Special Sub-Topic: El Salvador III Click Here To Play: El Salvador III

El Salvador has three main ethnic groups. One of these is the Mestizos. What is the ethnic background of Mestizos?

Mixed European and indigenous descent. Mestizos are of mixed European and indeginous descent and make up about 90% of the population of El Salvador. The ruling elite (pure blood European) make up 9%, and of the indeginous population - 1% remains.

What is the population density per square kilometer in El Salvador?

293 people per square kilometer. El Salvador is a small but overcrowded country. Approximately 58% of 6.2 million plus people live in or around the towns, many in abject poverty. Research shows that (excluding micro states) only one other country crams more people into the square kilometer than than El Salvador; that country is England.

In October 1979 a group of younger officers, sickened by the frequent massacres of protesters and strikers, staged a bloodless coup. Who was the president of El Salvador at this time?

Carlos Romero. With the brutal General Carlos Romero removed things seemed promising for a short while. A number of civilian political figures were given positions in the new government and they proclaimed that things would change and boasted that there would be reforms. However, it was not to be. The young officers who began all this with the best intentions had precious little experience and were soon outwitted by older and more senior officers who had no intention of allowing change. It was back 'killings as usual'. By January 1980 most of the civilian members of the government had resigned in disgust - or from fear.

On March 24, 1980 this archbishop was gunned down by security forces the day after pleading with them to stop the repression. What was his name?

Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Archbishop Romero was murdered in front of the entire congregation whilst celebrating mass in a cancer hospital. He was the eleventh priest to be murdered in three years.

Which country supplied the arms, money, aircraft and expertise that enabled the 'murderous regime' of El Salvador to continue oppressing the people with death squads, imprisonment and death without trial?

USA. American aid to the less than egalitarian regime of El Salvador at that time is estimated at six billion dollars for hardware alone, plus many millions more for incidentals such as training Salvadorean military personnel by the thousand in the USA.

During the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987 what was disclosed that had particular relevance to El Salvador?

CIA had been organizing and leading operations in El Salvador. It was disclosed that until 1985, at least, CIA paramilitary groups had been organizing and 'leading' Salvadorean army units into combat areas and calling in air strikes.

When, on January 22, 1980, a demonstration was held by various popular organizations which marched peacefully into and through the streets of the capital San Salvador, they were greeted in a spirit of friendly reconcilliation by the government.

f. The marchers were first sprayed with DDT from crop-duster planes and then, when the marchers reached San Salvador's central plaza, snipers opened fire on them. At least 21 were killed and some 120 were wounded.

Which Salvadorean politician said, "US policy in Latin America is designed to maintain the Ibero-American countries in a condition of direct dependence upon the international political decisions most beneficial to the United States, both at hemishere and world levels. Thus they preach to us of democracy while everywhere they support dictatorships."

Jose Napoleon Duarte. Duarte made this statement in 1969 when a government opponent. His views later, in 1984, were even harsher when he stated in an interview that the Americans had full overall control of all military operations in El Salvador. Duarte was confused, as were many others, by the 'seemingly' honourable determination of the USA to ensure freedom for all - everywhere, whilst at the same time time supplying the means for terrorists to carry out an infinite variety of atrocities.

What did the Atlacal Battalion do on December 11, 1981?

Massacred the people of El Mozote. The Atlacal Battalion was a US trained and armed rapid deployment battalion, it was the first unit of its kind in the Salvadoran forces. Upon arrival at El Mozote on December 10, the soldiers ordered everyone out of their houses and into the village square where the villagers were questioned about guerilla activities. The next morning, December 11, they seperated the men, women and children and locked them up in seperate groups in the church, convent and houses. A little later the soldiers proceeded to torture and execute the men; then they machine-gunned the women and finally they slaughtered the children including babies. A small group of children who had been locked up in the church were shot through the windows. After killing the entire population the soldiers set fire to the village and then proceeded to Los Toriles some 2 km away and repeated the process. Hundreds died in the massacre of El Mozote, the death count is estimated at 900. Officials from the US embassy at the time played down reports and refused to visit the site because of safety concerns. Exhumation of remains in 2003 (the bodies lay unattended for quite some time after the massacre and were on full view for many days) revealed the bones of 100 children all under the age of ten, amongst many others. The Atlacal Battalion continued to commit many atrocities over the years despite widespread international condemnation of their methods. In November 1989 they murdered six Jesuits, their cook, and her daughter. Despite pressure from laywers and civil rights groups, not one individual has yet been brought to book for these crimes.

Which politician said that the United States was supporting the government of El Salvador because it was trying "to halt the infiltration into the Americas, by terrorists and by outside interference, and those who aren't just aiming at El Salvador but, I think, are aiming at the whole of Central America and possibly later South America and, I'm sure, eventually North America."

Ronald Reagan. US president Ronald Reagan made those comments: such was his perception of reality.