El Salvador III Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mixed European and indigenous descent

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

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: False

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.

Answer: 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 supplying the means for terrorists to carry out an infinite variety of atrocities.

Answer: 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 separated the men, women and children and locked them up in separate 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.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

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