EL SALVADOR: JOCUATIQUE: MASS GRAVE DISCOVERED

Описание: (3 Mar 1995) Spanish/Nat

El Salvador yields yet another killing field.

A mass grave containing the remains of young men was discovered in the town of Jocuatique, in the province of Mozaran, 200 km from San Salvador.

These are the scars of the town of Jocuatique, in Morazan province.

During more than 12 years of civil war, towns such as Jocuatique, located in what was the heart of rebel FMLT territory, suffered the worst atrocities.

The unearthing early this week of a mass grave containing the remains of at least 15 people, among them young men, two women, a mayor of the town and two local city officials, was a stark reminder that this Central American nation must still heal its wounds.

It is feared that there are more remains of at least 50 people in the mass grave.

During the war, backed by the United States, more than 70,000 people were killed, mostly civilians.

US-trained paramilitary forces staged clean-up campaigns in areas held by rebels.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"Most of the remains found in these graves are of young men and most have either bullet wounds or were hanged. The relatives of the dead, many of whom witnessed the war years and were in the town when these events happened, say that the culprits
were members of paramilitary forces."
SUPER CAPTION: Judge Jose Angel Posada

Last year, the massacre in the early 1980's at the hamlet of El Mozote, where paramilitary forces killed hundreds of people, was uncovered.

The Salvadoran government and the United States had denied that the massacre had taken place.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"We just watched them. When (the soldiers) used to come and pick the men up, well, we knew that it was all over."
SUPER CAPTION: Resident of Jocuatique

El Salvador presently faces severe problems with the discontent of veterans of the war, many of whom were members of the paramilitary forces.

The residents of the war-torn areas were the real victims. Now all they can do is claim their own and attempt to lay their ghosts to rest.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...