Causes of the War
Obdulio connects the origins of the war to the injustices that the Salvadoran government put its people through.
Addressing human rights in the wake of human tragedy
The Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive is composed of oral histories shared by 48 people who were residents of the community of Arcatao, in the department of Chalatenango, El Salvador, during the period of the Salvadoran civil war. More than 170 interview excerpts tell the story of the civil war from the perspective of people who experienced it first-hand. The testimonies are organized into thematic “Chapters” that focus on different aspects of the conflict in roughly chronological order.
Due to the nature of the experiences discussed in the testimonies, users may find the contents of the archive disturbing: topics include rape, torture, death, and severe hardship. On the other hand, the archive also features narratives of resilience, survival, and mutual assistance in triumphing over adversity.
Obdulio connects the origins of the war to the injustices that the Salvadoran government put its people through.
Clara recalls the Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras, and staying behind with her children while her husband slept somewhere in the mountains.
Víctor reflects on the reasons that led people to organize.
Explore all videos in Chapter 1: Pre-war & The Origins of the War
Pedro describes growing up fatherless after soldiers killed his father.
Isidora describes the massacre of six women at El Rincón.
Eduardo recounts his experience of being interrogated by the National Guard about his relation to Facundo Guardado, a famous guerrilla commander with the FPL and FMLN, and his release after a few hours.
Explore all videos in Chapter 2: Rural Organizing & Repression
Juana relates her difficult experience during the May Guinda, attempting to cross the Sumpul River with her four children.
Gregorio remembers the deployment of 14,000 Salvadoran and Honduran soldiers during the 1982 “May Guinda”, and contrasts this with later military operations.
Carlota recalls the first large-scale military operations which drove the population to flee.
Explore all videos in Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"
Maximina describes the harsh conditions experienced in the refugee camp at La Virtud, Honduras.
Virginia describes life at the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras, and her challenging trip back to Arcatao.
Eduardo describes life in the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras and the resettlement of Arcatao.
Explore all videos in Chapter 4: Refugee Experiences
Margarita describes her work as a nurse in the Rama Caida camp.
Cástulo describes the kind of organized labor the guerrilla carried out during guindas in order to support the civilian population.
Walter remembers being a guerrilla during the 1982 “May Guinda” and surviving alongside his comrades.
Explore all videos in Chapter 5: Guerrilla Experiences
Toribio remembers the 1986 invasion of Arcatao, known as the “Desembarco”, and how he and his family fled town to hide in a cave.
Obdulio describes the war left Arcatao without priests, and community-trained teachers (called “popular teachers”) began to emerge around 1987.
While returning from Honduras to resettle Arcatao, Arminda and others were detained at a military detachment for fifteen days.
Explore all videos in Chapter 6: Resettlement & the "Desembarco"
Herlindo reflects that El Salvador has made progress following the war.
Esperanza analyzes the changes she saw in El Salvador following the Peace Accords.
Walter explains that combat between government forces and the guerrillas intensified during the negotiation of the Peace Accords.
Explore all videos in Chapter 7: Peace Accords & Post-War
Rosa explains her philosophy of struggle for social change.
Herlindo explains that his father died during the war and that, decades later, he returned from his life in Sweden to exhume his father’s remains.
Edwin speaks of various means of achieving justice for survivors of the armed conflict.
Explore all videos in Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice