Unfinished Sentences has what looks to be a great resource on oral testimonies from the Salvadoran civil war.
The Unfinished Sentences Testimony Archive is composed of oral histories shared by 48 people who were residents of the community of Arcatao, in the department of Chalatenango, El Salvador, during the period of the Salvadoran civil war. More than 170 interview excerpts tell the story of the civil war from the perspective of people who experienced it first-hand. The testimonies are organized into thematic "Chapters" that focus on different aspects of the conflict in roughly chronological order. Click "Search" to browse all testimonies. Click "More Information" for details about the creation of the archive and additional resources for users and instructors.
Due to the nature of the experiences discussed in the testimonies, users may find the contents of the archive disturbing: topics include rape, torture, death, and severe hardship. On the other hand, the archive also features narratives of resilience, survival, and mutual assistance in triumphing over adversity.
I spent a night in Arcatao in June 2008. The testimonies are very powerful. We heard stories about life on the run from the military. FMLN rebels were trying to guide the population to safety. However, at times, the people could no longer run and were instead forced to hide in caves in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, crying babies threatened to expose all those who had fled the soldiers. Others died crossing the river separating Chalatenango from Honduras.
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