Joining the Rural Workers Union
Pedro remembers when he joined the UTC (Rural Workers’ Union), which would have secret meetings so as to avoid repression.
Arcatao
Lack of Access to Education
Adán remembers the financial hardship experienced by his family when he was a child and which kept him from attending school.
Leaving Home
Hermelinda remembers being pregnant the first time people in Arcatao left their homes, around 1980, when generalized repression began against the civilian population and everyone had to leave town.
Massacres around Arcatao
Nelson tells about various massacres that took place around Arcatao.
Military Cooperation
Santiago describes cooperation between Honduran, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran military forces.
Motives to Organize
Obdulio explains the reasons that led people to organize.
Murder of Two Grandmothers
Rosa tells how her grandmothers were murdered by the National Guard.
Murders by Paramilitares
Pedro describes how members of ORDEN killed his uncle and another woman.
Negotiating the Peace Accords
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.
Organization and Repression
Élida describes the beginnings of social organization and protest, and relates an episode of violence that took place in her hamlet.
Organizing & Repression
Víctor remembers a few iconic moments of his political involvement prior to the armed conflict: the 1975 student massacre, his participation in the UTC, and his experience of detainment and torture by the National Guard in 1976.
Paramilitaries
Celestino explains that the paramilitaries were the harshest forces during the war.