Fishing on the Lempa River
Evangelina remembers her childhood days of fishing on the Lempa River.
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.
Evangelina remembers her childhood days of fishing on the Lempa River.
Edith describes her childhood and how household labor was divided among family members.
Cástulo shares his thoughts on the causes of the war, the injustices and oppression he witnessed, and how that fueled political organization.
Explore all videos in Chapter 1: Pre-war & The Origins of the War
Otilia remembers soldiers storming in during a religious ceremony and killing her brother.
Adán asserts that the Salvadoran Armed Forces did not respect human rights, mentioning the assassination of priests like Archbishop Romero.
Alberto remembers when town inhabitants began to leave their homes as truckloads of soldiers arrived to Arcatao.
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.
Carlota recalls the first large-scale military operations which drove the population to flee.
Berta describes her experience during the “May Guinda” and a massacre of civilians during the crossing of the Sumpul River.
Explore all videos in Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"
Rufino remembers when his family decided to flee towards a refugee camp in Honduras during a military operation called “El Carreño.”
Isidora recalls her experience in the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras, describing how activities within the camp were divided up between people living there.
Berta explains her decision not to go to Honduras as a refugee, and the difficulties of living alone in El Salvador during wartime.
Explore all videos in Chapter 4: Refugee Experiences
Maximina describes the operation that led to the Zapote massacre, in which her pregnant sister and Commander Jesús Rojas died.
Edwin describes his first experiences in armed political activity and how he was wounded during a large military operation led by the Salvadoran Armed Forces with the participation of Guatemalan forces.
Gregorio describes daily life in the guerrilla camps.
Explore all videos in Chapter 5: Guerrilla Experiences
Virginia remembers the 1986 “Desembarco” invasion in Arcatao, in which seven men were killed by the military, and explains how events were changed by the reports of foreign journalists who were arrested during the operation.
Lidia describes her experience of the 1986 “Desembarco” invasion of Arcatao in detail, pointing out how the arrest of foreign journalists changed the course of events.
Jorge describes his capture during the “El Carreño” operation in 1986.
Explore all videos in Chapter 6: Resettlement & the "Desembarco"
Trinidad explains why historical memory is so important to avoiding the repetition of history.
Juana urges governments around the world to prevent the destruction and pain caused by war.
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.
Eduardo calls out to all countries in the world with a message against war.
Explore all videos in Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice