ARENA's Role in El Salvador's Civil War Beginnings

The Impact Of Arena On The Beginnings Of The Civil War
First, thank you very much for following the advice set out in my last memo. Through a coordinated media campaign focussed on clarifying the role
of ARENA in the beginnings of the civil war, we've been able to secure a small but consistent advantage over our FMLN opponents. However,
according to the research that my team and I have conducted, this advantage is very fragile. While El Salvadoran voters have communicated to us that
they do not blame ARENA for the start of the conflict, there is more confusion about the role of the party during the height of the war in the 1980s.
Therefore, this memo will be divided into three parts: first, a surface–level history of the conflict through the 1980s; second, potential academic
explanations for... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
MagaГ±a's Presidency took an active and purposeful role in opposing the FMLN guerrillas through attacks on the group's primarily peasant base
and support network. From 1981 to 1983, it is estimated that at least 18,000 civilians were killed by government forces. Many of these deaths were
the result of air force bombings of peasants trying to flee across the Honduras border or massacres committed by government infantry groups against
FMLN friendly villages such as El Mozote in December 1981. Paramilitary death squads were also incredibly active during this time period, at one
point killing six members of the opposition Christian Democratic Party (PDC), resulting in a condemnation of the MagaГ±a government by PDC
leader JosГ© NapoleГіn Duarte. The second phase of the conflict, following the election of Duarte and the PDC in the 1984–5 elections, resulted in a
reduction in government violence against civilians and attempts, although ultimately unsuccessful, to reach a peace between the FMLN and
government. The US–backed Duarte, who defeated ARENA leader Roberto d'Aubuisson amid allegations of electoral fraud, became the first civilian
President in forty years. Political murders declined significantly during his administration, although there were still civilian deaths in combat zones and
mass displacement concerns amounting to around 1500 deaths per year. Peace
... Get more on HelpWriting.net ...

Civil War El Salvador Essay
Peace Accords Signed After Twelve Years of Civil War, El Salvador in 1992 El Salvador is a small and beautiful country in Central America bordered
by Honduras, Guatemala, and the Pacific Ocean. During recent years, violence and poverty have plagued the country due to over–population and class
struggles. "The civil war in El Salvador began in 1980 to 1992 due to discontent with social inequalities, a poor economy, and the repressive measures
of dictatorship" (Wiarda, p. 213). There remains conflict between the rich and the poor, this has existed for more than a century and is still a big
problem. One dilemma that the country had dealt with was that the government maintained separation from its political parties. Two major forces were
the right–wing Nationalist Republican Alliance party and the leftist anti–government guerrilla units, led by the Farabundo MartГ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Tischausen, Tischausen remarks that, "The army tried to dry those areas up, knowing that they were not going to be able to work any solution
with the civilian population of El Mozote" (Leslie V. Tischausen). Atlacatl's philosophy was to kill everybody, without even knowing who was a
guerrilla and who was not. This lead to many casualties but in the end effective because, El Mozote is no longer controlled by the Salvadoran
guerrillas since January16, 1992, after a peace accords were signed. In accordance with Jorge Juarez of UIGCS, the seminar's goal was to "make
known to the public a version of the war's historical facts, without passions, without ideology, that presents the truth of the facts" (Britannica, p.2). In
spite of all the studies that look at what happened in the civil war in El Salvador, they still have not discovered the underlying causes. This is
especially tragic, as studies show almost 75,000 people died during those massacres. Countries throughout the world supported El Salvador during this
long rough period of

The Conflict Resolution : Peace
What is peace? To some it is freedom of the disturbance and to others it is the presence of tranquility. To those that study the field of conflict
resolution, peace is a concept that can be viewed as either negative or positive. Negative peace is the absence of war while positive peace is the
integration of human society (Galtung). Though positive peace is the ideal standard that most would like to hold the world to, it is negative peace that
is most present in society. Negative peace, though having the benefit of lacking violence can still be considered detrimental to a society because of
lasting effects a conflict could posses. An example that shows how negative peace does not automatically solve inherent problems in an society is the...
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Components such as social class inequality, repressive military rule, and poverty played big roles in what soon became the factors that lead to civil war.
Since 1931 El Salvador 's government had been under military control, which in a economic sphere did not prove to be successful. The state was
also plagued with fraudulent elections, which as a result always granted the military victory. The military regime was also closely allied with the
elite of the country who were the ones that had the real power considering they controlled the state 's economy. The elite needed the military in
order to control the poor who were on the verge of revolting due to the inequality and lack of economic participation by their part. The elite
controlled the country by keeping 41% of the population to no land because they wanted it in the hands of those that can produce a significant profit.
The majority of people who lived in the countryside were also not allowed to vote, which furthered the narrative of a corrupt and untrustworthy
government. The years leading up to the civil war were afflicted with a repressive government rule which in the year 1980 became enough to tip the
citizens of the country over the edge of a full blown civil war. Before the commencement of the war, the opposition of the lower class to the ruling
government was becoming more apparent. Many of El Salvador

El Mozote Essay
Mark Danner, an editor for the New York Times magazine, recounts in The Massacre at El Mozote a horrific crime against humanity committed by a
branch of the Salvadorian army. He gives multiple points of views and cites numerous eye witnesses to try and piece together something that has been
tucked away by the government at the time. In December, of 1981, news reports were leaked to major newspapers in the united states about an atrocity
committed and a total massacre of a hamlet in El Salvador, known as El Mozote, or the Thicket. At first, the account was of over a thousand civilians,
women men and children with no guerrilla affiliation were massacred. Danner pieces together the testimonies of the survivors, and interviews with ...
The answer would become obvious. An important source of information during this otherwise chaotic time was Radio Venceremos. This renegade
radio station broadcasted from a hidden location. It informed the civilians where to go, and what was going on in the war (Donner 34). El Mozote
did not harbor guerrillas. As stated by Danner, "They were victims of this whole thing... If they could get away by giving guerrillas some corn and
chickens, and still live on their farms, that is what they would do. At the same time, if the people had to get by by giving corn and chickens to the half
a dozen Guardia Nacional who were living in their town, then they would do that В– whatever it took to enable them to live" (Danner 119). The
massacre was a horrific spectacle. The men were decapitated in front of their families. "the soldiers dragged the bodies and the heads of the
decapitated victims to the convent of the church, where they were piled together" (Donner 70). Next came the women. They took the women into
groups and lied to them citing that they would be able to go free to their homes, once they had been separated. Instead, the soldiers marched the
women into the hills surrounding El Mozote known as El Chingo and La Cruz (Donner 71). The women were systematically raped, some as young as
ten years old. These barbarians came back and took the women group by group. Eventually, once they were done,

How Did The Us Influence Latin America
The United States has been an important part in the history of all of Latin America. Many times, the United States influenced Latin American countries
with its economic, political, and military power. The United States looked down at Latin America as its backyard, constantly using its influence to
benefit from the land and supporting dictators in the region. The United States used this power to effectively influence Latin America for decades, even
when the U.S. faced communism as a new threat during the Cold War. The United States feared the communist influence of the Soviet Union in
countries like El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, because the "evil empire's" plan for world domination included infiltrating Latin America. Even
though these ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Death squads and disappearances caused mental anguish to so many citizens of countries plagued with war all over Latin America, just like Lupe
and her family. Gabriel Garcia Marquez poses the question, "why could social justice not be a goal for Latin America?" Countries in Latin America
like Nicaragua, Guatemala, EL Salvador, Argentina, and Chile were striving for social justice. Some even had democratic elections and were on the
right path but the fear of communism that plagued the United States since the beginning of the Cold War halted any of the progress Latin American
countries could have even made. Any sort of progress, whether it was farmers and peasants like JosГ© forming unions and organizations fighting for
human rights, or democratically elected presidents like Arbenz or Allende that fought for agrarian reform and nationalization of resources was
completely shut down either directly or indirectly by the United States. Social justice was definitely a goal for Latin America. The region is not filled
with savages that can't grasp democracy; even Marquez "rejected the idea that 'violence and pain' was the natural condition of the region." The United
States halted and set aside any progress for social justice in Latin America because it feared losing its powerful influence in the

The United States And The Civil War
During a civil war, the country 's is divided into two ideas. In a civil war, it gets bloody to the point that one kills their own blood because of their
different points of views. When this happens, a generation tends to be lost. Forgot like the concept survival of the fittest; where one party wins and gets
in control of the country. This happened in Guatemala during their thirty year civil war. It began in 1954, when President Arbenze left office. Reasons
were, he had some socialist ideas that the United States interpreted as Communist ideology, such as making the United Fruit Company national
(Burrett, 1954). This worried the United States, and planned to to impeach Arbenze. Methods such as instigating a civil war that encouraged ... Show
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As these ideas are benign recycled, one can reflect on the past to end this from happening ever again.
The Beginning
During the 1950's, President Arbenze was elected for President of Guatemala, he had interesting ideas of making the United Fruit Company national.
Imitating what Mexico did in the making PIMEX national. Unlike Mexico, President Cardenas embarked on nationalizing the oil company from the
US and the Anglo–Dutch; Arbenze planned to do the same with the United Fruit Company. The United Fruit Company was Guatemala biggest
exporter of banana to the US. When Arbenze introduce it to the government, the FBI and CIA became suspicious. Why? The president of the united
fruit company were the Dulles brother. They were John Foster Dulles who was Secretary of State, and Allen Dulles head of the DCI who also gave
rise of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). They convince the House of Representatives and the US that Arbenze was "red"; code "red" means he
was communistic. Even though he was not associated with the Communist party, the Dulles brother wanted to take no risk. They United States planned
to take him out of power.
Operation Overthrow
First step of action was the instigating a war against Arbenze. The Dulles brother went around Guatemala finding someone who would want to
overthrow Arbenze. His name was Edgar Ibarra, and he would be the face of the revolution. The

Effects Of Slavery In Central America
During colonial times, Central America was a place of hostility and unequal treatment to many of its indigenous people. War, starvation, cruelty, and
death occurred occasionally due to the unfair treatment of many poor citizens during this time. The worst part about it is that not one, but many types
of people and ethnic groups were subjugated to this mistreatment. Many groups such as the Mayans,, the poor, and even ordinary citizens underwent
hardships in hope to barely survive the cruel world that they lived in. The exclusion of these people first began when Central America was first
colonized. Even during the beginning of colonization, Central American civilizations used the unfair treatment of others to thrive in economic status.
Slavery... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At birth, many families struggled to keep their children alive until adulthood. The countries poverty prevented people from feeding their children,
leading to the malnutrition of thousands and the negative health effects that come with it. But even after reaching maturity the lives of people remain a
struggle. Many women are forced to raise their children alone while struggling to provide a living for themselves and their offspring. Lack of education
in Central America prevent men and women from finding work, making survival very difficult. Death squads murdered thousands of innocent lives in
brutal ways. The human rights movement CO–MADRES was started to call out against the extreme lack of civil liberties. Other groups like the FMLN
and the FPL fought against the government to stop the social injustices the Salvadorian government committed. The government needed to help
eliminate the massive problem of poverty. But because it did not, guerrilla groups were formed by El Salvador's people in hope to change what the
government could not. By forming death squads in an attempt to stop those groups, the countries situation led only to more death and

El Salvador Research Paper
My dad was born in the small Central American nation of El Salvador, more specifically in Anamoros located on the east side of the country. He lived
in the countryside so he often played with their animals, spent most of his childhood swimming in the rivers or playing soccer with his friends, and
would frequently hang out with his grandparents in the afternoons. In 1980, when he was about 12 years old that all began to change, he and all those
around him needed to be more cautious about their surroundings.
To get a proper understanding of El Salvador's civil war we need to begin in the 1930s, the Salvadoran government was generating a lot of profit from
goods being sold, unfortunately the wealth was only given to 2% of the population. Augustin Marti formed the socialist party that led peasants and
indigenous against the government. When the government heard this they gave the approval for military death squads, which would kill anyone who
looked ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For twelve years (1980–1992), El Salvador suffered this brutal civil war and saw some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin American history. The
government refused to attend peace talks by the FMLN and the FMLN refused to participate in elections knowing it results would be rigged. The
military tried to kill all suspected rebels and the FMLN damaged anything that supported the government's economy. Throughout the war there was so
much human rights violations such as subjecting civilians to torture, forced disappearance, extrajudicial killing, mutilation, mass rape, massacres,
summary executions, landmines and indiscriminate bombing. As the result, by the end of the civil war about 75,000 people were killed, sadly most of
which were civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time. The intensity of military repression and constant fear provoked massive northern migration
to the United States. By the mid–1980s almost one–fifth of the Salvadoran population was living in the United

Analysis Of Sal Castro And Maria Tula 's Hear My Testimony
Blowout!, by Sal Castro and Maria Tula's Hear my Testimony are both testimonios, meaning that they are told in the first–person narrative. They
provide an accurate representation of the attitude and ideology of not only their own, but others at that time period as well. In both books, the
testimonio helped tell a fuller story because it provided a deeper first hand view of socially significant scenes and demonstrated, through their own
voice, first hand how characters identities were developed. These individuals were transformed because they faced realizations of larger political
pictures. Cesar Chavez was a civil rights activist who organized the earliest Chicano movements. In an essay by Jorge Mariscal, Chavez's political
ideology is... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He explains an encounter where a teacher told him, "'Sit in the encounter until you learn English'"(Garcia & Castro, Blowout! pg32). This quote
shows that even in the first grade Castro realized that racism was alive and present, and it was wrong. He believed that it was wrong for the school to
be treating him a certain way (badly), simply because of his culture. Through the testimonio, these early encounters show us how Castro's identity and
core values were shaped. Furthermore, Castro's testimonio allows him to tell a fuller story of social activism. For example, Castro vividly recalls the
Watts Riot that took place in Los Angeles. The Watts Riot was the result of the community reacting to allegations of police brutality against an
African–American motorcyclist. Castros explains, "If you lived or worked anywhere near Watts, located south of the downtown area, you saw and
smelled the smoke from the burning cars and buildings."(Garcia & Castro, Blowout! pg131). This demonstrates how the testimonio gave us a different
view of social activism that was occurring during the time period. It is portrayed to us through a personal response of someone who experience it first
hand. As the Blowouts progressed the Chicano students attitudes changed. A student explains after the movement, "'were the first time that we began to
develop consciousness...It was very affirmative. Thats where you began to have an identity'"(Garcia & Castro, Blowout! pg 322). The Chicano

Military History
The military, in modern times, has many purposes. These forces are given high powered weapons and granted the authorization to use deadly force,
while being tasked with carrying out orders from their government and protecting its interests. Armed forces are also sometimes called upon to promote
political agendas, guard economic interests, enact population control, and conduct emergency services or construction. Any history of armed conflict is
considered to be military history, however, the profession of being a soldier is older than said recorded history. As seen throughout this history, when
the military goes unchecked by its government or citizens, some terrible and unlawful acts may occur. By looking into the account of The Massacre

Essay about The Massacre in El Mozote as Told by Mark Danner
The Massacre at El Mozote as told by Mark Danner takes place El Salvador. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. It shares borders
with Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador is divided into 14 departments and El Mozote is a village in one of the Departments called Morazan.
According to the author, the Salvadoran Civil War 1979–1992 was a conflict waged by the Military led Government of El Salvador and coalition of
left–leaning militias or guerillas called the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).The FMLN was supported by peasants and indigenous
Indian people. The United States supported the El Salvador Military government.
The tensions between the classes, the halves and the halve–nots are therefore represented ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Also, the growing presence of the Soviets and Cuba in Nicaragua escalated the cold war and in order to 'draw the line" the Reagan administration
"doubled economic aid for El Salvador to a hundred and forty four million dollars" (pg 40). According to Danner, "the priorities of American Policy in
El Salvador had become unmistakable" (pg 41).Second, The American government was "opposed to dispatching American combat forces to Central
America" (pg 22) and in order to prevent another Nicaragua, Congress agreed to "reform" the Salvadoran Army by financing, training and arming its
troops to fight the FMLN. As Danner notes, "the Americans had stepped forward to fund the war, but were unwilling to fight it". Third, the Monterrosa
led Atlacatl led batallion through American funding descended in El Mozote with "the latest M–16's, M–60 machines guns, 90 millimeter recoilless
rifles, and 60– and 81 millimeter mortars"(pg 39) and with a list of names massacred an entire village because "communism was cancer"(pg 49). The
U.S. government was clearly responsible for the Massacre at El Mozote because without the funding, supporting, and training of El Salvador troops the
war would have been tilted in the guerillas favor as they had managed to hold the disorganized army in certain areas. In contrast to neighboring
departments El Mozote and its inhabitants of born–again Christians did not fit in as guerilla sympathizers. In fact, the training at American hands

United States Of America, Home Of The Brave And Land
United States of America, home of the brave and land of the greedy. While free is the word that is usually a part of that statement, there are many
countries that would disagree with you on word choice. For example, no one enjoys a country that helps fund your country's dictatorship only because
they do not want communism spreading through the political system like wild fire. Hundreds of soldiers trained and many innocent dead. While the
American's were not pulling the triggers, they were giving the guns and training the army to fight and kill all who seemed to be siding with the
communist party. Yet many do not know that America would do this to small little El Salvador. While in turmoil, El Salvador has always been a
country of peaceful... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This led to twelve gruesome years of pain and suffering from both sides, while many innocent people were caught within the mix. 75,000 civilians
alone were killed by the government forces, and many were displaced from their homes and lost their families. "Let my blood be a seed of freedom
and the sign that hope will soon be reality," Archbishop Oscar Romero gather people in a time of hardship and was the leader for the innocent farmer
that turned towards God to help resolve this problem. Sadly, on March 24, 1980, Mr. Romero was killed at the hands of the government who didn't
enjoy his message. The assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero was the first of many awful moments throughout the war. The death of Mr. Romero
was what got many of the innocent to take sides with the FMLN because of the connection of the government to this murder. It was even worse that
snipers shot down at the crowd that mourned his death which led to the death of 42, the real beginning of this bloody fight. United States was brought
into this fight when four nuns, who were traveling through El Salvador to help people in need, we raped and murdered and it was discovered that it
was done by the cruel military forces. President at the time, Jimmy Carter, decided that it would be best to cut off aid to El Salvador for a short
period of time. Yet this changed in 1981, when Ronald Reagan

El Salvador Research Paper
The Failure of Journalism during the Civil War in El Salvador
The Civil War in El Salvador was an event that most individuals misunderstood. A twelve year conflict and a power struggle that claimed to keep
communism out of El Salvador killed 75,000 people and the whole story still remains untold. The Civil War in El Salvador was a conflict that
roughly started in 1980 and ended with the peace accords in 1992. These dates are rough because there were many conflicts before 1980 and even after
the peace accords were signed in 1992 the "death squads [1] " were still active every now and again. With respect to United States involvement, the
reason the United States was initially involved was to block communist rule from spreading to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many reporters lacked the initiative to investigate the causes of the war and so this trend of general ignorance lasted throughout the twelve years.
Tumultuous times for years before 1980, had led to the eruption of this deadly conflict. A generally unstable Central America had caused major rifts in
almost all the small countries of this area. For the general American public this meant more conflict in Central America with even less understanding
caused by poor reports.
Mark Pedelty, who wrote War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents, explains in a chapter entitled "ObjectiveJournalism" of the ways in
which American correspondents are taught to report. Reports in newsmagazines in America are much different from everywhere else in the world.
For America "objectivity remains the standard by which journalists are judged," and this means journalists strive to obtain balance and fairness
(Pedelty 171). Pedelty argues that objectivity is a utopian goal which is impossible to obtain, and secondly, objectivity and balance are two things
that should not play a role in the reporting a journalist does. In countries all over the world newspapers and magazines are based on political lines
and are biased in favor of their own viewpoints and agendas. Pedelty claims that these types of journalists, who report according to their own view
points, in fact produce better reports that those Americans who strive for objectivity

The Massacre At El Mozote
The Massacre at El Mozote
El Mozote is a city in El Salvador, and in 1981 it was the site of a brutal massacre in which American trained Salvadoran soldiers slaughtered almost a
thousand civilians. This massacre happened at a very tense point in the Cold War, when the United States was fighting against Communism and the
Soviet Union. In this particular situation, the United States aligned with the Salvadorans to prevent the spread of communism into El Salvador. When
the Salvadoran soldiers killed hundreds of innocent citizens, the United States government became worried. Mark Danner, the author of The Massacre
at El Mozote, stated that when news of the massacre entered the American media, the government brushed it off as propaganda. Ronald Reagan, the
U.S. president at that time, and his administration responded to the situations in El Mozote by calling it propaganda because they feared America's
reputation would be tarnished, and the government wanted and needed to do everything in its power to avoid losing El Salvador to communism.
About eleven years after the Massacre took place; a survivor named Rufina Amaya MГЎrquez came forward and shared her story, an eye witness
account of what happened at El Mozote (Danner 7). Much of the world, including the United States refused to believe her (Danner 8). The United
States knew the Salvadoran government and the military were fighting left–wing rebels, who, they believed to be pro–communist, but when Rufina's
story appeared on the

Analysis Of Blowout By Sal Castro And Maria Tula's Hear My...
Prompt #1
Blowout!, by Sal Castro and Maria Tula's Hear my Testimony are both testimonios, meaning that they are told in the first–person narrative. They
provide an accurate representation of the attitude and ideology of not only the narrators, but also others at that time period as well. In both books, the
testimonio helps tell a fuller story because it provided a deeper first hand view of socially significant scenes and demonstrates, through the narrator's
own voice, first hand how characters' identities were developed. These individuals were transformed because they faced realizations of larger political
pictures. Cesar Chavez was a civil rights activist who organized the earliest Chicano movements. In an essay by Jorge Mariscal, Chavez's political
ideology is explained, "At its very core was the principle of 'militant nonviolence.'...the phrase retains a commitment to social change, but disassociates
that commitment from aggression against other individuals"(Jorge Mariscal, "CГ©sar: CГ©sar ChГЎvez in the Chicano Movement"). This quote
demonstrates that Chavez wanted things to change because he did not like the way things were, however he wanted to accomplish this without
violence. This ideology led Chavez, with co–founder Dolores Huerta, to develop the United Farm Workers union, or UFW (Delgado, The fight for
latino Civil Rights). By seeking to improve workers wages and dignity, this eventually led to the rural Chicano movements. These were significant in
that they provoked change and bettered the lives of Chicano farmers. They also paved the path for later urban Chicano movements. Sal Castro is
known as one of the most important Chicano Civil Rights activists of the 60s and 70s. Castro's story begins with his childhood where his parents
become divorced because his dad is forced to move out of the United States. The book explains, "My father wanted my mother to relocate to
MazatlГЎn, but she didn't want to...Finally, they divorced. I don't know who instigated it."(Garcia & Castro, Blowout! pg32). This shaped Castro's
identity early on because it forced him to attend school in Los Angeles where he experienced racism face on. He explains an encounter where a teacher
told him, "'Sit in the encounter until

Innocent Voices
Synopsis. Innocent voices is a biographical movie about the littlehood of Chava (Carlos Padilla). Chava lives with his mother, Kella, (Leonor Varela),
a dress–maker, his older sister and younger brother on the outside of the town. Their house is barely more than a shack made of tin and wood, but it is
home to the little family at the beginning of the war when the father deserted them for the United States. Chava is now the man of the house.
With increasing frequency the guerillas (the independent military who fights the government military) and soldiers engage in battle at night,
regardless of the people who live all around. The homes are damaged by gunfire and mortar and many of the town's people are killed.
Chava and his sister go to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Reagan administration substantially increased both military and economic aid to El Salvador. The civil war raged on in El Salvador, fueled by U.S.
aid to the Salvadoran military. The government harshly repressed dissent, and at least 70,000 people lost their lives in killings and bombing raids
waged against civilians throughout the countryside. The country's infrastructure had crumbled, and the nation. The government military also start force
recruitment to the children who are already twelve years old for becoming the child soldier. so does the geurillas.
With continuing reports of atrocities and murders in El Salvador, the U.S. Congress no longer accepted the State Department's assurance that things
were getting better. Speaker of the House Tom Foley created a special task force to monitor El Salvador's investigation of the murders. Congressman
Joe Moakley of Massachusetts was selected to head up the investigation. During his research and visits to El Salvador, Congressman Moakley
encountered a massive cover–up, deep problems with the Salvadoran armed forces, conspiracy and lies, which led him to challenge U.S. 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

Analysis Of Mark Danner 's The Salvadoran Civil War
Throughout history mankind has proved itself to be capable of many horrifying actions and atrocities on its own people. One such event occurred
inside and in the proximity of the village of El
Mozote, in MorazГЎn, El Salvador, on December 11, 1981, when the Salvadoran Army killed more than 800 civilians in the course of the Salvadoran
Civil War. To truly understand the complexity of this event and its impact/place in history author Mark Danner has complied an in
–depth assessment of
this incident (expanding on his original investigation which appeared in the publication The New Yorker) and attempts to decipher how and why the
truth of this matter was hidden from the public, due to the
United States' entanglement in Cold War politics. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This intense feud would soon involve the lives of all individuals living in the country, as the military would routinely and systematically execute any
alleged rebels, while the FMLN sought to cut power lines, destroy bridges, tear down coffee plantations and remove any other industrial materials that
supported or funded government activities. It was the violent nature of this conflict which would instigate attacks such as the one on El Mozote. In
early 1981 a special branch of the El Salvadoran army entitled the "Atlacatl Battalio" was created utilizing soldiers from the current military. These elite
units were specifically trained for counter–insurgency (guerilla) warfare, and were directed to seek out and destroy any guerilla activity. Due to
methods used in guerilla–type warfare, this division was established as the first unit of this nature in the Salvadoran armed forces and was specifically
trained by United States military advisors brought in to oversee preparation (266). This specialized unit was created for a specific mission, OperaciГіn
Rescate ("Operation Rescue"), in which the primary aim was to "prevent the establishment of an insurgent zone in Morazan, which could lead to
international recognition of the insurgents as a belligerent force" and thus possible receive military aid from sympathetic nations(32). Prior to entering
El Mozote, this military group been conducting interrogations (few with executions coinciding) in nearby villages in order

Us Involvement In El Salvador Civil War
In hopes of preventing El Salvador from becoming a communist country the USA funded the El Salvadoran Civil war. The USA's involvement in the
war in El Salvador is directly related to the cold war because the war was fought indirectly. The general definition of a cold war is a war that is not
fought through military actions but is fought indirectly through propaganda, economic actions and proxy wars.
The USA helped the El Salvadoran army by training some of the recruits. They trained the Atlacalta Battalian and, "sent Special Forces instructors in
early 1981 to train the first recruits of the new Immediate Reaction Infantry Battalion (BIRI)." (49) One of the Special Forces officers that Danner
interviewed explained the training the soldiers received, "They had basic individualized training–you know, basic shooting, marksmanship, squad
tactics." (49) Even though this war was not one that the United States military was fighting in, they had indirect involvement in the civil war between
the Salvadoran Army and the Guerrillas. The Battalion was a part of the Salvadoran army that massacred El Salvador, if it wasn't for the pressure put
on the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Regardless of everything they heard, and even the pictures they saw. The story of the Massacre was still chalked up to being just propaganda that the
guerrillas were trying to use to their advantage. The United States ultimately made the decision to continue funding the war in El Salvador. The U.S.
Press did everything they could to cover up what happened in El Mozote to assure that congress continued to provide funding to El Salvador. They
were "worried about taking the blame for any advance of Communism in the hemisphere." (92) By funding the war and assuring that the Guerrillas did
not win the U.S. was preventing, "the worst disaster to befall human rights in El Salvador... a Communist victory"

The Conflict Resolution : Peace
What is peace ? To some it is freedom of disturbance and to others it is the presence of tranquility. To those that study the field of conflict
resolution, peace is seen as a concept that can be viewed as either negative or positive. Negative peace is the absence of war while positive peace is
the integration of human society (Galtung). Though positive peace is the ideal standard that most would like to hold the world to, it is negative peace
that is most present in society. Negative peace though having the benefit of lacking violence can still be detrimental to a society because of lasting
effects a conflict could posses. An example that shows how negative peace does not automatically solve inherent problems in a society is the Central...
To fully understand the reason why El Salvador is currently so dangerous one must look a the history of the country that lead to this point. After the
country gained its independence in 1821, many different elements began to arise which left the people of the state worried. Components such as social
class inequality, repressive military rule, and poverty played big roles in what soon became the factors that lead to civil war. Since 1931 El Salvador 's
government had been under military control, which in a economic sphere did not prove to be successful. The state was also plagued with fraudulent
elections which always granted the military victory. The military regime was also closely allied with the elite of the country who were the ones that
had the real power considering they controlled the state 's economy. The elite needed the military in order to control the poor who were on the verge
of revolting due to the inequality and lack of economic participation by their part. The elite controlled the country by keeping 41% of the population
to no land because they wanted it in the hands of those that can produce significant profit. The majority of people who lived in the countryside were
also not allowed to vote which furthered the narrative of a corrupt and untrustworthy government. The years leading up to the civil war were afflicted
with repressive government rule which in the year 1980 became enough to tip the citizens of the country over the edge to a full

The Massacre At El Mozote
In the early days of mid–December in 1981, the Salvadoran military slaughtered hundreds of men, women, and children who they believed were
accessories to the left–wing guerrilla group that was waging war against the government. Mark Danner, in the book The Massacre at El Mozote,
addresses the bloodbath through the stories of survivors and guerrilla members that witnessed it as well as questioning government officials from both
the El Salvadoran and the United States government. During that time period, there were numerous insurgencies that were challenging the power of the
state in Latin America through propaganda and violent methods. The governments gave their militaries and elite armed forces complete autonomy when
it came to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Atlacatl was an elite armed force that specialized in counter–insurgency combat and was training by the United States military. It received a
mission known as OperacГon Rescate, which translates into Operation Rescue, that had a single goal of removing guerrilla fighters and its
sympathizers in the area surrounding El Mozote. The fighters in this force accused the villagers of supporting FMLN and supplying them with food,
arms, and people. This accusation eventually escalated to the torturing of certain members of the community and then the barbaric killing of close to a
thousand people. The Atlacatl used various methods to murder and terrorize the people of El Mozote that included beheading, shooting, stabbing, and
hanging. The armed forces separated the women and raped girls as young as 10 years–old as well as gather the children into a room and slaughter them
by stabbing or shooting them. At the end of the El Mozote Massacre, the families that were able to escape or that were out of town came back to a
village full of carnage and their homes destroyed. The total death count is still debated until this day but it is estimated that the Salvadoran military
murdered around a thousand people at El Mozote. This book illustrates several key issues and social problems that Latin American politics faced and
continue to struggle with to this day. The matter of insurgent movements and the counter–insurgency methods that have been throughout the

ARENA's Role in El Salvador's Civil War Beginnings

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ARENA's Role in El Salvador's Civil War Beginnings