El Mazote

As we have already written here, Morazan is know for its beauty, quiet way of life and its significance during the war. Over the past few days, we have seen the beauty of the landscape and seen the lives of people in this community. Today, we went out to see the effects of the recent armed activity that has shaped the way many have lived over the last quarter century.

The beginning of the conflict in El Salvador began well before all-out warfare spread in the early eighties. In the 70s, a very unstable government switched hands several times making for a very dangerous situation. This instability and extreme poverty helped pave the way for a guerilla movement that in turn forced a strong military response. After a series of "civil wars" erupted into Cold War disasters in Cuba and Nicaragua, the world superpowers were getting nervous about any conflict in central american. Many international forces were quietly or overtly taking sides in El Salvador with the guerillas, the military or both. The war raged on in brutal fashion until a peace accord was reached in 1992. The details and significance of this war is something that we encourage everyone to learn more about, but there is not enough time or space to tell the entire story here.

If there was a defining moment from this war it is the massacre at El Mazote. Over 800 civilians (estimates vary) were murdered on December 11th, 1981 by a U.S. trained military unit called the Infantry Batalion Atacatl BIRI (rapid reaction unit). Today we visited the town and memorial sites to take note of a disaster that too many people around the world have forgotten. Driving to El Mazote we learn a little about the region from our guide and host, Ron. We drive through the quiet town of Arambala while passing buildings with Guerilla grafitti still visiable. Time has definately passed this area by, or maybe it is just opportunity that they have missed, but there is nothing like it anywhere I have seen to compare it to. The streets are cobblestone, the adobe brick buildings are quaint but perfectly adapted to the weather, and men walk around everywhere carrying machetes in their hand. We have not gotten a real reason why machetes are still carried around. It may be for protection, it may be for its use as a tool, but it is just something that we will have to get used to.

The center of El Mazote has an eerie quiet and the town seems to have more dogs than people. The massacre of the village left only 3 known survivors. The few people who have since repopulated the village are very much aware of the brutal history of this place and many will answer any question you have. With over 300,000 people displaced by the war, there is no end to the personal stories that exist for those who might listen. There is a memorial built in the center of town with all the names of the victims that have been recovered. We may never know the full list. Next to the memorial is the church of El Mazote, rebuilt after it was burned down during the massacre. It is a simple structure but stunning in its significance. The "walls of peace" as the murals painted on the churches facade are called, tell a sad and great story. On one side the disaster is given its due. You can stand in the "Jardin De Reflextion" that is built on the site of the old rectory of the church and look at a beautifully realized mural and mosaic while praying or relecting on the memories of the victims. Along the base of the wall is a list of all those who died with their ages. 146 of these names are under 12, and some of them are as young as 3 days old.

On the opposite side of the church is a painted mural representing hope through time and education. There are many different opinions on how to go about life after the war, but one slogan struck the public then and still is spoken today: "NUNCA MAS" (never again).

After a very sobering and emotional trip to El Mazote, we came back to Perquin to visit the Museo De La Revolucion Salvadorena. Perquin was the headquarters of the FMLN and some of the museum guides fought in the war as guerillas. They were surprisingly matter of fact in their descriptons of the war and gave very non-biased viewpoints on the details represented in their showrooms. We saw pictures, mortars, weapons, and many artifacts that helped us imagine what soldiers from either side may have gone through. Walking through the rooms line with recovered guns was very eerie. So was the fact that most of the weapons used in the war were supplied either directly or indirectly by the U.S.

The two most amazing parts of our tour were the large crater left untouched that was created by a 500 lb bomb, and the remains of a downed helicopter. The crater represents many that still scar the countryside. The helicopter is from a story that will certainly stick with us for a while. The man behind the massacre at El Mazote was Lieutenant Coronel Domingo Monterossa Barrios. He was known as a brutal war machine, and many attempts on his life had failed throughout most of the war. His desire to collect war "trophies" was well known and the FMLN set a trap for him that ended with him carrying a sabatoged war prize on his helicopter that exploded seconds after takeoff. The story of his death and the memory of his brutal legacy live on in the minds of the those effected by this war and in the remnants of his helicopter at the museum here in Perquin.

We have certainly had a memorable day. It is easy, too easy to forget what some communities have had to go through just to survive. As sad as the history is in El Salvador, it is their history and important to learn about and understand as they move foward. NUNCA MAS