When workers at a Washington State berry farm went on strike for their right to form a union, University of Washington alumna Jessica Ramirez joined the fight alongside Familias Unidas por la Justicia, coordinating a national boycott against the largest berry company in the world.
Jessica’s work was supported by the UW Center for Human Rights’ unique Osheroff-Clark Fund, which provides financial resources for undergraduate and graduate students to support human rights projects that promote social change through direct action.
Since 2009, survivors of human rights violations committed during El Salvador’s civil war have gathered each year to share their stories and demand justice for the crimes committed against them and their loved ones. This year, the Tribunal was celebrated in the community of Santa Marta in the department of Cabañas, target of a series of brutal scorched earth operations by the military of El Salvador during the 1980s, including the massacre of Santa Cruz, in which some 200 fleeing civilians were killed.
Organized by the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University and the Network of Committees of War Victims, and presided by a panel of international jurists and human rights advocates, the International Restorative Justice Tribunal closed with a resolution delivering symbolic verdicts in response to each testimony, as well as recommendations calling on national and international authorities to ensure justice and reparations for grave human rights abuses.
Photo essay by Alex Montalvo. Translations by Ursula Mosqueira. A project for the Unfinished Sentences campaign.
Since 2009, survivors of human rights violations committed before and during El Salvador’s civil war have gathered each year to share their stories and demand justice for the crimes committed against them and their loved ones. This year, the Tribunal was celebrated in the community of Santa Marta in the department of Cabañas, target of a series of brutal scorched earth operations by the military of El Salvador during the 1980s.//// Desde el año 2009, los sobrevivientes de violaciones a los derechos humanos cometidas antes y durante la guerra civil en El Salvador se han reunido para compartir sus testimonios y pedir justicia por los crímenes sufridos. Este año, el Tribunal se celebró en la comunidad de Santa Marta, en el Departamento de Cabañas, que fue objeto de una serie de operaciones de “tierra arrasada” llevadas a cabo por fuerzas militares salvadoreñas durante los años ochenta.
Community members view photos containing messages of solidarity and support sent by Washington State residents. Washington played an important role in the sanctuary and sister parish movement of the 1980s as show of solidarity for Salvadorans and opposition to the US-funded war. Small, though significant, strides toward justice have recently reinvigorated international support.//// Miembros de la comunidad observan fotografías que muestran mensajes de solidaridad y apoyo enviados por residentes del estado de Washington. Este estado levantó la voz para oponerse a la guerra financiada por Estados Unidos y jugó un rol importante en la organización de la solidaridad internacional con el pueblo salvadoreño durante los años ochenta. Recientemente se han dado pasos significativos en la lucha por la justicia en El Salvador, y esto ha dado nuevas fuerzas al apoyo internacional.
Clare Morrison, a University of Washington undergraduate studying Law, Societies, and Justice, reads messages of solidarity and support from Washington State residents with Santa Marta youth outside of the Tribunal.//// Clare Morrison, una alumna de la Universidad de Washington de Licenciatura en Derechos, Sociedades, y Justicia, lee algunos mensajes de solidaridad y apoyo enviados por residentes del estado de Washington junto a un par de jóvenes residentes de Santa Marta a las afueras del Tribunal.
Psychologists Alejandro Durán and Sara Velásquez work to assist residents with registration as they listen to testimonies of human rights violations committed during the armed conflict from 1980-1992.//// Los psicólogos Alejandro Durán y Sara Velásquez ayudan a los asistentes del Tribunal a inscribirse a la entrada, mientras escuchan los testimonios que ofrecen las víctimas de violaciones a los derechos humanos cometidas durante el conflicto armado de 1980-1992.
Liliana Rivas, an attorney working with the Institute of Human Rights at the Central American University in San Salvador (IDHUCA), and Mercedes Alfaro from the victim’s committee of Tecoluca, San Vicente, embrace each other in a greeting at the Tribunal’s inception. Since 1985, IDHUCA has worked in the promotion, protection, and defense of human rights in El Salvador; in the absence of judicial action by the state, IDHUCA initiated the International Tribunal for Restorative Justice in 2009.//// Liliana Rivas, una abogada del Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana en San Salvador (IDHUCA), y Mercedes Alfaro del comité de víctimas de Tecoluca, San Vicente, se saludan con un abrazo durante la inauguración del Tribunal. Desde 1985, el IDHUCA ha trabajado en la promoción, protección, y defensa de los derechos humanos en El Salvador; en ausencia de acciones judiciales impulsadas por el Estado, esta organización de derechos humanos creó el Tribunal Internacional de Justicia Restaurativa en 2008.
Carlos Bonilla, a longtime resident, survivor, and leader of the Santa Marta community, reads the headline of local paper “Abriendo Brecha,” declaring how the right-wing Arena party lost more than 5,000 votes in Cabañas in El Salvador’s recent election. Sánchez Céren, the FMLN candidate, narrowly won the March runoff election with just under 6,400 votes.//// Un antiguo residente, sobreviviente, y líder social de la comunidad de Santa Marta lee el titular del periódico local Abriendo Brecha, que anuncia que el partido derechista Arena perdió más de 5 mil votos en Cabañas en la elección presidencial de marzo de 2014. Sánchez Cerén, el candidato del FMLN ganó la elección por un margen muy estrecho de sólo 6.400 votos.
Bishop Luis Quintanilla commences the Tribunal with a special mass emphasizing the importance of fighting impunity. He stands in front of one of two murals in the community center depicting town life and the massacres inflicted upon Salvadorans at the hands of the military. Quintanilla mentioned recent threats he received, apparently in retaliation for his outspoken opposition to metals mining in Cabañas.//// El arzobispo Luis Quintanilla inaugura el Tribunal con una misa especial, enfatizando la importancia de luchar contra la impunidad. Durante la prédica, el pastor se sitúa en frente de los murales del centro comunitario que ilustran la vida de Santa Marta y la seguidilla de masacres realizadas por el ejército contra el pueblo salvadoreño.
Tribunal Secretary Elí Callejas stands in front of the audience alongside the panel of judges as a special prayer honors victims and commences the ceremony. Photo by Keny Sibrián.//// El Secretario del Tribunal, Elí Callejas, se ubica en frente de la audiencia a unos metros delante del panel de jueces mientras se da inicio a la ceremonia con una oración especial en honor a las víctimas. Foto de Keny Sibrián.
University of Washington undergraduate Clare Morrison and graduate student Ursula Mosqueira attend the tribunal as part of their research in historical memory and human rights. Students at the University of Washington Center for Human Rights conduct research to support the casework being advanced by partners at the Central American University’s Institute of Human Rights (IDHUCA).//// Las alumnas de la Universidad de Washington, Clare Morrison y Ursula Mosqueira asisten al Tribunal como parte del trabajo que realizan en temas de memoria histórica y derechos humanos. Los alumnos del Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Washington realizan investigación académica para apoyar el trabajo legal de casos que desarrolla el Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana (IDHUCA).
Staff from the Institute of Human Rights at the Central American University (IDHUCA), listen as victims of human rights violations give testimony. The International Tribunal provides the space for many victims to share their personal stories of human rights violations to a public audience for the first time.//// Miembros del Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana (IDHUCA) escuchan los testimonios de víctimas a violaciones de los derechos humanos. El Tribunal de Justicia Restaurativa otorga un espacio importante para que las víctimas compartan sus historias con el público por primera vez.
Francisco Antonio Rivas of COPPES, the Committee of Ex-Political Prisoners of El Salvador, gives testimony about his experience as a torture survivor. COPPES was formed by political prisoners while still behind bars as a way to organize in defense of their rights. It is estimated that thousands were subjected to arbitrary detention, torture, and imprisonment without trial during the armed conflict. //// Francisco Antonio Rivas, un miembro de COPPES (Comité de Ex-Presos Políticos de El Salvador) comparte su testimonio como sobreviviente de tortura. El COPPES fue formado por prisioneros políticos cuando se encontrabajan todavía tras las rejas como una forma de organizarse y defender sus derechos. Se estima que miles de salvadoreños sufrieron la detención arbitraria, la tortura, y el encarcelamiento sin un juicio justo durante el conflicto armado.
Maria Guadalupe Alfaro gives testimony to lawyer Karla Salas. Santa Marta residents suffered brutality from the Salvadoran military’s “scorched earth” tactics. Under the guise of counterinsurgency warfare, the military and its paramilitary supporters slaughtered thousands of civilians, also destroying their homes, crops, and livestock. //// María Guadalupe Alfaro comparte su testimonio con la abogada Karla Salas. Los pobladores de Santa Marta sufrieron de una represión brutal como resultado de las tácticas de “tierra arrasada” implementadas por el ejército salvadoreño. Utilizando la justificación de la lucha contrainsurgente, el ejército y otras fuerzas paramilitares asesinaron a miles de civiles, destruyendo sus viviendas, cultivos, y ganado.
José María Tomás y Tío, president of the Tribunal. Tomás y Tío serves as a magistrate in Valencia, Spain, and presides over the Fundación por la Justicia. He has led the Restorative Justice Tribunal since its inception. This year the panel contained seven representatives from Brazil, Spain, the United States, and El Salvador.//// José María Tomás y Tío, presidente del Tribunal. Tomás y Tío ejerce como juez en Valencia, España, y preside la Fundación Por La Justicia. Ha sido presidente del Tribunal de Justicia Restaurativa desde sus inicios. Este año, el panel de jueces contó con representantes de Brasil, España, Estados Unidos, y El Salvador.
After giving his testimony, Francisco Antonio Rivas stands with the members of the Tribunal panel for a closing photograph. The group includes Mirla Carvajal, Director of the well-known Salvadoran human rights organization Asociación Pro-Búsqueda, second from left.//// Luego de dar su testimonio, Francisco Antonio Rivas posa para una fotografía de clausura con los miembros del Tribunal. Este grupo incluye a Mirla Carvajal (segunda desde la izquierda), que es Directora de Asociación Pro-Búsqueda, una reconocida organización salvadoreña de derechos humanos.
Óscar Garza of COPPES, the Committee of Ex-Political Prisoners of El Salvador, addresses the audience during an open discussion at the Tribunal. Many members of victims’ organizations from around the country travelled to Santa Marta to attend the proceedings in support of those coming forward to testify for the first time. Photo by Keny Sibrián.//// Óscar Garza, miembro de COPPES (Comité de Ex-Presos Políticos de El Salvador) se dirige al público durante una discusión abierta que se sostuvo en el Tribunal. Los miembros de organizaciones de víctimas de todo el país se trasladaron a Santa Marta para expresar su apoyo a las demás víctimas que se atrevieron a compartir su testimonio por primera vez. Foto de Keny Sibrián.
Santa Marta residents listen to testimony by the survivor of the Massacre of Santa Cruz at the International Tribunal. Massacre of Santa Cruz involved a multi-day military sweep in the state of Cabañas in which the army and air forces razed villages and killed fleeing civilians.//// Los residentes de Santa Marta escuchan el testimonio compartido por un sobreviviente de la masacre de Santa Cruz en el Tribunal Internacional de Santa Marta. Esta masacre fue producto de una operación militar por tierra y aire que duró varios días, arrasó con poblados enteros y asesinó a civiles mientras intentaban escapar de la violencia.
Hand-written messages of support from Washington State residents hang from the back wall at the Tribunal, carrying statements such as, “In Solidarity with the survivors…No more impunity!” and, “You have the right to know what happened to your loved ones.” //// Mensajes escritos a mano por residentes del estado de Washington cuelgan de una pared en el Tribunal, expresando declaraciones tales como “En solidaridad con los sobrevivientes… ¡No más impunidad!” y, “Tienen el derecho de saber qué sucedió con sus seres queridos.”
Santa Marta residents weather the high temperatures and the crowd to attend the International Tribunal.//// Los residentes de Santa Marta se sobrepusieron a las elevadas temperaturas y a la multitud para asistir al Tribunal Internacional.
Santa Marta residents listen to testimonies at the standing room-only proceedings of the Tribunal. //// Los residentes de Santa Marta escuchan los testimonios compartidos por víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos durante una audiencia del Tribunal que llenó la sala.
University of Pennsylvania Professor Dr. Philippe Bourgois (left) testifies about the Salvadoran military’s slaughter of fleeing civilians in the Santa Cruz massacre. In November 1981, while doing field research in rural communities in El Salvador, Dr. Bourgois was trapped in an invasion by troops under the command of Col. Sigifredo Ochoa Pérez. He survived twelve days of intermittent massacres, fleeing under fire alongside the local population. Dr. Bourgois, who now holds the position of Richard Perry University Professor of Anthropology and Community and Family Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, returned to El Salvador to give a sworn declaration in the open criminal case against Col. Ochoa.////Desde el año 2009, los sobrevivientes de violaciones a los derechos humanos cometidas antes y durante la guerra civil en El Salvador se han reunido para compartir sus testimonios y pedir justicia por los crímenes sufridos. Este año, el Tribunal se celebró en la comunidad de Santa Marta, en el Departamento de Cabañas, que fue objeto de una serie de operaciones de “tierra arrasada” llevadas a cabo por fuerzas militares salvadoreñas durante los años ochenta.
Santa Marta residents watch the Tribunal proceedings.//// Residentes de Santa Marta observan y escuchan atentamente un testimonio ofrecido durante el Tribunal.
Following her sister’s testimony, Ana Masín hugs a Santa Marta resident while carrying a photo of Febe Velásquez, a victim of the 1989 FENASTRAS bombing in San Salvador. Similar expressions of relief and gratitude were common at the conclusion of the testimony-giving process.//// Luego del testimonio de su hermana, Ana Masín abraza a una pobladora de Santa Marta mientras sostiene una foto de Febe Velásquez, víctima del bombardeo de FENASTRAS ocurrido en 1989 en San Salvador. Esta imagen refleja el alivio y la gratitud que suelen experimentar los testimoniantes luego de compartir su relato frente al Tribunal.
A Santa Marta resident listens to the closing resolution from the International Restorative Justice Tribunal, which delivered symbolic verdicts in response to each testimony, as well as recommendations calling on national and international authorities to ensure justice and reparations for grave human rights abuses.//// Una pobladora de Santa Marta escucha la sentencia emitida por el panel de jueces en el Tribunal de Justicia Restaurativa, que incluyó un veredicto simbólico para cada caso presentado y recomendaciones para las autoridades nacionales e internacionales en el aseguramiento de la justicia y la reparación por graves abusos a los derechos humanos.
Tribunal attendees line up for coffee and cookies during one of the Tribunal’s intermissions. Santa Marta residents organized to provide shelter and three meals a day, plus snacks, for close to three hundred attendees. Many of the town’s residents woke up at 4am to begin cooking for the communal 7:30am breakfast.//// Los asistentes del Tribunal se ponen en fila para servirse café y galletas durante un intermedio. Los residentes de Santa Marta se organizaron para ofrecer alojamiento y tres comidas diarias, además de refrigerios, a alrededor de 300 visitantes. Muchos de ellos se levantaban a las 4 de la mañana para comenzar a preparar desayuno comunal de las 7 y media.
Andreu Oliva, S.J., Rector of the University of Central America, addresses the audience during the Tribunal. Among other things, he pledged the university’s ongoing support for the Tribunal as a key example of community-driven justice processes.//// Andreu Oliva, S.J., Rector de la Universidad Centroamericana, se dirigió a la audiencia durante el Tribunal. Entre otras cosas, el Rector se comprometió a continuar con el apoyo de la universidad al Tribunal, ya que éste es un esfuerzo clave en la lucha por la justicia que surge de las mismas comunidades.
Regina Gámez Rivas holds a rainstick in a “dinámica,” or group activity, held by IDHUCA psychologists after the Tribunal closure. Gamez Rivas gave testimony on the execution of her father by the Honduran military while her family lived in Honduran refugee camps. She is also one of the founders of the “Las Dignas”, a Salvadoran political feminist organization.//// Regina Gámez Rivas sostiene un “palo de agua” durante una dinámica realizada por psicólogos del IDHUCA luego de la clausura del Tribunal. La Sra. Gómez Rivas ofreció su testimonio en el tribunal sobre la ejecución ilegal de su padre a manos de militares hondureños cuando su familia se encontraba en un campo de refugiados en Honduras. Regina es también una de las fundadoras de “Las Dignas”, una organización política feminista.
Tribunal participants and rush toward the center of the circle in a “dinámica,” or group activity, held by IDHUCA psychologists during the Tribunal closure to provide a more lighthearted counterbalance to the weight of event testimonies. Photo by Keny Sibrián.//// Algunos participantes del Tribunal se juntan anímicamente en el centro del salón, como parte de una dinámica realizada por psicólogos del IDHUCA para terminar las actividades del Tribunal con un tono más liviano y alegre.
Posters for the FMLN from the recent election fly above Santa Marta’s central town square as teenage residents walk home after the Tribunal’s closure. //// Banderas del FLMN, erigidas para la elección presidencial de principios de año, flamean en la plaza central de Santa Marta mientras algunos jóvenes vuelven a casa después de terminado el Tribunal.
“For the dignification of the fallen victims of the armed conflict.” Community members hung multiple banners around the central town plaza emphasizing the importance of honoring truth and historical memory.//// “Por la dignificación de las víctimas caídas en el conflicto armado.” Los miembros de la comunidad colgaron afiches alrededor de la plaza central para recordar la importancia de rendirle homenaje a la verdad y a la memoria histórica.
Santa Marta community leaders organized a series of nightly cultural events that included traditional dance, drama, and musical performance, including a memorable hip hop performance by local teen José Moisés Ayala Ayala. Most of the performances incorporated storytelling of wartime atrocities and survival, highlighting the importance of the local arts in preserving historical memory.//// Los líderes de la comunidad de Santa Marta organizaron una serie de eventos culturales para la noche de clausura, incluyendo bailes folclóricos, obras de teatro, y piezas musicales, una de las cuales fue la del joven José Moisés Ayala Ayala, cantante de hip hop de la comunidad de Santa Marta. Las interpretaciones artísticas hicieron referencia a las atrocidades vividas durante la guerra y la experiencia de la sobrevivencia, subrayando el rol que cumplen las artes en la preservación de la memoria histórica.
Santa Marta residents and students from the “October 31, 1987” educational complex participate in the candlelight vigil at the Tribunal’s closure.//// Una pobladora de Santa Marta y alumnos del complejo educativo “31 de octubre de 1987” participan en la vigilia de clausura del Tribunal.
Santa Marta residents attend the candlelit procession and vigil, honoring the relatives and victims of those who gave testimony. Attendees were encouraged to step forward to offer final words of remembrance for lost loved ones. //// Residentes de Santa Marta asisten a la vigilia para honrar a las víctimas y los familiares que dieron su testimonio. Se invitó a los participantes a tomar el micrófono para compartir unas últimas palabras en nombre de los seres queridos que murieron durante el conflicto armado.
A mini-documentary highlighting the collaborative work between the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights and partners in El Salvador for truth, justice and reparations in El Salvador. By Alex Montalvo, Revelriter Media.
“Today, democratic governance in El Salvador is threatened by crises of crime and violence, driven by the longstanding problems of poverty and social exclusion but rendered a potent threat to governability by the widespread perception that the institutions of justice are inoperable. In a sad commentary on the dividends of purported peace, many Salvadorans report that things are worse today than they were during the 12-year civil war that claimed over 75,000 lives.
Despite the signing of peace accords that called for fundamental social and political reforms, no systematic reform of the justice sector has been undertaken, and those in power continue to enjoy the ability to intercede in justice proceedings in the interests of preserving their impunity. There has been no justice for the victims of crimes against humanity committed in the context of the Salvadoran civil war, nor any extensive investigation to establish truth or accountability in such cases. In this sense, the country’s fragile democracy is built on an untenable silence; until Salvadoran society addresses the systematic violations of human rights that rent asunder the social fabric for so many years, the country’s justice system will remain unable to confront the crimes of the past or present.
Now is a pivotal moment for a concerted push for truth, justice, and reparations in El Salvador, involving strategic coordination between Salvadoran victims’ organizations and international actors. The CHR, in collaboration with the Instituto de Derechos Humanos at the Universidad Centroamericana (IDHUCA), is developing a project to apply important international justice precedents to the Salvadoran context, through the concerted application of national and international pressures for justice and a strengthening of grassroots movements within the country.”
The associated video (below) was produced in collaboration with Dacia Saenz for International Human Rights Day. Originally published in The Seattle Globalist on December 10, 2013.
A man pauses from constructing a poster of family victims of the armed conflict in El Salvador for the annual Victim’s Meeting (Encuentro de Victimas). Photo by Alex Montalvo
The solidarity that distinguished Seattle’s relationship to El Salvador in the 1980’s is reigniting once again. Last Thursday, representatives from 10 organizations met at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Seattle in support of a renewed movement for justice in El Salvador.
The event, La Voz de la Justicia: Human Rights at a Critical Juncture in El Salvador, was organized through the University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights (UWCHR)and the Social Justice Committee of St. Patrick’s Church. It brought together groups with a long history of supporting human rights throughout the region.
So why now, more than 20 years after the end of official hostilities in El Salvador?
In early September, the Attorney General’s office in El Salvador announced that for the first time in the country’s history, investigations would be opened into the massacre at El Mozote and as many as 32 other wartime atrocities. A few weeks later, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court accepted a challenge to the constitutionality of the amnesty law.
“A decision on the amnesty law is now expected literally any day,” says Angelina Godoy, Director of UWCHR. “These are things victims have been struggling to achieve for decades. There’s a sense of real possibility now, one that didn’t exist before.”
A man at the annual “Meeting of Victims” reads a poem written by the father of a child killed by the military in El Salvador. The sombrero on the placard was worn by the son during his death. (Photo by Alex Montalvo)
From 1980 to 1992, over 75,000 civilians died in the bloody armed conflict in El Salvador. Thousands more were brutally tortured or “disappeared.” Hostilities officially came to an end with peace accords in 1992, and as part of the peace process, a UN-sponsored Truth Commission was tasked with investigating wartime atrocities. Their investigation found approximately 85% of the violence occurred at the hands of the Salvadoran government.
But just five days after the release of the Truth Commission’s report in March, 1993, the Salvadoran legislature passed an Amnesty Law that has since been used to effectively shield people in positions of power from prosecution for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Many Salvadorans have been fighting for justice and reparations ever since.
The sad truth for Americans is that the armed conflict was heavily funded by our government. In an attempt to make El Salvador a leading example of Cold War policy, the U.S. provided the Salvadoran government upwards of $5 billion, despite awareness of government involvement in egregious human rights abuses.
But concerned citizens across the globe reacted strongly to these abuses and the subsequent involvement of the U.S. government.
Seattle, in particular, was front and center in the movement to stop the war. In 1983 voters passed the “Peace in Central America Initiative” which declared opposition to the United States support of the governments of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, and established a Citizens’ Commission on Central America that included over twenty local organizations like El Centro de La Raza, the Catholic Archdiocese, and the University of Washington. Many Seattle parishes participated in the sanctuary movement, providing shelter to refugees from the Central American conflicts.
Today, the University of Washington is back to supporting human rights in the region. Since 2011, UWCHR and The Institute for Human Rights at the University of Central America (IDHUCA) in San Salvador have been collaborating on activities aimed at addressing core challenges to the rule of law in El Salvador.
Though there have been a lot of positive developments in El Salvador recently, there are also strong signs that those who oppose the justice movement are still willing to resort to criminality to protect themselves. At the end of September, 2013, the Catholic Church closed down one of the country’s main human rights organizations, leaving the victims in cases like the massacre at El Mozote suddenly without access to legal representation, and even without access to their own case files.
Even groups who search for missing children are being targeted. During a recent trip to El Salvador, we documented the emotional return of Marina Lopez (adopted name Marina Llewelyn) to Arcatao, El Salvador, for the first time since her childhood.
Marina had been taken from her family by the Salvadoran military, but was reunited through the human rights organization Pro-Búsqueda, who work to discover the whereabouts of disappeared children and reunite them with surviving family members. Pro-Búsqueda conducted research for over two decades to find Marina.
Sadly, just three days after Marina’s reunion, Pro-Búsqueda was attacked and its offices firebombed, destroying some three-quarters of their files. These recent attacks are what prompted the recent “La Voz” event held at St. Patricks.
The City of Seattle is taking notice of local efforts for justice in El Salvador once again.Today, on International Human Rights Day, The UW Center for Human Rights is set to receive an award from the City. Godoy says she sees the award as recognition not just of the UWCHR, but of all the UW students, and the many people in El Salvador who have been involved in the effort.
“What makes our work so powerful is the way it’s rooted in partnerships with those on the front lines of human rights struggles, folks like the committee of survivors we just met with in Arcatao, El Salvador,” Godoy said. “I wish those women and men could also step up to the podium and be recognized, for they’re really the ones who are teaching us about what human rights mean.”
For more information about human rights in El Salvador, and to demand a full investigation into the attack on Pro-Búsqueda, please visit www.unfinishedsentences.org.
