The El Salvador Civil War - my memories

The El Salvador civil war started in 1980 and ended in 1992. During this time, many innocent people suffered and many others left the country looking for peace and a better life.

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I was young when it started but I remember hearing about bombings, obeying curfews, and seeing some boys from my class get drafted into military service… we were only in grade 5.

We were fortunate though, we lived right in the city of San Vicente where it was relatively safer. I remember, maybe 5 times, when actual fighting between the 2 groups happened right on our block. During these times, we had to hide in the back of the house and sit on the floor for hours…

It was much worse in other parts of the country where there was fighting everyday and it could start in any place at any moment of the day… if you just happened to be going to the market at that moment, you could find yourself in the middle of it all.

Suddenly, I started noticing refugee camps near our house and although I didn't quite understand why they were there, I knew that they had left their farms, cattle and all they had behind.

The El Salvador civil war ended almost 20 years ago, but inevitably, scars still remain fresh in the memories of many people who were old enough to understand and feel its effects.

With the goal of helping people with the very difficult process of healing from the El Salvador civil war, the Museum of the Salvadorian Revolution was created and opened to the public.

This museum is located in Perquin, Morazan (picture above). This was a stronghold of the guerrillas, the tiny town of Perquin is situated on the mountainous region nearing the border with Honduras and it basically became their headquarters.

Now, don't expect a fancy, air conditioned building. The museum is composed of a series of small, simple houses that were there during the war.

The whitewashed houses actually tell a story of their own.

Former guerrillas will serve as tour guides during your visit to the museum and will tell the story of the El Salvador civil war the way those fighting in it saw it.

Some of the displays include weapons, government photos, posters, correspondence received from foreign countries and the partly destroyed helicopter where the feared colonel Domingo Monterrosa was killed (picture above). There are also photos of teenage boys and girls who fought on the front lines.

Next you will probably visit the building that housed the clandestine Radio Venceremos. The radio station created by the guerrillas, played revolutionary themed music, gave updates about the war and was also used to attract new followers.

As I said earlier, the museum of the Salvadorian revolution is not a fancy place and it is isolated but it gives a very clear and real picture of what the El Salvador civil war was like for those fighting in it as well as for the innocent people caught in the middle of it.

Getting to the museum of the El Salvador revolution can be a little difficult. It is better to make arrangements with a tour company that has experience in going there so you can enjoy the trip more.

If you are adventurous, you can also take public transportation… you would first have to get to the San Miguel bus terminal and in San Miguel catch a bus to San Francisco Gotera.

In San Francisco Gotera you would have to transfer to, most likely, the back of a pick up truck and travel Salvadorian style the rest of the way.

You think you're up for it? This is what it would be like...

If you are in San Miguel already, you can also negotiate with a taxi driver to take you there and back if you want. Just make sure you negotiate the cost, never pay the first rate he gives you.

So, if you are up for the adventure, unusual sights and want to know more about the El Salvador civil war, go take a look at the museum of the Salvadorian revolution, it will be a very unique experience.