El Salvador: From the paradox of peace to social warfare

The Peace Agreements of 1992 brought an end to the armed conflict in El Salvador and transformed the country’s political life, but they also left the way open for social violence to flourish. This book, originally the author’s PhD thesis, explores the military, political and social dynamics involved in producing this paradox of peace, and identifies what must still be done for El Salvador to achieve a peaceful society in all respects. TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Note INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: CONSTRUCTION OF VIOLENCE AND WAR 1.1 Independence from Spain: The more things change, the more they stay the same 1.2 Construction of fractures, exclusion, and pillars of power 1.3 Violence as a permanent feature in El Salvador’s history 1.4 A closed system unable and unwilling to reform 1.5 The run-up to war CHAPTER II OVERVIEW OF NEGOTIATION EFFORTS TO END THE WAR 2.1 Early efforts to bring the war to an end – 1980-1983 2.2 Negotiation efforts – 1984-1989 2.3 Humanitarian negotiations and agreements and civic foreign policy during the war 2.4 Negotiation efforts – 1989-1992 CHAPTER III NEGOTIATION UNDER UN AUSPICES: PEACE AGREEMENTS, CONTENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION 3.1 Structure of the Peace Agreements 3.2 Content and extent of the Peace Agreements 3.3 Implementation and significance of the Peace Agreements 3.4 What made the Peace Agreements possible? 3.5 Luck and serendipity in the Salvadoran process 3.6 Shortcomings of the Peace Agreements CHAPTER IV IMPUNITY AND LACK OF JUSTICE: THE PRICE OF PEACE? 4.1 Human rights situation at the end of the war: Report of the Commission on the Truth 4.2 General Amnesty Law: Applied in El Salvador, rejected by victims and the international community 4.3 Supreme Court’s decision to declare the General Amnesty Law unconstitutional 4.4 General principles of transitional justice 4.5 Retroactive transitional justice in El Salvador 4.6 Transitional justice measures adopted since the war’s end 4.7 Assessment CHAPTER V CONSTRUCTION OF PEACE AND ECONOMIC MATTERS 5.1 Economic reforms at the beginning of the war: Nationalization and agrarian reform 5.2 Economic reforms towards the end of the war: Denationalization and rollback of the agrarian reform 5.3 Economic issues in the Peace Agreements 5.4 Implementation of provisions of the Peace Agreements 5.5 Neoliberal reforms 5.6 Economy under FMLN governments 5.7 Assessment CHAPTER VI FROM POLITICAL PEACE TO SOCIAL WAR 6.1 Mano Dura and Super Mano Dura 6.2 Truce between 6.3 Plan El Salvador Seguro 6.4 Internal displacement and exile due to 6.5 Human rights violations 6.6 Risks to democratic consolidation and economic development: the need to break out of the cycle of violence CHAPTER VII BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVES 7.1 Liberal peace framework 7.2 Success of the Peace Agreements 7.3 Shortcomings of the Peace Agreements 7.4 The four fractures and the three pillars of power after the Peace Agreements 7.5 Violence and social war 7.6 The urgent need for a new consensus: National integration 7.7 Final comments EPILOGUE BIBLIOGRAPHY