El Mozote
Memory site of the December 1981 massacre, in the district of Meanguera.
About El Mozote
El Mozote is a small village in the Meanguera district, in the northern part of Morazán, where between December 11 and 13, 1981, the Salvadoran army killed the civilian population of the community and neighboring cantons. Today, it is a site of remembrance: in the central square, there is a monument with a wall bearing the names of the identified victims, and a garden dedicated to the children. It is visited as part of the Route of Peace.
Details
Hours
Mon-Sun 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Best time to visit
Open to the public. It is advisable to go with a local guide.
Highlight
Memory site
Brief History
The massacre occurred between December 11 and 13, 1981, during a military operation in northern Morazán. A total of 966 victims were identified, mostly women, girls, and boys, making it the largest massacre committed by the army during the Salvadoran civil war and one of the most severe in recent Latin American history. Rufina Amaya, a survivor, was the one who provided the testimony that allowed the events to become publicly known, despite being denied at the time. Exhumations began in 1992, after the war ended, conducted by an Argentine forensic team; more than 700 bodies were buried in the monument that now occupies the square. Rufina Amaya passed away in 2007 and is buried at the site alongside the victims.
Location & Map
Visit Tips
It is a site of mourning: it should be visited with the same respect as a cemetery.
There are local guides, some of whom are family members of the victims; listening to them completely changes the visit.
It is visited along with Perquín as part of the Route of Peace.
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