In late January 1932, thousands of peasants rose up in rebellion throughout western El Salvador and attacked roughly one dozen municipalities. They killed between 50 and 100 people and damaged various properties. After recovering from surprise at the rebellion, the Salvadoran army routed the rebels quickly. Over the next two weeks, soldiers and paramilitaries went on a murderous rampage, killing anywhere between 10,000 to 30,000 people. Known as the matanza or “massacre,” the killing represents one of the worst episodes of state-sponsored terror in modern Latin American history.
An event of such magnitude has naturally drawn much inquiry. Unfortunately, primary sources have been lacking. In regard to new evidence, To Rise in Darkness by Jeffrey Gould and Aldo Lauria-Santiago makes a significant contribution. The authors gathered over 200 oral testimonies from aged inhabitants who were alive in 1932 or from their descendents who preserved family stories. Those interviews complement two...
