Chronology of Events: August 1993-November 1994

 

GLOSSARY

ANTA    National Association of Farm Workers

ARENA Nationalist Republican Alliance

CD          Democratic Convergence

CDHES   Commission for Human Rights (non-governmental)

COPAZ  Commission for the Consolidation of Peace

ERP         People's Renewal Expression (formerly People's Revolutionary Army)

FMLN    Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front

FPL         Popular Liberation Forces

MNR      National Revolutionary Movement

MU         Unity Movement

OIE         State Intelligence Office

ONUSAL               United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador

PCN        National Conciliation Party

PDC        Christian Democratic Party

PN           National Police

PNC        National Civilian Police

PPDH     Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman

TSE         Supreme Electoral Tribunal

MAP

See original

INTRODUCTION

This chronology, which updates September 1993's El Salvador: Chronology of Events January 1992-August 1993, chronicles pre- and post-election developments, including killings of FMLN and ARENA members and supporters, as well as progress in implementation of the peace accords. Although not events in themselves, the publication of various human rights reports by the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman (PPDH) of El Salvador and the Joint Group for the Investigation of Politically Motivated Illegal Armed Groups in El Salvador have been included as entries in this chronology. Particular effort has also been made to include events that affect women and children. For further information please consult the April 1994 DIRB Question and Answer Series paper El Salvador: Impact of the 1992 Peace Accords, as well as relevant DIRB Responses to Information Requests.

CHRONOLOGY

1993

31 August

In a rally led by Rebeca Palacios, a former Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) leader, approximately 2,000 women demand policies to end discrimination against women (Reuters 31 Aug. 1993).

1 September

Diego García Say n, head of the human rights division of the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL), states that "at least 11 cases of homicide have been confirmed as politically motivated killings," but that they are "isolated incidents and [not] systematic" (IPS 1 Sept. 1993). In his eighth ONUSAL progress report Say n writes that the killings "constitute a direct and brutal violation of political rights, with regard to which the State cannot escape liability" (United Nations 15 Sept. 1993, 11). He also criticizes the justice system for not properly investigating or prosecuting crimes (ibid., 11), and for not punishing the perpetrators, including members of the police, armed forces or other state institutions (ibid., 27).

October

After considering El Salvador's initial report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child states, among other things, that it is concerned about "widespread discriminatory attitudes towards girls and disabled children, as well as by the existence on a large scale of child abuse and violence within the family" (United Nations 18 Oct. 1993, 3).

The legislative assembly adopts the Family Law Code, which will enter into force in April 1994. The code introduces reforms to institutions such as marriage, divorce and adoption (La Voz Nov.-Dec. 1993, 4-5), and grants greater protection to women and children living in unions outside of marriage (ibid., 5; Country Reports 1993 1994, 441).

2 October

The office of the human rights ombudsman (PPDH) releases its third report. The report, which examines the human rights situation for the period May-August 1993, echoes concerns expressed in the 15 September 1993 ONUSAL report regarding the impunity of suspected human rights abusers, including those within the security forces, and the failure of the justice system to investigate and prosecute such cases. It also highlights an increase in several types of crime, including highway robbery, rape and drug trafficking. The report calls for a civilian protection law to regulate the powers of the security forces, and for a national plan to fight crime (Central America Report 22 Oct. 1993, 313-14).

25 October

Francisco Vélis, a high ranking FMLN member and a congressional candidate in the upcoming elections, is shot in San Salvador (Report from El Salvador 25 Oct.-1 Nov. 1993, 1; Reuters 25 Oct. 1993). According to the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, a National Police (PN) patrol is spotted near the scene of the crime (LCHR July 1994, 96). Opposition politicians denounce the killing as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate voters before the upcoming elections (Los Angeles Times 26 Oct. 1993; AFP 1 Nov. 1993). The authorities are subsequently criticized by the National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (COPAZ) for reportedly blocking the murder investigation (LCHR July 1994, 96).

27 October

Two former FMLN combatants, Eduardo Brizuela Hern ndez and Justa Victoria Orellana Cortéz, are shot dead in their home in San Lucas, Guazapa (AFP 1 Nov. 1993; Central America Report 5 Nov. 1993, 332).

30 October

FMLN national council member Heleno Hern n Castro, also known as Carmelo, is killed by gunmen on a highway near the capital (AFP 31 Oct. 1993; Reuters 20 Dec. 1993). Although the killing is initially denounced by the FMLN as being politically motivated, an FMLN investigation later concludes that Castro was murdered in a dispute over a traffic accident (ibid.). The FMLN's findings corroborate those of a police investigation (AI 10 Jan. 1994).

October-November

Approximately 1,300 women from Latin America meet in El Salvador for the sixth Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Conference. Reports in the daily Diario de Hoy link the organizers of the conference to the FMLN and accuse them of being homosexuals (FOCUS on Human Rights in El Salvador 5 Oct. 1993; FIRE 30 Sept. 1993; Central America Update Nov.-Dec. 1993, 18; Central America Report 19 Nov. 1993, 349). The organizers also receive death threats (ibid.; Central America Update Nov.-Dec. 1993, 18). In response to an international outcry from NGOs, churches and governments, the president of El Salvador meets with the organizers and guarantees that the harassment will stop (ibid.).

November

The US government declassifies thousands of documents indicating that senior military officers and officials, as well as wealthy Salvadorans, were involved in death squad activities (The New York Times 25 Nov. 1993; Latin American Regional Reports 27 Jan. 1994). The documents attribute responsibility to the US-trained Atlacatl army battalion for the killing of hundreds of civilians in and around the village of El Mozote in 1981 (ibid.). Among the civilian officials linked to civil war violence are Vice-President Francisco Merino and Armando Calderón Sol, mayor of San Salvador and the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) presidential candidate in the upcoming elections (ibid.; The Economist 19 Nov. 1993; Los Angeles Times 19 Dec. 1993). Both deny the allegations (ibid.; Latin American Regional Reports 27 Jan. 1994).

8 November

The bodies of Manuel de Jesús Acevedo and Remberto Antonio López are found in a garbage dump in Colonia Las Margaritas, Soyapango. The two men had been shot in the head; their hands had been tied behind their backs and their bodies showed signs of torture (LCHR July 1994, 97; UPI 9 Nov. 1993; The Guardian 11 Nov. 1993). Acevedo, a former FMLN combatant, was married to FMLN electoral affairs secretary Doris Elena Hern ndez (LCHR July 1994, 97) and was involved in political organization for the March 1994 general election (UPI 9 Nov. 1993). The sources are not clear on whether López was also an FMLN member.

14 November

José Santos V squez is killed in the Department of La Unión, allegedly by soldiers of the Third Military Detachment (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 11). After an investigation by the National Civilian Police (PNC), the judicial branch opens homicide proceedings and the soldiers involved are turned over to the judiciary by their commander (ibid.).

20 November

Campaigning for the 1994 elections officially begins (UPI 20 Nov. 1993). Salvadorans will go to the polls on 20 March 1994 to elect a new president and vice-president, 84 parliamentary deputies and 262 mayors (Reuters 5 Dec. 1993).

24 November

An ARENA member is killed by unidentified gunmen in Moraz n Department; reportedly, he is the fourth ARENA member to be murdered since the beginning of the month (ACAN 25 Nov. 1993; Latin American Weekly Report 9 Dec. 1993). An article in The Independent suggests that one of the killings may have been the work of "breakaway FMLN militants who have pledged an 'armed campaign' against the death squads" (The Independent 11 Nov. 1993).

1 December

PN investigators Lieutenant Francisco Chicas and agent José Cruz are kidnapped and killed by unidentified assailants in San Salvador (Reuters 1 Dec. 1993; United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 13). According to ONUSAL, "the evidence would appear to indicate that the murders may have been part of a settling of scores connected with criminal acts possibly involving members of the armed forces" (ibid.).

2 December

Army Lieutenant José Rodriguez is killed by gunmen in San Salvador (Reuters 2 Dec. 1993; Central America Report 17 Dec. 1993, 382).

7 December

The UN and the government of El Salvador agree to form a commission or "joint group" to investigate the resurgence in death squad activity. The four-person commission is made up of two government representatives, the human rights ombudsman and the director of ONUSAL's human rights division (AFP 8 Dec. 1993; Le Devoir 9 Dec. 1993; Reuters 19 Dec. 1993). It is scheduled to complete its work by 31 May 1994, after which it will make public its report (see entry for 28 July 1994) (Radio Cadena 8 Dec. 1993).

9 December

Mario López, a senior FMLN member and a potential candidate in the March 1994 elections, is shot and killed in San Salvador (Country Reports 1993 1994, 434; Le Devoir 10 Dec. 1993; Reuters 9 Dec. 1993). While a preliminary PNC investigation suggests that López had tried to thwart a robbery attempt (ibid.), the FMLN denounces the robbery as a ruse to cover up a politically motivated killing (ibid. 10 Dec. 1993).

13 December

Gunmen kill six peasants near Santa Ana (The Christian Science Monitor 21 Dec. 1993; Reuters 13 Dec. 1993; Central America Report 21 Jan. 1994, 3). Three suspects are detained for the murders, including two soldiers (ibid.; El Mundo 17 Dec. 1993). An investigation by the joint group on death squad resurgence blames the armed forces for the murders, stating that "units of the armed forces continued to use practices which in the past favoured the existence of illegal armed activities within the institution, giving rise to serious violations of human rights" (United Nations 22 Oct. 1994, 39).

14 December

The Democratic Peasant Alliance announces that 15 peasants were killed in rural areas during the previous two weeks. The director of the organization says peasants have been threatened by death squad members and ordered to leave their land (Central America Report 17 Dec. 1993, 382-83).

17 December

The house of the Christian Democratic Party leader, Arturo Argumendo, is hit by a grenade. Although he was home at the time, Argumendo is not hurt (The Dallas Morning News 18 Dec. 1993; Radio Farabundo Marti Network 17 Dec. 1993). Argumendo, a former prosecutor general, was also the target of a 30 October 1993 bomb attack at his home (ibid.).

17-20 December

The National Revolutionary Movement (MNR) joins forces with the CD-FMLN coalition, pledging to support the coalition's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Rubén Zamora and Francisco Lima, in the upcoming elections (Central America Report 28 Jan. 1994, 3-4; Radio Cadena 20 Dec. 1993).

29 December

FMLN leader Rubén Eduardo Vanegas and his grandparents are shot to death outside their home in Ochupse canton, Santa Ana (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 13). The letter "M" is carved in Eduardo Vanegas' chest with a knife. According to ONUSAL, in the past the letter "M" was the signature the death squad known as "la mano blanca" (the white hand) (ibid.).

31 December

The National Police Academy is closed (LCHR July 1994, 99). According to the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, "delays in closing [the academy] resulted in hundreds of new graduates for a force that was supposed to be disbanded" (ibid.). [ For further information on the demobilization of the PN, please see the entry for 25 January 1994 and the April 1994 DIRB Question and Answer Series paper El Salvador: Impact of the 1992 Peace Accords.]

1994

5 January

The legislature extends the candidate registration period to 31 January, and reduces to three the number of documents required to register (Central America Report 28 Jan. 1994, 4). The president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Luis Arturo Zaldívar, calls the changes to the electoral code "irresponsible". This is the third time the electoral code has been modified in the last year (ibid.). Legislative changes in December instituted fines for the improper use by political parties of rival parties' logos and photographs (ibid. 17 Dec. 1993, 382).

10 January

FMLN member Jesús Cartagena Pineda and his daughter are killed by gunmen in their home in Colonia Las Moras de Colón (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 10; IPS 11 Jan. 1994; UPI 11 Jan. 1994). Cartagena was running for Huizúcar town council (ibid.). Although preliminary evidence suggests robbery as the motive, ONUSAL expresses doubts about this possibility (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 10).

11 January

A new arms control law enters into force as part of the demilitarization process (Central America Report 18 Feb. 1994a, 2). The law requires that all weapons be registered and licensed, prohibits automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and proposes to regulate the production and trade of arms and materièl (ibid., 3). One source reports that automatic weapons are used in 70 per cent of all reported crimes and hand-grenades can be purchased on the black market for US$6 (The San Francisco Examiner 20 Feb. 1994).

14 January

FMLN leader and presidential candidate Rubén Zamora alleges that death squads still operate within the army and the police (Reuters 14 Jan. 1994). According to the FMLN, more than 30 former FMLN combatants have been murdered by death squads since the civil war ended in January 1992 (ibid.).

19 January

Alberto Javier Perdomo, a Panamanian official of the Inter-American Institute for Agricultural Cooperation of the Organization of American States, is killed by gunmen on a highway near San Salvador (IPS 20 Jan. 1994; DPA 20 Jan. 1994). His wife, who is injured in the attack, alleges that army personnel killed her husband during an attempted robbery (UPI 24 Jan. 1994).

25 January

President Cristiani suspends demobilization of the National Police (Central America Report 18 Feb. 1994b, 3). According to PN director Samuel Dolores Cuéllar, the force will be needed in the run-up to the elections. He also states that rather than dissolve the PN outright as agreed to in the peace accords, the government intends to investigate the conduct of individual officers (ibid.).

27 January

A report by the General Accounting Office of the US Congress indicates that the El Salvador government will need an additional $682 million to complete implementation of the 1992 peace accords by 1996 (Houston Chronicle 28 Jan. 1994). This amount represents the difference between the funds already committed by several countries, including El Salvador, and the 1993 government estimate of $1.83 billion to completely implement the accords (ibid.).

5 February

Rubén Osvaldo Escalante, an ARENA candidate for town councillor in San Marcos, is attacked in his home by five masked assailants (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 15). ONUSAL states there is little evidence to suggest the attack was an "ordinary crime," and does not rule out the possibility that "the offence was politically or personally motivated" (ibid.).

7 February

ARENA youth wing treasurer Velmy Guzm n and her father are killed on a highway in the department of San Miguel by six armed men (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 13; La Jornada 16 Feb. 1994; AP 15 Feb. 1994).

12 February

ARENA businessman and youth wing member Carlos Alberto Marín is shot and killed by two attackers in Cojutepeque (La Jornada 16 Feb. 1994; AP 15 Feb. 1994). Another ARENA youth wing member is killed several days later (Reuters 21 Feb. 1994).

March

At its 50th session in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Commission reclassifies El Salvador from category 12, which designates countries that "systematically violate human rights," to category 19, which is reserved for countries that have shown improvements in human rights but continue to warrant some degree of scrutiny. El Salvador had been a category 12 country for the previous 13 years (Central America Report 18 Mar. 1994, 4).

9 March

Jorge Bill Martínez Zaldaña, a former combatant and member of the FMLN's People's Renewal Expression (ERP) faction, is shot to death in San Salvador (United Nations 28 July 1994, 5). An ONUSAL investigation indicates that robbery was not the motive for the incident (ibid.).

12 March

As many as 30 people are injured as ARENA supporters and pro-leftist demonstrators battle with guns, knives and rocks during a rally to close the ARENA election campaign (Reuters 12 Mar. 1994; Radio Cadena 14 Mar. 1994). ARENA alleges that FMLN supporters provoked the clash (ibid.).

20 March

Presidential, parliamentary and mayoral elections are held.

(1)ARENA receives 49 per cent of the vote in the presidential election, the CD-FMLN-MNR coalition 24.9 per cent, and the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) 16.4 per cent (COPADES Apr. 1994, 11; Reuters 6 Apr. 1994; Central America Report 8 Apr. 1994, 3). Because ARENA falls short of the required 50 per cent for a first round victory, voters will return to the polls on 24 April 1994 to choose between ARENA's Armando Calderón Sol and second place finisher Rubén Zamora of the CD-FMLN-MNR (ibid.; Reuters 6 Apr. 1994).

(2)ARENA wins 39 of 84 seats in the parliamentary elections; the FMLN wins 21, the PDC 18, the National Conciliation Party (PCN) four, and the CD and Unity Movement (MU) win one each (Hemisphere Initiatives July 1994, 1; Central America Report 8 Apr. 1994, 3).

(3)At the mayoral level, where the party of the winning candidate in each municipality takes all of the council seats, ARENA wins in 211 of 262 municipalities, while the FMLN wins in only 14 (ibid., 4).

27 March

Heriberto Galicia S nchez, a leader of the INAZUCAR workers' union and a MNR candidate who ran unsuccessfully in the 20 March parliamentary elections, is killed by unidentified gunmen in the town of San Miguel (Reuters 28 Mar. 1994; Chicago Tribune 29 Mar. 1994; United Nations 28 July 1994, 5). According to ONUSAL, an investigation of the killing points to possible political motives (ibid.).

24 April

ARENA's Armando Calderón Sol wins the second round of the presidential elections with 68.2 per cent of the vote (Latin American Weekly Report 5 May 1994; Reuters 27 Apr. 1994).

José Isaías Calzada Mejías, an ERP member and president of a polling station, is murdered at Jicalpa. According to ONUSAL, "well-known" ARENA members are suspected in the killing (United Nations 28 July 1994, 5).

1 May

The newly elected members of the legislative assembly are sworn in (Central America Report 6 May 1994, 5). FMLN deputies are publicly divided over the election of ARENA deputy Gloria Salguero Gross as president of the assembly (ibid.; IPS 21 May 1994; Le Monde diplomatique June 1994; Latin American Weekly Report 12 May 1994).

5 May

The PNC sub-director of operations, Oscar Peña Dur n, resigns for health reasons (Le Devoir 8 May 1994). His 1993 appointment had been heavily criticized by human rights monitors for undermining civilian control of the PNC. Peña Dur n had previously served in the country's security forces, most notably in the Treasury Police and the National Police (ibid.; Hemisphere Initiatives Sept. 1993, 15; Human Rights Watch Dec. 1993, 95).

6 May

ONUSAL releases its tenth report on the human rights situation for the period 1 November 1993-28 February 1994 (Central America Report 27 May 1994, 4; United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 1). In contrast to its ninth report, which noted a "serious regression" in the human rights situation and an "increase in arbitrary executions" for the period August-October 1993 (qtd. in News from Americas Watch Mar. 1994, 5), ONUSAL's tenth report points to a "certain improvement" (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 7). However, it also states that impunity is still a "reality both in police inquiries and in most judicial proceedings" (ibid., 40).

19 May

The car of FMLN congresswoman and president of the Commission on Justice and Human Rights for the legislative assembly, Marta Vallardes-also known as Nidia Díaz-is attacked by unidentified gunmen for the second time in three months (IPS 23 May 1994a; UPI 19 May 1994; United Nations 22 Oct. 1994, 47). Investigations by the joint group on death squad resurgence do not rule out the possibility of political motives for both attacks (ibid., 42, 47).

In a separate incident some hours later, the son of the late Roberto D'Aubuisson is injured in an attack by unidentified men. One ARENA deputy suggests the shooting may be a reprisal for the Vallardes attack (IPS 23 May 1994b).

26 May

The UN Security Council, noting that "important" aspects of the 1992 peace accords have not been fully implemented, renews ONUSAL's mandate for an additional six months, until 30 November (IPS 30 May 1994; Reuters 27 May 1994).

28 May

The National Civilian Police creates an "anti-kidnapping" force to fight organized crime. According to an "official" source, there were 40 kidnappings in the preceding two months (IPS 31 May 1994). Another source reports that kidnappers typically hold victims for less than 48 hours and ask for ransoms of between $1,500 and $25,000. Many victims do not report such crimes for fear of reprisals (The Economist 22 July 1994).

1 June

ARENA's Armando Calderón Sol is sworn in as president (Central America Report 3 June 1994, 1; UPI 1 June 1994).

6 June

A number of death threats against human rights monitors are received by the media. [ For a list of threats against human rights monitors, FMLN members, the government and others between 16 January 1992 and 10 July 1994, refer to the report of the Joint Group for the Investigation of Politically Motivated Illegal Armed Groups in El Salvador (United Nations 22 Oct. 1994, 94-95).] Among those threatened are Human Rights Ombudsman Carlos Molina Fonseca, Attorney General Juan Jerónimo Castillo, National Judges Council President Eduardo Tomasino, and Jesuit Priests of the Central American University (UCA). The unidentified callers state that unless the monitors leave the country within 48 hours, the threats will be carried out by the "Comando Domingo Monterrosa," a prominent death squad during the civil war (AI 8 June 1994; IPS 8 June 1994).

San Salvador mayor and ARENA member Mario Valiente bans public demonstrations on workdays because of the traffic problems they create. The move is criticized by opposition parties and workers' groups, who see the ban as an attack on freedom of assembly and an attempt to silence workers and others critical of the government's economic measures (IPS 9 June 1994).

12 June

Luis Antonio Méndez, the FMLN coordinator in Zacacoyo, is killed by unknown masked gunmen (AI 22 June 1994). Amnesty International believes the killing "may be a continuation of an intimidation campaign by elements linked to the military and civilian authorities, aimed at activists and supporters of the FMLN" (ibid.).

22 June

Three security guards and two civilians are killed in San Salvador during a robbery of an armoured car by 15 men dressed in police uniforms (Los Angeles Times 8 July 1994). The head of the PN investigations division, José Rafael Coreas Orellana, is arrested in connection with the robbery (ibid.). The incident forces the government for the first time to admit to the existence of organized crime within the security forces and other state institutions (ibid.; United Nations 26 Aug. 1994, 1).

July

The legislative assembly elects 15 new Supreme Court judges. It has been 17 months since the March 1993 Truth Commission report asked for the immediate replacement of all Supreme Court judges (The Economist 19 Aug. 1994). Although the election of new justices was to have taken place on 30 June 1994, the various parties and factions could not agree on a list of candidates or alternates, or even a candidate for court president (IPS 5 July 1994). On 27 July all of the parties finally agreed to support the election of José Domingo Mendez as Supreme Court president (Xinhua 28 July 1994).

2 July

Following an investigation linking PN criminal investigation unit members to organized crime, President Calderón Sol dismisses 600 of the unit's approximately 800 remaining members (Latin American Weekly Report 14 July 1994). According to the United Nations, however, all 732 members of the criminal investigation unit are dismissed, but a 750-member crime unit is subsequently established within the same force (United Nations 26 Aug. 1994, 3).

10 July

María Lucía León Núñez is killed in the department of Los Prados. León Núñez reportedly belonged to the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of El Salvador (CDHES) (La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH 8 Sept. 1994, 3) and the National Association of Farm Workers (ANTA) (IPS 25 July 1994). An ANTA official suggests the killing is the work of death squads wishing to undermine the work of organized peasant groups (ibid.).

28 July

The Joint Group for the Investigation of Politically Motivated Illegal Armed Groups in El Salvador releases its report. [ For a list of cases reported to or examined by the joint group, refer to annexes 3 and 4 in the 11 August 1994 letter from the UN secretary-general to the president of the Security Council (United Nations 22 Oct. 1994, 73-93).] The report states that since the end of the civil war, the nature of political violence has shifted "toward more decentralized structures geared primarily to common crime and exhibiting a high degree of organization" (United Nations 22 Oct. 1994, 58). It maintains that this "broad network of organized crime ..., in which ... there is active participation of members of the armed forces of El Salvador and the National Police, cannot be divorced from many acts of politically motivated violence" (ibid., 57). The report concludes that:

despite the great strides in the process of pacification and the efforts made by Salvadorian society to consolidate a climate of national reconciliation, there still exist data that support the well-founded suspicion that recourse to violence in order to solve political differences has not yet been definitively eradicated. ... Political violence, either organized or in the form of "private political violence," as a way of settling old disputes is still present (ibid., 58).

The report also makes a series of recommendations to improve the functioning of the PNC, the judicial system and the State Intelligence Office (OIE) (ibid., 59-62).

August

UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali releases a report on the implementation of the peace agreement. The secretary-general compliments the government's decision to "establish firmly the rule of law in El Salvador" by improving the country's democratic institutions, but warns that the "virtual paralysis of the land transfer programme, delays and distortions in other reintegration programmes and the unresolved problem of the human settlements are a source of increasing concern. ... Tensions are also rising among former combatants, whose justified expectations of receiving land, credit and housing have been largely unfulfilled" (United Nations 26 Aug. 1994, 12).

Early August

Tension mounts between the military-controlled National Police-to be demobilized by March 1995-and the National Civilian Police, when PN officers arrest PNC agent Luis Eduardo Contreras for robbery (Central America Report 26 Aug. 1994, 3). Contreras later states that the PN beat him while in custody. His supporters claim Contreras' arrest is retaliation for the June arrest of the head of the PN investigations unit (ibid.).

7 August

Pedro Osmin Iraheta is killed in San Vicente. PNC officers claim Osmin Iraheta shot at them after they asked him to stop his vehicle. Eight PNC officers are arrested for murder after an eyewitness disputes their version of events (Central America Report 26 Aug. 1994, 3).

12 August

Claiming that "impunity has ended in our country, and no ... person or sector can be above the law" (La Prensa Grafica 13 Aug. 1994), President Calderón Sol announces the creation of "honor tribunals," special units within the armed forces to investigate soldiers involved in corruption or criminal acts (ibid.; Central America Report 26 Aug. 1994, 3). According to Calderón Sol, any armed forces personnel implicated in such activities will be "discharged, processed in the courts and put in jail" (Central America Report 26 Aug. 1994, 3).

18 August

ONUSAL releases its eleventh report, which covers the four-month period 1 March-30 June 1994. Although the document points to a decline in reports of human rights abuses during this period, it also criticizes delays and other inadequacies in the justice system, and cites the continuing involvement of armed forces and security forces members and former guerrillas in organized crime and violence (Central America Report 2 Sept. 1994, 7; United Nations 28 July 1994, 3). According to ONUSAL's director of human rights, "the high crime indexes, particularly the proven existence of complex organized-crime networks, coupled with the impunity resulting from the inadequate functioning of the justice system, are currently the greatest obstacles to the effective exercise of human rights in El Salvador" (ibid., 3).

20 August

In an outbreak of violence in the central penitentiary of San Salvador known as "La Esperanza," 13 people are killed and approximately 30 injured (IPS 24 Aug. 1994; Latinamerica Press 1 Sept. 1994, 7). In total, more than 80 people have died in incidents in overcrowded prisons in the previous six months. A reported 6,000 inmates-approximately 80 per cent of whom are still awaiting trial-populate a prison system built to house half that number (ibid.; IPS 24 Aug. 1994). ONUSAL's tenth report describes conditions in El Salvador's prison system as "critical" (United Nations 5 Apr. 1994, 27).

28 September

An estimated 300 to 500 former soldiers end a 48-hour occupation of the legislative assembly and release about 28 deputies after the government agrees to negotiations (Reuters 28 Sept. 1994; Radio Cadena 28 Sept. 1994; El Diario de Hoy 28 Sept. 1994). In this incident, the third of its kind since December 1993, the retired soldiers demand that the transfer of land and bank credits promised to them as part of the peace accords be speeded up, and that severance payments be made to former National Guard and Civil Defense Patrol members (ibid.; Reuters 28 Sept. 1994). According to Mauricio Cornejo, the director of the Association of Demobilized Armed Forces Members, 40 per cent of the 16,000 demobilized soldiers have yet to receive their promised severance (IPS 18 Aug. 1994).

October

ONUSAL head Enrique Ter Horst announces that the UN mission will remain in the country beyond the 30 November deadline in order to monitor ongoing implementation of the peace accords (This Week 10 Oct. 1994, 222). According to Ter Horst, ONUSAL will extend its mandate to 30 April 1995 (IPS 26 Nov. 1994), and will reduce its staff by at least 50 per cent (This Week 10 Oct. 1994, 222).

4 October

The government and the FMLN sign a joint declaration reiterating their commitment to implementation of the peace accords (United Nations 10 Oct. 1994, 1).

18 October

Former FMLN guerrilla commander Joaquín Villalobos is temporarily arrested on charges that he slandered businessman Orlando de Sola (This Week 31 Oct. 1994, 236; IPS 22 Oct. 1994). In November 1993 Villalobos publicly accused de Sola of having financed death squad activity during El Salvador's civil war (ibid.; UPI 6 Oct. 1994). Although his lawyers cite declassified US documents linking de Sola to death squad activities in Villalobos' defence, a lower court refuses to accept the documents as evidence (ibid.). The slander charges are dismissed several weeks later (ibid. 23 Nov. 1994).

10 November

David Faustino Merino Ramírez, FMLN coordinator of land transfers in the department of Usulut n, is shot to death by gunmen in San Salvador. Injured in the attack are the vice-mayor of Tecoluca, Carlos Cortez Hernandez, and the FMLN coordinator for the department of San Vicente (CISPES 11 Nov. 1994; Reporte Semanal El Salvador 7-14 Nov. 1994). The attack is denounced by several people, including the secretary-general of the FMLN's Popular Liberation Forces (FPL), the head of ONUSAL's human rights division, and San Salvador's auxiliary bishop (ibid.).

26 November

Arturo Rivera y Damas, El Salvador's Roman Catholic Archbishop and an outspoken human rights critic, dies of a heart attack at the age of 71 (AFP 26 Nov. 1994). Rivera y Damas is credited with mediating the country's first round of peace talks in October 1984 (ibid.).

REFERENCES

ACAN [Panama City, in Spanish]. 25 November 1993. "ARENA Member Shot Dead in Morazan." (FBIS-LAT-93-226 26 Nov. 1993, p. 15)

Agence France Presse (AFP). 26 November 1994. "Salvadorean Human Rights Defender, Archbishop Arturo Rivera y Damas, Dies." (NEXIS)

Agence France Presse (AFP). 8 December 1993. "U.N., El Salvador Form Commission to Investigate Death Squads." (NEXIS)

Agence France Presse (AFP). 1 November 1993. Renewed Violence Raises Concerns in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

Agence France Presse (AFP). 31 October 1993. "Another Former Rebel Leader Shot Dead in San Salvador." (NEXIS)

Amnesty International (AI). 22 June 1994. Urgent Action. (AI Index: AMR 29/11/94). London: Amnesty International.

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The Associated Press (AP). 15 February 1994. "Governing Party Says Two Activists Murdered." (NEXIS)

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 2 September 1994. Vol. 21, No. 33. "El Salvador: ONUSAL Releases XI Human Rights Report."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 26 August 1994. Vol. 21, No. 32. "El Salvador: Military and Police Officers Under Arrest."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 3 June 1994. Vol. 21, No. 20. "El Salvador: Presidential Inauguration."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 27 May 1994. Vol. 21, No. 19. "El Salvador: Tenth ONUSAL Report."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 6 May 1994. Vol. 21, No. 16. "El Salvador: New Legislative Assembly."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 8 April 1994. Vol. 21, No. 12. "El Salvador: Election Results Finalized."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 18 March 1994. Vol. 21, No. 10. "El Salvador: Human Rights Situation Upgraded."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 18 February 1994a. Vol. 21, No. 6. "El Salvador: Tough New Arms Control Law."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 18 February 1994b. Vol. 21, No. 6. "PN Demobilization Suspended."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 28 January 1994. Vol. 21, No. 3. "El Salvador: The Left Unites."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 21 January 1994. Vol. 21, No. 2. "El Salvador: Rampant Violence."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 17 December 1993. "El Salvador: Campaigns Begin with Reforms."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 19 November 1993. Vol. 20, No. 44. "Feminist Conference."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 5 November 1993. Vol. 20, No. 42. "Bloody Week for FMLN."

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 22 October 1993. Vol. 20, No. 40. "El Salvador: Human Rights Violations Up."

Central America Update [Toronto]. November-December 1993. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Gender: Latin American and Caribbean Feminists Meet in El Salvador."

Chicago Tribune. 29 March 1994. North Sports Final Edition. "Salvadoran Politician is Slain." (NEXIS)

The Christian Science Monitor [Boston]. 21 December 1993. Lucía Mouat. "Wave of Violence Threatens Salvadoran Vote." (NEXIS)

Committee for Peace and Democracy in El Salvador (COPADES). April 1994. One Step Forward: Elections in El Salvador. Ottawa: COPADES.

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES). 11 November 1994. Action Alert. "Top FPL-FMLN Leader Assassinated; Two Others Wounded in San Salvador Attack." (Web)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

The Dallas Morning News. 18 December 1993. "Salvadoran Hopeful's Residence is Bombed." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 13-26 Dec. 1993, Vol. 8, No. 23, p. 3)

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) [Hamburg, in Spanish]. 20 January 1994. "OAS Representative Killed in Cuscatlan." (FBIS-LAT-94-015 24 Jan. 1994, p. 31)

Le Devoir [Montreal]. 8 May 1994. "Démission au Salvador." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 3-9 May 1994, Vol. 7, No. 19, p. 68)

Le Devoir [Montreal]. 10 December 1993. "Encore un dirigeant du FMLN assassiné." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 7-13 Dec. 1993, Vol. 6, No. 24, p. 75)

Le Devoir [Montreal]. 9 December 1993. "Commission sur les escadrons." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 7-13 Dec. 1993, Vol. 6, No. 24, p. 77)

The Economist [London]. 19 August 1994. "El Salvador: Blind, at Last." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 16-22 Aug. 1994, Vol. 8, No., 7, p. 15)

The Economist [London]. 22 July 1994. "El Salvador: Kidnap." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 19-25 July 1994, Vol. 8, No. 3, p. 7)

The Economist [London]. 19 November 1993. "El Salvador: Terror Returns." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 16-22 Nov. 1994, Vol. 6, No. 21, p. 63)

El Diario de Hoy [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 28 September 1994. "Deputies React to Occupation of Assembly." (FBIS-LAT-94-189 29 Sept. 1994, pp. 18-19)

El Mundo [San Salvador, in Spanish). 17 December 1993. "FMLN Accuses Death Squads of Killing Peasants." (FBIS-LAT-93-242 20 Dec. 1993, p. 17)

Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), San José, Costa Rica. 30 September 1993. "Political Persecution of Feminists in El Salvador: A Violation of Women's Human Rights." (Human Rights Internet collection)

FOCUS on Human Rights in El Salvador [Ottawa]. 5 October 1993. "Latin American and Caribbean Women Congress Draws the Attention of the Salvadoran Right."

The Guardian [London]. 11 November 1993. Michael Reid. "UN Investigates Return of Salvador Death Squads." (NEXIS)

Hemisphere Initiatives. July 1994. El Salvador: Elections of the Century. Cambridge, Mass.: Hemisphere Initiatives.

Hemisphere Initiatives. September 1993. Risking Failure: The Problems and Promise of the New Civilian Police in El Salvador. Edited by George Vickers and Jack Spence. Cambridge, Mass.: Hemisphere Initiatives.

Houston Chronicle. 28 January 1994. "El Salvador Short by $682 Million on '92 Peace Accord." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 24 Jan.-6 Feb. 1994, Vol. 8, No. 26, p. 3)

Human Rights Watch. December 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1994. New York: Human Rights Watch.

The Independent [London]. 11 November 1993. Phil Davison. "Death Squads in El Salvador on Prowl Again." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 9-15 Nov. 1993, Vol. 6, No. 20, p. 57)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 26 November 1994. "UN Security Council Extends Observer Mission." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 14-27 Nov. 1994, Vol. 9, No. 21, p. 4)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 22 October 1994. Juan José Dalton. "FMLN Leader Villalobos Arrested." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 17-30 Oct. 1994, Vol. 9, No. 19, p. 4)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 24 August 1994. Juan José Dalton. "El Salvador: Violent Crime Increasing in Overcrowded Prisons." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 18 August 1994. "El Salvador: Disgruntled Former Troops Threaten Sabotage." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 25 July 1994. "El Salvador: Peasant Leader Assassinated." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 25 July-7 Aug. 1994, Vol. 9, No. 13, p. 4)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 5 July 1994. "El Salvador: Lack of Supreme Court Threatens Fragile Democracy." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 9 June 1994. "El Salvador: Opposition United Against Demonstration Ban." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 8 June 1994. Juan José Dalton. "El Salvador: Death Squad Resurfaces with New Threats." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 31 May 1994. "Civil Police Create Anti-Kidnapping Force." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 30 May-12 June 1994, Vol. 9, No. 9, p. 3)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 30 May 1994. "UN Renews Mandate of Observer Mission." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 30 May-12 June 1994, Vol. 9, No. 9, p. 3)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 23 May 1994a. "Death Squad Founder's Son Wounded in Attack." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 16-29 May 1994, Vol. 9, No. 8, p. 3)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 23 May 1994b. "Impunity Persists, Says Ex-Guerrilla." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 16-29 May 1994, Vol. 9, No. 8, p. 2)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 21 May 1994. "Divisions Within the FMLN Will Not Affect Peace, According to the U.N." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 16-29 May 1994, Vol. 9, No. 8, p. 2)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 20 January 1994. "El Salvador: Panamanian IIAC Technician Assassinated." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 11 January 1994. Juan José Dalton. "El Salvador: Killings Will Discredit '94 Elections, FMLN Warns." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 1 September 1993. "El Salvador: Political Crimes Increasing, Warns ONUSAL." (NEXIS)

La Jornada [Mexico City]. 16 February 1994. "ARENA Denounces the Killing of Two of Its Members." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 7-20 Feb. 1994, Vol. 9, No. 1, p. 2)

Latin American Regional Reports [London]. 27 January 1994. "El Salvador: Truth a Victim of the 1980s 'Dirty War'." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 25-31 Jan. 1994, Vol. 7, No. 5, p. 15)

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 14 July 1994. "El Salvador: Police Disbanded." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 12-18 July 1994, Vol. 8, No. 2, p. 4)

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 12 May 1994. "FMLN Split." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 10-16 May 1994, Vol. 7, No. 20, p. 73)

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 5 May 1994. "Salvadorean Voters Give Calderón Sol a Two-to-One Victory over Zamora." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 3-9 May 1994, Vol. 7, No. 19, p. 69)

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. 9 December 1993. "El Salvador: Arena Targeted." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 7-13 Dec. 1993, Vol. 6, No. 24, p. 78)

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1 September 1994. Vol. 26, No. 25. "El Salvador: Jail Violence."

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights (LCHR). July 1994. Critique: Review of the Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993. New York: LCHR.

La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH. 8 September 1994. No. 554/555. "El Salvador: Nouvel assassinat d'une militante des droits de l'homme. Communiqué de la CDHES, affiliée à la FIDH." (Publication of the Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme)

Los Angeles Times. 8 July 1994. Tracy Wilkinson. "Cop's Alleged Role in Heist May Be Last Straw in Salvador." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 11-24 July 1994, Vol. 9, No. 12, p. 2)

Los Angeles Times. 19 December 1993. Home Edition. Sandra Hernandez. "Rally for Salvadoran Candidate Protested." (NEXIS)

Los Angeles Times. 26 October 1993. Home Edition. Tracy Wilkinson. "Leading Leftist Politician Assassinated in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

Le Monde diplomatique [Paris]. June 1994. Erika Julien. "Divisions chez les anciens guérilleros salvadoriens." (DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa], 7-13 June 1994, Vol. 7, No. 24, p. 85)

The New York Times. 25 November 1993. Final Edition. Clifford Krauss. "A Salvador Denial on Death Squads." (NEXIS)

News from Americas Watch [New York]. March 1994. Vol. 6, No. 4. "El Salvador: Darkening Horizons: Human Rights on the Eve of the March 1994 Elections."

La Prensa Grafica [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 13 August 1994. "Calderon Orders Creation of Investigative Honor Tribunals." (FBIS-LAT-94-159 17 Aug. 1994, pp. 22-23)

Radio Cadena [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 28 September 1994. "Assembly Occupation Ends." (FBIS-LAT-94-189 29 Sept. 1994, p. 19)

Radio Cadena [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 14 March 1994. "Arena Communique Reports Attack on Marchers." (FBIS-LAT-94-050 15 Mar. 1994, pp. 18-19)

Radio Cadena [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 20 December 1993. "Three Left-Wing Parties Form Election Coalition." (FBIS-LAT-93-243 21 Dec. 1993, p. 19)

Radio Cadena [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 8 December 1993. "Swears in Investigative Commission." (FBIS-LAT-93-235 9 Dec. 1993, p. 26)

Radio Farabundo Marti Network [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 17 December 1993. "PDC Leader Blames Death Squads for Attack." (FBIS-LAT-93-242 20 Dec. 1993, pp. 16-17)

Report from El Salvador [Los Angeles]. 25 October-1 November 1993. Vol. 4, No. 39. (Publication of El Rescate/Fundación Flor de Izote)

Reporte Semanal El Salvador [San Salvador]. 7-14 November 1994. Vol. 5, No. 43. (Web)

Reuters. 28 September 1994. BC Cycle. "Salvadoran Ex-Soldiers End Protest, Free 27 Deputies." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 27 May 1994. BC Cycle. "U.N. Backs New Salvador Peace Accord Timetable." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 27 April 1994. BC Cycle. "Salvador Issues Final Election Results." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 6 April 1994. BC Cycle. Alberto Barrera. "Salvador Ruling Party Won March Legislative Elections." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 28 March 1994. BC Cycle. "Leftist Politician Shot Dead in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 12 March 1994. BC Cycle. Kieran Murray. "Violence Mars End of Salvador Ruling Party Campaign." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 21 February 1994. BC Cycle. "Third Killing Shakes Salvador Ruling Party." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 14 January 1994. BC Cycle. "Salvador Opposition Says Death Squads Inside Army." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 20 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Former Salvadoran Rebels Drop Death Squad Charge." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 19 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Salvador Church Urges Death Squad Investigation." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 13 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Gang of Gunmen Kill Six People in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 10 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Salvador Ex-Rebels Blame Death Squads for Murder." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 9 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Gunmen Kill Former Rebel Commander in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 5 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Ex-Rebels in Salvador Pick Mayoral Candidate." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 2 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Gunmen Kill Salvadoran Army Officer." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 1 December 1993. BC Cycle. "Gunmen Kill Two Salvadoran Policemen." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 25 October 1993. BC Cycle. "Gunmen Kill Former Salvador Rebel Leader." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 31 August 1993. BC Cycle. "Women Protest Discrimination in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

The San Francisco Examiner. 20 February 1994. Matthew Carr. "El Salvador in Grip of Rampant Crime." (Central America NewsPak [Austin], 21 Feb.-6 Mar. 1994, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 2-3)

This Week [Guatemala City]. 31 October 1994. Vol. 17, No. 40. "Salvador: Salvadoran Right Suffers Losses."

This Week [Guatemala City]. 10 October 1994. Vol. 17, No. 37. "Salvador: UN Peace Keepers Remain in Place."

United Nations, Committee on the Rights of the Child. 18 October 1993. (CRC/C/15/Add.9). Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties under Article 44 of the Convention; Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child: El Salvador.

United Nations, General Assembly, Security Council. 28 July 1994. (A/49/281 S/1994/886). The Situation in Central America: Procedures for the Establishment of a Firm and Lasting Peace and Progress in Fashioning a Region of Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Development.

United Nations, General Assembly, Security Council. 5 April 1994. (A/49/116 S/1994/385). The Situation in Central America: Procedures for the Establishment of a Firm and Lasting Peace and Progress in Fashioning a Region of Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Development.

United Nations, General Assembly, Security Council. 15 September 1993. (A/47/1012 S/26416). The Situation in Central America: Procedures for the Establishment of a Firm and Lasting Peace and Progress in Fashioning a Region of Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Development.

United Nations, Security Council. 22 October 1994. (S/1994/989). Letter Dated 11 August 1994 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council.

United Nations, Security Council. 10 October 1994. (S/1994/1144). Letter Dated 6 October 1994 from the Secretary-General Addressed to the President of the Security Council.

United Nations, Security Council. 26 August 1994. (S/1994/1000). Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador.

The United Press International (UPI). 23 November 1994. BC Cycle. "Salvadoran Judge Clears Former Rebel." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 6 October 1994. BC Cycle. Daniel Alder. "Salvadoran Court Rules Against Ex-Rebel." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 1 June 1994. Daniel Alder. BC Cycle. "Salvadoran Post-War President Sworn In." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 19 May 1994. BC Cycle. "Salvadoran Legislator's Car Attacked." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 24 January 1994. BC Cycle. "Official's Death Under Investigation in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 11 January 1994. BC Cycle. "Candidate for Former Guerrillas Slain in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 20 November 1993. BC Cycle. "Historic Election Campaign Begins in El Salvador." (NEXIS)

The United Press International (UPI). 9 November 1993. BC Cycle. "FMLN Blames New Killing on Death Squads." (NEXIS)

La Voz [San Salvador]. November-December 1993. Vol. 1, No. 12. "The Family Law Code: A Step Toward Equal Rights and Obligations." (Publication of the Human Rights Commission of El Salvador/CDHES)

The Xinhua News Agency. 28 July 1994. "New Supreme Court Head Elected in El Salvador." (NEXIS)