As an unfortunate byproduct of the Cold War, much about the Salvadoran Civil War is unknown territory to the modern generation. Perpetrated by the Salvadoran Government, the massacre that occurred in El Mozote on December 11th, 1981 left more than five hundred civilians brutally killed. Mark Danner’s The Massacre at El Mozote, provides testimonies and reports of major news outlets which shows the hidden reality about how the United States supported the authoritative Salvadoran government during the Civil War in the 1980s. His novel marks a moment in history where an authoritative government abused its powers, and flagged major violations in human rights and was not condemned for their actions. Through his testimonies and reports during the
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It is the first out of several towns where the Salvadoran military, specifically the American trained Atlacal Battalion led by Domingo Monterrosa, ruthlessly slaughtered the inhabitants of the town. Danner uses an interview with E.R.P commandant, Joaquin Villalobos, to explain how the massacre already was irrational, “‘El Mozote was a town that was not militant’” (Danner 53). In fact, Danner conveys an overall outrage about how a town known to be generally neutral, is a victim of the civil war, which distastefully murdered civilians, including small children, without proper jurisdiction or trial. Moreover, how the U.S. even though claimed to be a part of the efforts to promote human rights world round, helped the Salvadoran military gain funding and support in the …show more content…
The testimony of Rufina Amaya, which received the attention of the Washington Post, provided the Salvadorans and the world details about the horrors committed by the Salvadoran military in the town of El Mozote. One automatically understands the trauma Rufina lives with as she expresses her sorrow, “‘then I heard one of my children crying. My son, Cristino was crying… ‘Mama Rufina help me! They killed my sister!” (75). Rufina’s story resonated with reporters and news outlets. However, despite her first hand testimony and other survivors just like her, the Salvadoran government and United States government simply denied these reports. “… but the Salvadoran government and, later, the American government would skillfully use the fact that it was propaganda – and particularly the fact that the number of total dead seemed to increase with each broadcast” (88). The most frustrating aspect of this entire book is how the United States handled the situation by providing even more arms to the Salvadoran government despite the nation claiming to be on the side of human rights and refusing to decrease the amount of arms provided to the Salvadoran military. Even when the massacre of El Mozote was on two major American news outlets and broadcasted all over El Salvador, “… Regan sent to Congress the Administration’s certification that the government of El Salvador was
It is the first out of several towns where the Salvadoran military, specifically the American trained Atlacal Battalion led by Domingo Monterrosa, ruthlessly slaughtered the inhabitants of the town. Danner uses an interview with E.R.P commandant, Joaquin Villalobos, to explain how the massacre already was irrational, “‘El Mozote was a town that was not militant’” (Danner 53). In fact, Danner conveys an overall outrage about how a town known to be generally neutral, is a victim of the civil war, which distastefully murdered civilians, including small children, without proper jurisdiction or trial. Moreover, how the U.S. even though claimed to be a part of the efforts to promote human rights world round, helped the Salvadoran military gain funding and support in the …show more content…
The testimony of Rufina Amaya, which received the attention of the Washington Post, provided the Salvadorans and the world details about the horrors committed by the Salvadoran military in the town of El Mozote. One automatically understands the trauma Rufina lives with as she expresses her sorrow, “‘then I heard one of my children crying. My son, Cristino was crying… ‘Mama Rufina help me! They killed my sister!” (75). Rufina’s story resonated with reporters and news outlets. However, despite her first hand testimony and other survivors just like her, the Salvadoran government and United States government simply denied these reports. “… but the Salvadoran government and, later, the American government would skillfully use the fact that it was propaganda – and particularly the fact that the number of total dead seemed to increase with each broadcast” (88). The most frustrating aspect of this entire book is how the United States handled the situation by providing even more arms to the Salvadoran government despite the nation claiming to be on the side of human rights and refusing to decrease the amount of arms provided to the Salvadoran military. Even when the massacre of El Mozote was on two major American news outlets and broadcasted all over El Salvador, “… Regan sent to Congress the Administration’s certification that the government of El Salvador was