The Soccer War
Clara recalls the Soccer War between El Salvador and Honduras, and staying behind with her children while her husband slept somewhere in the mountains.
Testimony Archive
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.
Chapter 1: Pre-war & The Origins of the War
El Salvador’s civil war has its roots in the deeply unequal social structures established during the 16th century Spanish colonization of Central America.
Reasons to Organize
Víctor reflects on the reasons that led people to organize.
Our Only Crime
Edwin explains how state respression of movements for change led to the decision to take up armed struggle.
Explore all videos in Chapter 1: Pre-war & The Origins of the War
Chapter 2: Rural Organizing & Repression
The 1970s saw escalating tensions and growing violence in El Salvador.
Motives to Organize
Obdulio explains the reasons that led people to organize.
Massacre of El Rincón
Emeteria describes the brutal massacre of six women in the town of El Rincón on May 8, 1980.
The First Bombings
Arminda remembers experiencing the first bombings as a child and being so curious she wasn’t even scared.
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Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"
During the 1980s, thousands of people were displaced from their homes by violence in rural El Salvador.
Death of a Son
Virginia narrates how she fled from military operations with her children and recounts the day her nine-year-old son died, and she was unable to bury him.
What is a “Guinda”?
Hermelinda explains the meaning of the term “guinda”.
The “May Guinda” as a Young Girl
Edith remembers experiencing the “May Guinda” as a young girl, including the difficulty of finding food and seeing wounded people all around her.
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Chapter 4: Refugee Experiences
Faced with overwhelming violence, displaced populations faced difficult decisions about whether to leave El Salvador, and when to return. Some people sought safety elsewhere within the country.
Life in the Mesa Grande Refugee Camp
Isabel describes the difficulties of life in the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras.
The Mesa Grande Refugee Camp
Evangelina describes living conditions in the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras.
Migrating to Honduras
Edith describes living without shelter near the Honduran border and her family’s separation.
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Chapter 5: Guerrilla Experiences
Salvadorans who supported the guerrilla groups had a wide range of reasons for doing so, and varied experiences in the movement.
Surviving Military Operations
Santiago describes his experience of multiple military operations, the “May Guinda,” and the disappearance of children.
The Massacre of El Zapote
Maximina describes the operation that led to the Zapote massacre, in which her pregnant sister and Commander Jesús Rojas died.
Work in the Guerrilla Camps
Gregorio describes daily life in the guerrilla camps.
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Chapter 6: Resettlement & the "Desembarco"
Many Salvadorans returned from refugee camps in Honduras in the late 1980s, but faced continued repression upon their return. Refugees were stigmatized as guerrilla supporters.
The 1986 Invasion
Rosa relates her experience of the 1986 invasion, which took place shortly after she and her family had resettled in Arcatao.
The Embroidery Group
Hermelinda remembers how a nun’s initiative helped prompt a community embroidery group in 1989.
Refugee Experiences
Emeteria remembers the process of resettlement in Guarjila after returning from the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras.
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Chapter 7: Peace Accords & Post-War
El Salvador’s civil war officially ended in 1992, but the country continues to experience deep divisions and ongoing issues of inequality, insecurity, violence, and lack of access to justice.
Message to Other Countries
Juana urges governments around the world to prevent the destruction and pain caused by war.
Post-War Progress
Herlindo reflects that El Salvador has made progress following the war.
The Peace Accords
Walter explains that combat between government forces and the guerrillas intensified during the negotiation of the Peace Accords.
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Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice
Today, survivors of grave human rights violations committed during El Salvador’s civil war continue to struggle for truth and justice.
Historical Memory
Rosa reflects on the importance of historical memory.
Exhumations
Rosa comments on the importance of having the remains of her two grandmothers exhumed.
Death of a Father
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.
Explore all videos in Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice