El Salvador: Treatment of Pentecostals by other religious groups, paramilitary groups or the general population (1998-2000)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 5 December 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SLV35927.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, El Salvador: Treatment of Pentecostals by other religious groups, paramilitary groups or the general population (1998-2000), 5 December 2000, SLV35927.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beaa14.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Various published sources report on the rise of Pentecostalism in Central America and El Salvador, indicating a rapid increase in the number of different churches and of their followers. However, no published reports on the treatment of a particular Pentecostal group or of Pentecostals in general in El Salvador could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
The following information was provided during a 27 November 2000 telephone interview with a regional director of the United Pentecostal Church.
Pentecostal churches in El Salvador have continued to grow in recent years, and are the second largest religious denomination in the country after the Roman Catholic Church. The Assemblies of God and the United Pentecostal Church are the two largest Pentecostal churches in the country, the latter accounting for at least some 86,000 constituents. There are other smaller Pentecostal churches in El Salvador, such as the Church of God (Iglesia de Dios), The Prince of Peace (El Principe de Paz), and The Light of the World (La Luz del Mundo); however, there are many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of small independent Pentecostal churches in the country that are not affiliated with any church organization. The Regional Director stated that, in general terms for Pentencostal churches, there is no religious conflict or religious-based abuses against Pentecostals taking place in El Salvador, although this does not preclude the possibility of isolated or individual incidents where, for example, a local community or a religious group might oppose the presence or activities of a certain church.
During a 27 November 2000 telephone interview, an area director of the Assemblies of God stated that his particular Pentecostal group currently has some 2,000 churches in El Salvador. The source was not aware of recent religious-based violence or abuses against churches or constituents of the Assemblies of God in El Salvador, and did not provide statements that could apply to the wide variety of other Pentecostal churches in El Salvador.
During a 26 November 2000 telephone interview a director at the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada stated that El Salvador is a country that has been seeing a rapid increase in the number of Pentecostal, and many of these belong to small groups or are independent; thus, it is difficult or unlikely for any Pentecostal church to know what is happening with every other Pentecostal church in the country.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Assemblies of God, Costa Rica. 27 November 2000. Telephone interview with area director.
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Mississauga. 26 November 2000. Telephone interview with director.
United Pentecostal Church International, Hazelwood, Missouri. 27 November 2000. Telephone interview with regional director.
Additional Sources Consulted
Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. 1998-1999.
Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 1997-Nov. 2000.
IRB Databases.
La Prensa [Tegucigalpa]. Searchable Archives. May 1996-Sept. 2000.
Latin American Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. 1998-Oct. 2000.
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