ABSTRACT
The chapter reconstructs the trajectory of the Salvadoran revolutionary movement from its origins in the 1970s until its transformation into the FMLN political party after the 1992 Chapultepec Peace Accords. The text analyzes the historical context in which the emergence of the armed left took place, emphasizing the effects of the double process of capitalist modernization and political liberalization that the country underwent in the 1960s. It also reconstructs the transformation of the left-wing armed groups from small urban guerrilla organizations to a complex revolutionary movement with a remarkable peasant support in several regions of the country. To this end, it briefly examines the strategy developed by the revolutionaries of building links with the popular movements and especially with the organizational infrastructure of the Catholic Church. In addition, the work briefly exposes the development of the revolutionary war from the failed FMLN offensive of 1981 to the general offensive of 1989. These long years of conflict proved that the revolutionary coalition was unable to defeat the army but also, that the FMLN had enough social support to continue the war for years. This situation of virtual military stalemate made possible a process of dialogue and negotiation to end the confrontation in 1991. Finally, the chapter summarizes the development and performance of the FMLN as a political party in the 1992-2019 period.
