The Years of “Guindas”

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Amanda remembers years of military operations which led the civilian population to flee in fear of being massacred.

Chapter:

Chapter 3: The Years of "Guindas"

Interviewee:

Amanda

Places:

Arcatao

Chupamiel

Los Filos

Patamera

Topics:

Air Forces

Armed Forces Of El Salvador

Bombing

Childhood

Displacement

Guinda

Military Operation

Transcription

My first guinda was in 1977. After that we had to leave, we went to the area around Los Filos, to the place called Chupamiel. Later they kicked us out of there. So we left and came to this side of Patamera, and we lived there for a while. Operations were always happening. There was an operation on the Chupamiel Hill in 1981, so we had to go. The airplanes and the Armed Forces stayed from 1981 until 1983. They left in 1983. So we all went to Patamera and we stayed there for a while. After some time, the Air Force came to drop bombs so we left again. Then we came back, and that’s how it went. That is how we lived during the war, bringing children with us all along. I had three children, in fact.