ABSTRACT
With the possible exception of Guatemala, the abuses committed in El Salvador1 during its 12-year civil war were unparalleled within war-torn Central America in terms of the sheer scope of state violence and the social devastation that took place.2 Between the years of 1978 and 1985, the peak years of mass killing and state repression, some 42,171 persons were killed, a
number which at the time constituted nearly 1% of the total Salvadoran population (Stanley 1996, p. 3). The total number of those killed during the entire length of the conflict has been estimated at 75,000 persons, the vast majority of whom were civilians killed by state forces (United Nations 1995, p. 7). An additional one million persons fled El Salvador as refugees, or became internally displaced during the conflict (United Nations 1995, p. 7). While the extent and character of state brutality in El Salvador seems to defy explanation, there are valuable lessons to be learned through an analysis of the national and international factors that served to support, or impede, the violence which occurred. As this chapter shows, international actors and events helped to shape the pattern of human rights abuse which developed in El Salvador, at times facilitating abuse, at other times working to restore peace. I would like to note at the outset of this chapter that there are many scholars who have done excellent work on the history of political violence in El Salvador, and I would certainly refer interested readers to consult these other sources for additional details.3 Due to the scope and focus of this research, the following chapter is meant to offer a summary of the major changes in international relations, national policy, and human rights abuses between the years 1977 and 2000. These years cover the 12-year civil war, which was one of the most violent and repressive periods in El Salvador. Yet, repression is by no means limited to these years. El Salvador has indeed had a long pattern of social inequality, civil unrest, and political violence that extends far back into the country’s history (see Paige 1997).
