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.
Víctor reflects on the reasons that led people to organize.
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
Toribio describes an invasion and aerial bombing campaign that happened between 1980 and 1981.
Isidora describes the massacre of six women at El Rincón.
Celestino explains that the paramilitaries were the harshest forces during the war.
Explore all videos in Chapter 2: Rural Organizing & Repression
Rosa describes how the “May Guinda” of 1982 was the hardest guinda of all, and how during those 27 days her brother and other relatives died.
Víctor describes how the population in Arcatao fled to Mesa Grande, a refugee camp in Honduras, as part of the “May Guinda” in 1982.
Arminda describes what it was like to be on the run during the “May Guinda.”
Explore all videos in Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"
Virginia describes life at the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras, and her challenging trip back to Arcatao.
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.
Élida explains how people were organized inside the Mesa Grande refugee camp in Honduras and describes her return to Arcatao.
Explore all videos in Chapter 4: Refugee Experiences
Maximina recalls being ill in a guerrilla hospital when she was captured, then taken away in a helicopter, threatened, and transported to San Salvador to be interrogated.
Marta describes the difficulty of life as a guerrilla and her process of leaving the organization.
Cástulo describes the kind of organized labor the guerrilla carried out during guindas in order to support the civilian population.
Explore all videos in Chapter 5: Guerrilla Experiences
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.
Faustina narrates her experience during the 1986 invasion, during which people were intimidated, tortured, and killed by the military.
Emeteria describes the process of resettlement in Guarjila, Chalatenango, and the dangers returnees faced due to landmines.
Explore all videos in Chapter 6: Resettlement & the "Desembarco"
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.
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.
Rosa comments on the importance of having the remains of her two grandmothers exhumed.
Isabel reflects on the importance of exhuming the remains of civil war victims.
Explore all videos in Chapter 8: The Struggle for Justice