EL MOZOTE — 1981 · Major Tragedy
The El Mozote Massacre
On 11-13 December 1981, during El Salvador's civil war, the army's Atlácatl Battalion killed about 1,000 civilians in the village of El Mozote and nearby settlements in northern Morazán; most victims were children. The massacre was reported in the US press in 1982 but was denied for years. A 1993 general amnesty law blocked prosecution. In October 2012 the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held the Salvadoran state responsible, and after the amnesty was struck down in 2016 the case was reopened. Proceedings over one of the region's largest massacres have yet to conclude.
- Date
- 1981
- Place
- Morazán, El Salvador, El Mozote, SV
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 13.8990, -88.1110 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 11-13 December 1981The Atlácatl Battalion killed civilians in and around El Mozote.
- 27 January 1982The massacre was reported in the US press.
- 1993A general amnesty law blocked prosecutions.
- 25 October 2012The Inter-American Court held El Salvador responsible.
- 2016The amnesty was annulled and the case reopened.
Sources
- ProPublica — Survivors see justice slip away again propublica.org ↗
- CEJIL — El Mozote Massacre cejil.org ↗
- Wikipedia — El Mozote massacre en.wikipedia.org ↗
- ProPublica
- CEJIL
- Wikipedia
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.