Forever Fighting

Forever Fighting

During the time of war El Salvador & Guatemala weren't able to do much due to the mixed population of Guerrillas and US support government. During the 1980’s El Salvador’s neighboring country Honduras had a major US military presence, according to Chasteen. These countries were basically fighting among each other, using very distinct ways of fighting. In a sense the US was scared that these countries would do just as Cuba did and revolutionize. This country wasn't only fighting the Cold War but a Civil War to keep their indigenous ways and traditions. To keep this from happening the government was military controlled if not controlled by the government itself for centuries in El Salvador.

 Guerrillas ruled most rural areas of El Salvador as well as the borderline of Honduras, but that wasn't enough. The Salvadorian army was trained by the US, not only did they have the advantage of knowing the land but they had resources provided by the US military.  Because of this time the military was able to use helicopters to seek and destroy guerrilla territory. The military went to the extent of wiping out an entire town of people in El Mozote, El Salvador. They were under the impression that town of people were aiding the guerrillas  Not only were these people murdered but tortured being separated men, women & children. The men were tortured and beheaded or killed by machine gun. Next to be killed were the women who were first raped then murdered. The final ones to be gunned down were the young children who were kept in a church. After the mass murder of innocent people they learned that the town had actually recently converted to a US supporting town.  

I recently watched a movie called Innocent Voices, which was about a poor family in the war in El Salvador. When I imagine the things from the Cold War in Central America I imagine everything depicted by the movie. Chasteen mentions the soldiers recruiting boys at very young ages and snatching young women off the street to do with them as they pleased. In the movie the military recruited boys at the age of twelve, taking them from school or right out of the hands of their mothers. The young boys of these poor villages only had two options, joining the US supported military or the local guerrillas  As for the young girls in the movie once they “looked old enough” the soldiers would just take them off the streets to rape them.  The families lived in the middle of where all the fighting was happening. Often times living in the US we forget that not every country has it as good as us, these families were living in poverty among a war. During the Cold War El Salvador was fighting a Civil War that went on until the early 90’s this country was fighting to keep its traditions while the US was fighting to stop a revolution.

"Dorian Cope PresentsOn This Deity." Dorian Cope Presents On This Deity. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.

"CNS Movie Review: Innocent Voices (Voces Inocentes)." CNS Movie Review: Innocent Voices (Voces Inocentes). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.