Introduction
On the fateful afternoon of December 10 1981, during the Salvadorian war, several units of the renowned Atlacati Batallion, a section of the Salvadorian Army stormed the small village of El Mozote. They were all out on a mission to counter the guerilla insurgents in the region after a clash. The army embarked on interrogating the El Mozote residents for some time before they started brutal execution of the men on account of being sympathizers with the insurgents. The ordeal that lasted for three days left approximately 800 people dead, Men, women and children. (Danner, 2016)
The events and force surrounding the massacre have in the past been debated on the involvement of the US in the tragic event and whether the US is to blame for the massacre. This paper seeks to address the question “whether the US is to blame for the El Mozote massacre or not” according to Mark Danners’ presentation of the massacre. The paper seeks ti objectively highlight the role played by the US if any in the Massacre. The events surrounding the pre and post massacre periods can be used to prove whether or not the US had an active role in the gruesome massacre. Until the late 1970s, American aid to El Salvador was purely economic despite the existence of communist war in the region. The end of the infamous Sandinista revolution in 1979 acted as a red light indicator for the Americas that communism was on a fast spread and could soon become dominant in other parts of the region. The intention by the US to prevent the spread of communism to other regions served as the basis for her involvement in the war at El Salvador.
Immediately after the Coup on October 15, 1979 that saw President Carlos Humberto Romero removed from office, the country was placed under a Junta rule that was purely a combination of military officers and ordinary civilians. The quest for reforms in the existing structures placed by the Junta rule served as a golden opportunity for the United States to pump funds into the Salvadorian military. The involvement of US in the affairs of Salvador was a sufficient reason for the prolonged civil war. The American funding policy for El Salvador was increasing by the day and from 1980 it was characterized by huge aid funds that were meant to support the Junta and strengthen the military which was the sole security organ in the country. The decision by Reagan and Carter to pump in numerous military aids to El Salvador from 1980 was also meant to serve as an apparatus to suffocate communism.
The communist guerillas had been fully founded by 1980 and their actions of ambush attacks on the National Guard posts in the towns in Northern Morazan posed a real threat to the government of the time. According to Licho, there was a formation of “quasi permanent baggage train of masses, or civilian supporters”. The guerillas seemed to be overcoming the government and this compelled the government to open up to foreign military aid from the US. Frank Devine, the US ambassador in 1980expressed his concerns over the leftist terrorist strength in Morazan. The US was therefore more than willing to offer any support that would suppress communism. (Danner, 2016)
Despite the fact that the US was hesitant to deploy her own troops to El Salvador, they offered hefty financial support and ammunition for the military forces in the country. The role of this military support by the US had a direct link to the El Mozote massacre that was orchestrated by the Atlacatl battalion who had received military training and funding in America. According to Danner, the success of the massacre was fuelled by the aggressiveness instilled in the Atlacatl Battalion by their training in the Americas.
The American President Ronald Reagan was acting in the belief and determination that providing financial and ammunition support to the Salvador military forces as well pushing for elections could outdo the political and military advancement of the communists. The fear for the spread of communism seemed to be the sole reason for the US involvement in the affairs of El Salvador. For instance when President Carter cut off the financial aid after the murder of American Churchwomen, the insurgents’ final offensive compelled a reinstatement of the aid in two weeks. When Reagan rose to the helm of power, he launched massive changes in the administration at the American Embassy in El Salvador such as replacing the Ambassador. According to Danner, Reagan vowed to “draw the line in El Salvador against the subversion of communism in the region”. This vow was backed up by the doubling of economic aid to El Salvador to the tune of $ 144,000,000, increased military aid to $ 35,000,000 from $ 26,000,000 and as well initiated a direct funding for the Nicaraguan fighters. (Danner, 2016)
Apart from the fact that the war in Salvador was historical and political in nature; the involvement of US was in a bid to support a rightist regime against a leftist regime. In a bid to oust the Leftist regime, the US offered heavy funding and training support for the El Salvador military government. During this period, El Salvador received the greatest amount of US military aid in the entire Latin America. US contribution to the Massacre at El Mozote can also be confirmed by the statement made by General Fred F. Woerner who was sent by pentagon to assess the El Salvador war state. He reports that the situation in El Salvador had deteriorated to an extent that the El Salvador military was left with the sole duty of preventing the establishment of an insurgence in Morazan. One would ask why the US had to send someone to assess the situation in El Salvador if they did not have a direct interest in the civil war.
The role played by America in the El Salvadoran war is crystal clear from the kind of support they offered to the military forces both financially, technically and economically. Danner states that the Americas were out o fund the war but were unwilling to fight it. They relied on empowering the El Salvador army to defeat the guerillas and thus cripple the spread of communism. In early 1981 the US sent special military instructors to train out of the Atlacatl a new immediate reaction Infantry Battalion. A second troop was flown to North Carolina and Fort Bragg for military training. This deployment of a second group of soldiers for training followed a proposal by some US embassy officials that the entire unit needed to receive training in the USA.
The events after the massacre also depict the active role played by the US in the occurrence. The cartridges collected and examined from El Mozote show that the bullets used had been specifically manufactured for the US government at Lake City Missouri. Such ammunition had head stamps for the US. When the reign of Reagan ended and the threat of communism had been averted, the war was halted as an indication of America’s direct involvement in the war. The US is also known to have supported El Salvador for a whooping eleven years after the El Salvador massacre. (Danner, 2016)
The kind of training and ammunition offered to the El Salvador army by the US empowered them to an extent that the local and poorly armed guerillas could not match their might at war.
Conclusion
References
Danner, M. (2016). Mark Danner The Truth of El Mozote. Markdanner.com. Retrieved 30 April 2016, from http://www.markdanner.com/articles/the-truth-of-el-mozote
