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Salvadoran Civil War
With roots in the early 1970’s, the Civil War that tore the Central American nation of El Salvador apart in the 80’s and 90’s has had long standing effects throughout the globe and in major cities in the United States, particularly Los Angeles. A cycle of violence and deportation has created a twisted, symbiotic relationship between para-military style gangs in El Salvador and their United States counterparts.
Understanding the Salvadoran Civil War is a key element to unraveling the web of violence that appears to be spreading through immigrant Latino communities throughout the U.S. For it is in the wake of that war that one million people went into exile, fleeing the troubles of their homeland only to find that there was no escape; a quintessential American experience that has recurred in many of the historical waves of immigration.
Gathered here are a collection of links that illustrate how a violent insurrection in the 1970’s erupted into a full civil war in 1980, putting into motion the cycle of violence that continues to play out in the 21st century.
History Of The Salvadoran Civil War
Salvadoran Civil War (Wikipedia)
From Madness to Hope: The 12-Year War in El Salvador (United States Institute of Peace)
Enemies of War- El Salvador: Civil War (PBS)
Connection to Gang Violence
From US Funded Death Squads to L.A-Bred Maras (Campus Progress)
World's Most Dangerous Gang (National Geographic Channel)
Gang Life Tempts Salvador Teens (BBC)
Youth Radio Stories
Guerra Everywhere
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