Salvadoran Civil War
A Women Guerilla Fighter
MARIA ELENA SANTAMARIA GUATEMALA “I want my grandchildren whom I may never meet to read my story and know I would love to meet and get to know them someday.” Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish. Click here. Editor’s Note: One of the reasons we wanted to meet Maria was to speak with the artisan who made the lovely hand-embroidered pastoral.....
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A Women Guerilla Fighter - Spanish
MARIA ELENA SANTAMARIA GUATEMALA Translation provided by Professor Tony Bianchi “Quiero que mis nietos, a quienes quizás nunca conozca, lean mi historia y sepan que me encantaría conocerlos y llegar a conocerlos algún día.” Nota del editor: Una de las razones que queríamos conocer a María era hablar con la artesana que hizo la hermosa estola pastoral bordada a mano que Don compró el año pasado en la tienda de.....
Re-entry
CHRIS HARRISON – PART 3 Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. Quick review – Part 1 – Chris, from the U.K., volunteered for Jesuit Refugee Services spending two years in El Salvador in Calle Real Refugee Camp, followed by helping to re-build communities Salvadorans returned to during and at end of their civil war. Part 2 – Chris is accused by.....
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Re-entry Spanish Version
LA REINTEGRACIÓN Translation by Juan Escobar CHRIS HARRISON - PARTE 3 Revisión rápida. Parte 1 - Chris, del Reino Unido, se ofreció como voluntario para trabajar en los Servicios de Refugiados de los Jesuitas y pasó dos años en El Salvador en el campo de refugiados de Calle Real. Más adelante, continuó ayudando a reconstruir comunidades salvadoreñas de gente que volvía a sus tierras durante la guerra civil y al.....
Fe y Esperanza
“Faith and Hope” [UPDATE: In early November, 2020, Nejapa, experienced a severe land slide killing at least ten people, destroying property, re-locating countless families who lost homes and possessions. This is 18 km, or 26 minutes from Fe y Esperanza. Once again, the Lutheran Church sprung into action to assist needy families] Roughly translated, a sign inside the gate of this former refugee camp reads, “25 years of peace agreement.....
Ruses and Miracles
During our last visit to El Salvador, we had no intention of interviewing anyone for stories. We had a dual purpose for this trip - to baptize the daughter of a scholarship student and to celebrate with some of the scholarship students we have supported for many years who were being ordained into the Lutheran ministry. The latter date was planned two years in advance. It was touch and go.....
Trauma Center
... AT LONG LAST! For twelve years now my partner and I have been interviewing Salvadorans for this project. It continues to evolve in order to allow more voices to be heard. Staying in touch with our scholarship students during the Covid-19 virus pandemic, we are all stressed. One student wrote these words via What’s Ap. “Here the measures are extreme, quarantine is mandatory; if you do not obey.....
Roberto Henriquez Spanish
ROBERTO HENRÍQUEZ Translation by Luis Alfredo Leonard Granados “La mejor decisión de mi vida fue unirme al movimiento guerrillero…” Nota del editor: Los “radistas” u operadores de radio se escondían en las montañas durante la guerra de El Salvador. Eran hombres y mujeres que trabajaban en incomodas condiciones bajo la tierra fría y en hacinamiento sufriendo a menudo de calambres en las piernas. Los radistas transmitían información que el gobierno.....
Neris Amanda Lopez Gonzalez
“I only wanted to help campesinos read and write. I still can’t accept that I was tortured for this reason. I wasn’t armed.” Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. Editor’s Note: After our interview I read Neris’ 157-page testimony in the transcript of the July, 2002, civil case against the two Salvadoran generals who were the intellectual authors responsible.....
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Neris Amanda Lopez Gonzales - Spanish
Neris Amanda Gonzales Translated by Jenna Knapp “Yo solo quería enseñar a los campesinos a leer y escribir. Todavía no acepto que fui torturada por este motivo. No estaba armada.” Nota del editor: Después de la entrevista, leí el testimonio de Neris de 157 páginas en el transcripto de su caso civil en julio 2002 contra dos generales Salvadoreños quienes fueron los autores intelectuales de las atrocidades cometidos por.....
Marina Ortiz
MARINA DOLORES ORTIZ “ I had 1,000 questions which no one had answers to because no one knew my story.” Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. Editor’s Note: Kidnapped as a baby. No identity. No family. Robbed of a normal childhood. Growing up in a place where adults called her names and avoided her. And always wondering . . ......
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Marina Ortiz - Spanish
Marina Dolores Ortiz Translation provided by Profesora Español Jeanette Fogarty << Tenía mil preguntas que nadie tenía respuestas porque nadie conocía mi cuento. >> Una nota del editor: Secuestrada como una bebé. Sin ninguna identidad. Sin ninguna familia. Robada de una niñez normal. Crecer en un lugar donde adultos la llamaban nombres y la evitaban. Y siempre se preguntaba…….. Esa es el principio del cuento de Marina. Marina no está.....
Maria Chichilco
MARIA OFELIA NAVARRETE/MARIA SERRANO (MARIA CHICHILCO) “I saw my rights in the rights of others” Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. Editor’s Note: Since I had read much about her life before meeting her, I knew Maria has held responsible post-war government positions, including vice minister and a term in the legislative assembly where she continues to represent under-served groups such.....
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Maria Chichilco - Spanish
MARIA OFELIA NAVARRETE/MARIA SERRANO (MARIA CHICHILCO) Translated by Santiago Sanchez “Vi mis derechos en los derechos de los otros” Nota del editor: Debido a que había leído mucho sobre su vida antes de conocerla, sabía que María ha tenido posiciones de responsabilidad en el gobierno de post-guerra, incluido el puesto de viceministro y una legislatura en la asamblea legislativa donde ella continua representando a grupos marginados, como mujeres y.....
Maria Palma - Spanish
LA HISTORIA DE MARIA MORENA PALMA PALMA “Si hubiera estado en aquel primer grupo, no estaría hoy aquí compartiendo mi historia” Nota del editor: En los últimos años he estado extrañamente fascinada por el síndrome de “culpa del superviviente”. Pedimos a nuestro coordinador de CRISPAZ si podría concertar una entrevista con alguien que hubiera sobrevivido a una masacre. El concertó dos entrevistas. María era una adolescente cuando sobrevivió a una.....
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Maria Palma
STORY OF MARIA MORENA PALMA PALMA “If I had been in that first group, I would not be here today sharing my story.” Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. Editor’s Note: Over the past several years I have become strangely fascinated by the “survivor’s guilt” syndrome. We asked our CRISPAZ coordinator if he could arrange for us to interview someone who.....
Clearing Up Perceptions of Guerrillas
Clearing Up Perceptions of Guerrillas Heavily camouflaged, wearing a headband, face covered in black – he stealthily crawls through the brush carrying a shiny knife in his mouth with countless rounds of ammo slung across his chest and a formidable gun on his muscled shoulder. He is ready to ambush the enemy. RAMBO. Isn’t this the image that comes to mind when we think of the term guerrilla? We.....
Alfredo Chavarria - Spanish Version
Alfredo Chavarria "Cuando has visto la injusticia y la represión con tus propios ojos and has escuchado las homilías de Romero…" (Alfredo utiliza el nombre Erick tanto como su hombre verdadero porque Erick era su nombre de guerra tomado a la edad de 13 años cuando se unió al movimiento guerrero de la guerra civil.) Una nota del editor: Si se me pidiera resumir la vida de Erick en una.....
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Alfredo Chavarria
Alfredo Chavarria “When you have seen injustice with your own eyes and you have seen repression with your own eyes and listened to Romero’s homilies . . . Esta historia se escribe en Español = This story is also written in Spanish here. (Alfredo uses Erick as much as his given name because Erick was his war name taken at age 13 when he joined the guerrilla movement of.....
Survivor's Guilt
The Story of Survivor's Guilt “God must have made a mistake and left me alive.” (Syrian survivor via NPR interview.) In a second interview by an Iraq war veteran who was ordered out of the Jeep right before his entire platoon was bombed in it, his response was, “It would have been easier to die. I feel guilty for living, but also feel a responsibility to honor their memory.” Sonali.....
Maria Alfaro
The Story of Maria Dolores Dubon Alfaro “All I could do was to thank God that we had survived. I realized that if we had taken a different way, we would have been massacred.” Editor’s Note: To those who are familiar with the history of the Salvadoran civil war, the massacre at the Sumpul River on May 14, 1980, is common knowledge. This horrendous attack of mostly.....
Francisco (Mena) Sandoval
[caption id="attachment_1847" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Francisco Mena Sandoval[/caption] “When you get involved in the process of struggle, you need to have a sense of dream. Later you see realities as you put your feet on the ground and see what is achievable.” Francisco Emilio Mena Sandoval en español Editor’s Note: We are double blessed: first to be personal friends of Mena’s son, Francisco, who arranged this lengthy trans-Atlantic Skype.....
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Francisco (Mena) Sandoval - Spanish
[caption id="attachment_1847" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Francisco Emilio Mena Sandoval[/caption] «Cuando se envuelve en el proceso de la lucha, se necesita tener un sentido de sueño. Más tarde se ven las realidades al poner los pies en la tierra y se ve lo que sepuede realizar.» Nota del Editor: Estamos benditos doblemente: primero de ser amigos personales del hijo de Mena, Francisco, quien arregló esta entrevista larga trans-Atlántica Skype con.....
Orlando Giron
“In 2000 I was part of the team that helped get electricity into our community. All of a sudden when the lights went on, I teared up witnessing it.” La historia de Orlando Girón en español Editor’s Note: If you are doing a double take of the year above thinking it is a misprint, let me assure you that 2000 is correct. In fact now in 2013 we.....
Orlando Giron - Spanish
La historia de Orlando Girón “Yo formaba parte del equipo que ayudó a traer electricidad a la comunidad. Cuando de repente se encendieron las luces se me saltaron las lágrimas al verlas Nota del Editor. Si usted cree que de haber un error de imprenta en la fecha que indicamos arriba, déjeme que le asegure que la fecha es correcta. De hecho, ahora mismo, en el año 2013, estamos.....
Alicia de Garcia - Spanish Version
«Nuestros Esfuerzos Son Una Luz en la Oscuridad…Quedarán Para Toda la Humanidad Para Siempre.» HISTORIA DE ALICI EMELINA PANAMENO DE GARCIA Click here to read the article in English [Prólogo del Editor: Alicia (adaptada al inglés) se disculpa por su tardanza en llegar a la entrevista de hoy mientras su secretaria nos ha estado ocupando con permiso de hojear los álbumes de fotos muy gráficos de las víctimas de la.....
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Alicia de Garcia
“Our Efforts Are A Light in the Darkness . . . Will Remain For All Humanity For All Time.” STORY OF ALICI EMELINA PANAMENO DE GARCIA Click here for the article in Spanish [Editor’s Preface: Alicia (anglicized) apologizes for her tardiness to today’s interview while her secretary has been occupying us by allowing us to leaf through the very graphic photo albums of victims of the country’s war. She cautions.....