SAN SALVADOR — 1980 · Murder
The Assassination of Archbishop Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, was known for sermons openly condemning violence against civilians by the army and death squads in the run-up to El Salvador's civil war. On 24 March 1980 he was shot dead by a sniper while celebrating Mass in the chapel of the Divina Providencia hospital. Shots were also fired into the crowd at his funeral. In 1993 the UN Truth Commission said the killing was ordered by a far-right politician and former army officer, but he died without ever being tried and an amnesty law long stalled the case. In 2004 a former security officer was found liable in a U.S. civil case. After the amnesty law was struck down, the case was reopened in 2017. Romero was canonised on 14 October 2018.
- Date
- 1980
- Place
- San Salvador, El Salvador, San Salvador, SV
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 13.7000, -89.2300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 24 March 1980Romero shot during Mass.
- March 1993UN Truth Commission report published.
- September 2004Former security officer found liable in a U.S. civil case.
- 2017The case reopened in El Salvador.
- 14 October 2018Romero canonised.
Sources
- The Guardian — Óscar Romero to be made a saint theguardian.com ↗
- BBC News — El Salvador apologises for Romero murder news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- Wikipedia — Óscar Romero en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Guardian
- BBC News
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.