Testimonies

Oral testimonies are an essential part of Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador’s work to document historical memory of the Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992) from a grassroots perspective. Through personal and collective narratives, as well as dialogues about a shared past, our testimonies humanize historical events and preserve the truth in a context of impunity. These stories strengthen community ties, raise awareness in new generations, and open the door to a change toward a more just and supportive society.

Since its inception in 2017, the Surviving Memory project owes its vitality to the multiplicity of participating voices. Through conversations and interviews with survivors, community leaders, and community members of all ages, our team recovers the stories of the armed conflict as well as contemporary struggles. In 2023, in collaboration with the Asociación Salvadoreña Canadiense [Salvadoran Canadian Association (ASALCA)], we expanded our testimonies to the Salvadoran diaspora in Canada, thus enriching the story by interweaving experiences of wartime displacement and migration.

At all times, our commitment is to work collaboratively with communities and survivor organizations, amplify the voices of survivors, and preserve and disseminate stories of the war. This collaboration employs a sensitive, ethical, and respectful approach in which survivors are co-researchers, co-creators, and co-disseminators of completed testimonies. Our testimonies are publicly available on the Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@memoriahistoricaenElSalvador and the following playlists are organized by massacre:

1. Testimonies of the Massacres of La Laguna de San Ramón, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1979-1983)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the many massacres perpetrated by Salvadoran government forces in La Laguna de San Ramón between 1979 and 1983.

2. Testimonies of the Gualsinga River Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1984)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Gualsinga River Massacre, where Salvadoran government forces (Atlácatl Battalion and Armed Forces) murdered approximately 50 civilians on August 28, 1984.

3. Testimonies of the El Tamarindo Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the El Tamarindo Massacre, where the Salvadoran government's armed forces (National Guard and ORDEN paramilitaries) murdered 8 people on April 15, 1980.

4. Testimonies of the Massacres of Nueva Trinidad, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1981)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the many massacres in Nueva Trinidad, where Salvadoran government forces (Armed Forces) killed approximately 100 civilians on January 31, 1981.

5. Testimonies of the Cerro Vivo Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Cerro Vivo Massacre, where the Armed Forces (DM-1, 4th Infantry Brigade, ORDEN, Civil Defense and National Guard) killed 14 people on June 13, 1980.

6. Testimonies of the El Jícaro Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1981)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the El Jícaro Massacre, where Salvadoran government forces murdered their families on July 4, 1981.

7. Testimonies of the Duboncitos Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Duboncitos Massacre, where soldiers from the Patamera post murdered 4 women, 2 of them pregnant and 2 men, on May 8, 1980.

8. Testimonies of the Las Minas Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Las Minas Massacre, where Salvadoran government forces (National Guard and ORDEN) murdered 9 girls and boys on December 14, 1980.

9. Testimonies of the El Higueral Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1981)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the El Higueral Massacre, where Salvadoran government forces (ORDEN, Armed Forces 4th Infantry Brigade, Air Force, Treasury Police) and the Honduran army murdered nearly 200 civilians in the municipality of San Francisco Morazán in February 1981.

10. Testimonies of the El Mal Paso Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the El Mal Paso Massacre, where the Salvadoran government's armed forces (Military Detachment DM-1, National Guard, and ORDEN) murdered 6 people on May 13, 1980.

11. Testimonies of the El Alto Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1982)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the El Alto Massacre, where the Salvadoran government's Air Force killed 10 people during a bombing on March 2, 1982.

12. Testimonies of the Los Ramírez Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Los Ramírez Massacre, where Salvadoran government forces (National Guard and ORDEN) murdered 5 people on April 13, 1980.

13. Testimonies of the Los Amates Massacre, Chalatenango, El Salvador (October 1980)

In these videos, survivors share their memories of the Los Amates Massacre, where the Salvadoran government's armed forces (National Guard and ORDEN) murdered 4 people in the Los Amates canton on October 10, 1980.