuits_in_El_Salvador

(2) “Missing” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_(1982_film)