Una guerra en lagrimas. history.

a little while back we talked about the importance of knowing the country's history. well this cannot be more true than in el salvador. almost 20 years ago el salvador went through a horrible civil war. and most of the people continue to carry in their hearts and minds the effects and devastation this war brought to el salvador.
my own family was heavily affected by the war. grandma and uncle (who at the time was five) were taken by the escuadron de la muerte ( the squadron of death). usually this group terrorized the people kidnapped civilians who spoke up, tortured them and left their torn up bodies by the side of the road. the bodies of my grandma and uncle were never found. this has changed my father for ever. it wasn't until recently that i saw a picture of what my grandma and uncle looked like. there is one picture of them at the beach, and this is the only picture the family was able to rescue.
knowing this history helps me relate to the people, since almost all of the people have either lost a close relative themselves of know of someone who has.
the lady who i will be staying with lost her mother in the war as well. it is a very delicate subject. her mother's body was never found either. it is hard to find closure about their deaths since their bodies are still somewhere in the ground of our nation. i can't help to wonder, "what if they are still alive?" maybe taken as slaves some place. especially my uncle walter. he could have been taken someplace and told he was someone else. it is very unlikely, but it is still things i think about. it is still things and possibilities all salvadorans still think about.

 a war that lingers in our hearts