Evangelina describes the 1986 “Desembarco” invasion and massacre in Arcatao, and explains how the intervention of foreign journalists prevented killings of greater magnitude.
- Interviewee:
- Evangelina
Transcription
[What happened while you were inside the church?]
They kept us detained. There were two by the side doors, by each door, and another two in the big door. They said they were going to machine-gun us like they did in El Mozote. That was their idea.
[And they would say that to you?]
Yes.
[They tried to scare you?]
That they were going to do that. I think they were really going to do that. But then they got a call. There were some internationals in the area. They photographed airplanes dropping smoke bombs. But then they got caught and taken away in helicopters. Later they realized what was going on, so they reported the helicopters were dropping bombs on the town, that they had rounded a bunch of people up in the church, captured us, and that they were threatening to kill everyone. So they were told that they shouldn't take more people to kill. That they were not to take away anyone else. But the men had already been taken away. So they called the helicopters to pick them up. So the helicopters came and picked them up. Others say they left via El Llano, but that they got lost, because there were a lot of them. Who knows exactly how they went, but they left.
[In some way those international people you mention reported what was going on and that’s why the people inside the church were liberated?]
They reported what was happening, and that’s why they were told not to take any more people out of the church, to not do that anymore, to leave.