Civil War: El Salvador & U.S.
In 1980 El Salvador’s civil war officially began. Military death squads began wiping out entire villages that were believed to be supporting or assisting the guerrilla effort. In December 1981, the military killed over 1,000 people (men, women, children and the elderly) in the village of El Mozote. Both El Salvador and the United States (U.S.) denied the massacre when reports of the attack were made.
The new U.S. administration under President Ronald Regan worried about Communist expansion in Central America after leftist takeover were seen in Cuba and Nicaragua. The U.S. felt that El Salvador’s military government could act as a barrier against Communist expansion. Military and monetary aid was given to the Salvadorian military as soon as the war began.
In 1989 six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter were murdered at the University of Central America. These murders along with the murders of four American churchwomen and Archbishop Oscar Romero, shocked the international community into action. When the United Nations became involved and Congressman Joe Moakley confirmed reports of human rights violations. As a result, U.S. military and monetary aid stopped in 1990.
The new U.S. administration under President Ronald Regan worried about Communist expansion in Central America after leftist takeover were seen in Cuba and Nicaragua. The U.S. felt that El Salvador’s military government could act as a barrier against Communist expansion. Military and monetary aid was given to the Salvadorian military as soon as the war began.
In 1989 six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter were murdered at the University of Central America. These murders along with the murders of four American churchwomen and Archbishop Oscar Romero, shocked the international community into action. When the United Nations became involved and Congressman Joe Moakley confirmed reports of human rights violations. As a result, U.S. military and monetary aid stopped in 1990.
Peace: The U.N.
In April of 1991 negotiations began again, but a successful truce, with the help of the United Nations, in 1992 resulted with the end of the war. The negotiation resulted in the Chapultepec Peace Accords, which was signed in Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City on January 16th 1992. The terms of the peace agreement included:
The peace accordance agreement also amended the constitution in order to prohibit the military from playing an internal security role except under extraordinary circumstances. In the end about 75,000 people died as result of the civil war between 1980 and 1992.
- Disbanding rebel forces
- Government purchases of land for redistribution in rural areas with the beneficiaries repaying the government
- Removing of the government officers’ corps
- Absorption into the regular army of the National guards and the treasury police
- Dissolution of the military intelligence and civil defense unit
- Creation of new police forces
The peace accordance agreement also amended the constitution in order to prohibit the military from playing an internal security role except under extraordinary circumstances. In the end about 75,000 people died as result of the civil war between 1980 and 1992.