The Origins of the War
Trinidad analyzes the causes that prompted the war.
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.
Trinidad analyzes the causes that prompted the war.
Margarita shares her views on the inequality, poverty, and exclusion that led rural Salvadorans to organize.
Damián reflects on the social inequality and social demands that led to the civil war, as well as rural organizing and the founding of the Union of Field Workers (UTC) in 1975.
Explore all videos in Chapter 1: Pre-war & The Origins of the War
Nelson describes the brutality with which six women, four pregnant, were killed by the military in the El Rincón massacre.
Pedro describes growing up fatherless after soldiers killed his father.
Arminda remembers experiencing the first bombings as a child and being so curious she wasn’t even scared.
Explore all videos in Chapter 2: Rural Organizing & Repression
Edith remembers experiencing the “May Guinda” as a young girl, including the difficulty of finding food and seeing wounded people all around her.
Élida narrates how she and others survived the “May Guinda” in 1982 by waiting until nighttime to walk in order to avoid detection by the military.
Cástulo describes a massacre at Las Aradas on the Sumpul River in 1980 and shares some general reflections on the destructiveness of war.
Explore all videos in Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"
Lucía describes how people were organized at the Mesa Grande refugee camp and why she finally decided to return home.
Élida explains how people were organized inside the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras and describes her return to Arcatao.
Amanda decides to flee with her children to the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras after her husband was killed in 1986.
Explore all videos in Chapter 4: Refugee Experiences
Trinidad tells how she was informed of son’s death in the guerrilla, and she describes a back injury that she suffered due to a mortar explosion.
Maximina remembers guerrilla commander Jesús Rojas and the help he provided to Arcatao.
Edwin describes being sent by his superiors to do logistical work for the guerrilla in Honduras.
Explore all videos in Chapter 5: Guerrilla Experiences
Jorge describes his capture during the “El Carreño” operation in 1986.
Aníbal describes his trips to the United States to recieve medical care for his injured hands.
Amanda describes the 1986 invasion of Arcatao, known as the “Desembarco massacre,” in which her husband was killed by the military while she was elsewhere caring for a sick child.
Explore all videos in Chapter 6: Resettlement & the "Desembarco"
Trinidad explains why historical memory is so important to avoiding the repetition of history.
Reflecting on the Peace Accords, Evangelina sees connections between the violence of yesterday and today.
Celestino remembers the process that led to the Peace Accords and why it was difficult for the guerrillas to agree to give up their arms.
Explore all videos in Chapter 7: Peace Accords & Post-War
Rosa explains her philosophy of struggle for social change.
Edwin speaks of various means of achieving justice for survivors of the armed conflict.
Berta relates how her youngest son died and describes her wish for his prompt exhumation.
Explore all videos in Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice