800×600
of Liberation Theology embraced
by progressive Catholicism burst
into national life and the
socio-political crisis in El Salvador).
“Fidel Zarco”
from Spanish by Luis Romero
our family, the orientation received from our parents, the difficult life of
our time as well as the injustices seen in that epoch like the case of Maura’s
sister. Maura’s sister was murdered
while she was in labour in a cornfield and then, to save the murderer, she was
accused of stealing corn. It is also to
remember the loss of Chemita (our younger brother) and its consequences, the Christian work displayed
by the catechists trained in the light of the Theology
of Liberation and their great organizational activity
with young people in the rural communities of Jiquilisco, Unwillingly, I had
an example of Christian values to help me interpret the
reality we lived in.
It is also to remember the great event of Hilda’s wedding, her young family and
their prosperity which was all too soon truncated by the civil war. Eventually Hilda became Team Organizer
in the Angela Montano area in eastern El
Salvador during the civil war.
mentioned in a previous story,
in which a couple of tragic events
of our family history are described as
part of experiences that we lived during childhood. The stories describe Hilda’s involvement in
the community, teaching either literacy or catechism as
well as celebrating the Gospel with the approach of the
social aspect of the Church, the Theology of Liberation. The social current of the Catholic Church
that blew all over Latin America was based on the Vatican Council II and in the light of CELAM[1], Medellin–Colombia. . Its
practice by Hilda and incidence in
the canton and surrounding areas left its mark there,
as well as on my training and subsequent practice.
of my primary years in The Federal School, Jiquilisco is my sister’s facial expression. I see her at 12 years of age,
her eyes tearful and a paila cuartillera on her head carrying
the corn to grind at the mill in
the village. Even though she was
studying in a different school, I recall that we travelled together for about
four years to the village. Hilda refused
to continue her schooling after she completed primary, preferring to help
our mother in the household chores and involving herself in community activities including the celebration
of the Gospel once she had been trained
as a catechist in the education centre
for young peasants, Los Naranjos[2].
Chemita, who was just seven years old, had different effects in each member of
the family. As we were all of different
ages we each reacted in our own way to the trauma of that moment. . The simple expression and
somewhat evasive interaction of
my father was accentuated, the cries
and lamentations of my mother increased until she suffered a chronic sickening depression.
We, the children, did not comment on the family tragedy, but it was evident that
we had a common sorrow: our little brother disappeared violently from our side. Our home was
never the same as before. Such a loss made
our parents more aware of our presence and more vigilant of our movements and activities. There was a
soccer field just three hundred meters away from our home, which we attended occasionally, and it was an opportunity
to meet most of the canton
youths who gathered to practice the popular sport of soccer. Our
visits to the soccer field became more restricted.
Maria Hilda, Fidel Angel down to Jose Maria (Chemita), were brought up with
strong moral family values, with a
Christian faith instilled without many words but by example from Jose Dolores and Maria Sipriana, our
parents. We attended Mass in the town parish
on Sundays. The agricultural work
that my father did and the church were
our first socializing events and the
school was added later.
I recall my old
father, mi Viejo[3], since
I never saw him
young, as having a
simple and
an austere life, always wearing a thin rope
tied around his waist as a signal
of being devoted to St. Francis de Asís.
After the daily tasks of
the week, we used to make trips to the mangroves of the Bay of Jiquilisco in order to pull some punches[4],
crabs and curiles[5]
and add some protein to the family
basket. The Franciscan
rope was discovered by children’s curiosity on one occasion, as we swam in the pool
of a river that crossed the mangroves to cleanse the mud. As a member of the Knights of Christ the King, he was one
of the organizers of the religious processions
during the patron saint festivities in town, and carried the Holy Burial during
the Easter week.
the family year was the Patron festivity
of Jiquilisco at the end of August because of all its
implications: some new cloth, getting on fun fair rides
and without fail the religious celebrations and the fireworks at dawn accompanied by the regimental band.
We laughed for joy watching the screaming riders on the Carousel and other machines. The central park was not large enough for all
the visitors from the neighbouring cantons.
On weekends, attending
the Sunday Mass and buying the newspaper was our family routine. Unlike other children we were not allowed to play at others
‘houses. “You have permission to play here but not in other’s house” declared
our protective mother. However neighbouring
children
came to play with us in our house. We
organized all sorts of group games with marbles, cashew nuts, hide and seek and
of course played soccer with a rag ball, kicking it to improvised goals. We had our own group of friends according to the
places we frequented. Hilda had her own
group of female friends in the church.
She began
to frequent it more due to the activities in which she participated. . Earlier, we had made a
moral commitment to teach reading and writing to a group of boys and girls of
the village. We even bought a
blackboard and held lessons at the end of the
day, when just getting dark, so that there was no interference
with the regular farming tasks in which we all took part. Hilda was the one who organized this literacy
group made up of peasant children who had no opportunity to attend school.
The Christian education that started at home continued with the catechetical work in the parish which was conducted by Father Juan Macho. Years later Father Macho was one of the priests who opened the education centre for young peasants, Los Naranjos, which was located just a few blocks away from home. Maria Hilda quickly met the requirements for her sacrament of First Communion. Every night, my mother checked Hilda’s memory of those long and boring prayers that were recited in Latin without understanding their meaning. That was the custom and, in turn she too made the literacy group repeat the prayers to be memorized. For my part, despite her insistence, I never wanted to join, insisting in turn: “I have my own Catechesis with the fat and hairless Father of the parish, Zacarias”. Indeed, the Federal school this Passionist priest[6] came to give us doctrine two hours per week. It was fun for us because all the children from my class surrounded the priest and touched his hairless head, upon which he pretended to defend himself, laughing as he feinted to kick us. I received the Catechesis to prepare myself for the first Communion during grade six.
Hilda was highly motivated imparting literacy and Catechesis, teaching what she had learned to all the children of the neighbourhood. Through this experience she developed abilities of leading groups and keeping them motivated and interested. The disadvantaged peasant children wanted to learn reading and writing and also fulfil their sacraments. In that way, Hilda became increasingly involved in youth activities in the church and the canton, finally becoming member of the group that inaugurated the Education Centre for Young Peasants, Los Naranjos. Here the young peasants learned the philosophy of the Vatican Council II, the guidelines of CELAM, and with the approach of the Theology of Liberation. As a member of the pioneer group of that institution, Hilda undertook several courses, after which she and the other trainees taught what they had learned. The biblical readings were discussed in the new groups and adapted to the realities of the moment before being discussed again at assemblies of farmhouses. These meetings and assemblies were called celebration of The Word.
Some of the ideas of the Theology of Liberation[7] are:
1. Christian salvation cannot exist without freedom on the economic, political, social and ideological areas, as visible signs of human dignity (see item 11).
2. Eliminating poverty, exploitation, lack of opportunities and injustices of this world.
3. Ensure access to education and health
4. Liberation as awareness of the Latin-American socioeconomic reality.
5. Continual reflection of the human on themselves to develop a creative attitude for their own benefit and that of society.
6. The current situation of most Latin Americans contradicts the historical Plan of God and poverty is a social sin.
7. There are not only sinners; there are victims of sin who need justice and restoration. We all are sinners but in particular we need to distinguish between the victim and the victimizer.
8. To become aware of the class struggle always opting for the poor.
9. Affirm the democratic system, deepening the awareness of the masses about their true enemies to transform the existing system.
10. Create a «new man» as an essential prerequisite for the success of social transformation. Men, who are in solidarity and creative, engine of human activity as opposed to the capitalist mentality of speculation and profit motive.
11. The free acceptance of the evangelical doctrine, i.e. the person primarily seeks decent living conditions and later his evangelical indoctrination if the person wants. Not like previously was done: while Christian missions gave food, people proclaimed to be Christian.
On the other hand and, looking beyond our family and local environment, it happened that at the end of the sixties, several factors coincided in El Salvador that led to the explosive socio-political crisis that had been brewing in the country: The agro-export and developing economic models that were implemented within the framework of the Central American regional market, MERCOMUN, suffers a breakdown as result of its protectionist measures of local interests which were implemented by the government of Honduras. Honduran land reform and changes in trade and migration policies targeted Salvadorian people. As a consequence, the government expels about 300 000 who cannot be absorbed occupationally in their home country, El Salvador, adding to the existing 70% urban unemployment as well as to more than 60% of peasants without land ownership. Unifying all sectors based on nationalism and temporarily hiding the internal crisis which was like a pressure cooker, the Salvadorian army invades Honduras without a declaration of war. The
Liberation Theology that emerged in
that decade, having at its base the answer on how to make the faith
transcend and free the person rather than alienating them, makes its arrival in
El Salvador, just at the precise moment
when the political and economic crisis arises. With
fresh ideas on the interpretation
of biblical texts and explaining the social reality
in a consciousness raising way,
people take ownership of their
reality, pushing to change their
environment for the benefit of themselves
and the community. The progressive
clergy embraces it introducing these
ideas into the catechist courses
in their pastoral work.
system, is both a sign and safeguard
of the transcendent character of the
human person (G.S. 76). But it is not a transcendence that is out of the human. It is in transcending the human from within
that the Church finds and realizes the Kingdom of God that Jesus promised and continues
proclaiming through the service of his Church”[8]
In El Salvador, the first pastoral missions started working in 1969 among the returnees from Honduras; however the regular work of evangelization became widespread in 1972 in close relationship with the radicalization that was caused by the outcome of the presidential elections. The ruling party fraudulently stole victory from a coalition of opposition parties[9]. The pastoral groups started missions in 13 parishes located in the departments of Chalatenango, Morazán, Usulután, San Vicente, San Salvador, Cuscatlán and La Libertad [10]. The owners of capital and the government with its repressive apparatus frowned on those training centres because they generated a high level of organization and interpretation of the peasant’s reality as they adapted the biblical texts in the light of their local reality. The organized and aware peasant was an unwelcome and inconvenient arrival.
The catechesis centres, like El Castaño y Los Naranjos in Jiquilisco, harboured young peasants who undertook courses in the light of the liberating social current of the church.
… «Historically peasants are the ones whom society has been the least concerned for. John XXIII, who was never ashamed of his rural origins, called for the necessary changes so that peasants «do not suffer from an inferiority complex» (Mater et Magistra n. 125) and advised that «it was very convenient they associate … because, as it has rightly said, in our time isolated voices are as voices given to the wind «(ibid n. 146). The Second Vatican Council reminded that peasants not just want a better life but also «actively participate in the management of the economic, social, political and cultural life» (GS 9). And Paul VI, in his trip to Colombia, said solemnly to the peasants of Mosquera: «You have become aware of your needs and your sufferings and, like many others in the world, you cannot tolerate that these conditions continue forever without putting solicitous remedy.» And he reminded them that they should belong to the human family without discrimination, in a plane of brotherhood (Disc. To the camp. August 1968) «….
… «To better understand its relationship with the world, the Church has deepened also this other concept: the relationship between the history of mankind and the history of salvation. For many years we have come to think that the history of humanity, its joys and sorrows, achievements and failures, are somewhat provisional and temporary, minor in comparison to the final fulfilment that awaits Christians. It seemed that the history of mankind and the history of salvation ran parallel paths that only in eternity would gather. It seemed that our secular history, at best, it was not more than a trial run for the final salvation or damnation «….[11]
From the time she finished the first training in the centre Los Naranjos Hilda, known as “Gloribel” in the civil war, promoted the organization of the youth in the grassroots Christian communities. She was very active and mobile, visiting the work of grassroots communities throughout the village. To avoid any abuse of some clueless love or unseemly comments which were common in that surrounding as well as to soothe our concerned mother, I was appointed as her bound companion as I was her younger brother. I had to obey my mother who remained faithful to the custom in the village that a young woman had to be accompanied to care for her reputation while she was of marriageable age. That task of escorting falls to the smallest! As that was my role I reluctantly had to comply. I was near to adolescence and had already exchanged some curly glances with girls!
Unintentionally I witnessed Hilda’s work in the hamlets besides hearing the discussions that they did of the biblical texts in the light of the present reality that was lived. She travelled countless times to support organized youth groups during weekends. These groups carried out fundraising activities to build premises where they developed community activities which could be religious or social ones. Hilda was invited many times to lay the foundation stone of a new shrine or premises to be built; half of her time was spent in Christian community work. This gradually decreased when she acquired the commitment to marry, founding a family with a young man of a canton from another municipality[12] called Las Milpas. Although many locals fell in love with Hilda, the milpeño was the chosen one.
Many fell in love with Hilda but only one the elected: Enrique Romero
Enrique was tall, slim, with brunette complexion, strong hands, and liked to have a good cart and team of oxen as well as the best horse of the region. Hilda, on the other hand, was of average height, thin, brown skin, friendly, compassionate, and had a long and wavy dark hair. Without complications she always showed goodwill with a frank smile to those around her but was very serious in her acquired commitments.
On one day of many, a pair of young peasants came to our home, dressed in Sunday clothes and the appearance of merchants, looking for cattle and pigs to buy. I remember them very well because this visit was something unusual. They came in the northern corner of the land abutting the street, and passed through the midst of the wire fence under the shadow of lush foliage of carao and mango trees. Luis, my older brother, was also there. My brother had the habit of carrying a chair to review his lessons and prepare for the demanding tests of the teaching college under the tranquillity and freshness of the shade of two huge mango trees. The “merchant boys” arrived there, approaching Luis; they greeted him and identified themselves as Nacho[13] and Enrique Romero. Enrique struck up conversation with my brother as Nacho continued towards the house.
After that event, Luis Alonso and I started joking to Hilda on “the suspicious visit”. She turned red and gave no information, but we assumed that was Nacho the lucky one for being the one who came to the house. Strangely enough, a few weeks later, Enrique visited us alone and asked us if we would like to learn to play the guitar. In serious or joking, Luis replies, yes, that we would like to but had no guitar. Immediately afterwards, on another visit, Enrique came carrying a guitar for our lessons he had bought in San Marcos Lempa by the golden bridge. In this way, Enrique’s visits to our home became official with the complicity of Hilda’s brothers.
Their wedding was quite an event in the region. After the ceremony, the large patio of our home, covered with a huge Ramada made of coconut palms, was not large enough to house all the dancing youth and the general public who gathered during the party. They all gathered there before the arrival of the bride and the groom who were dressed as the custom of the time and place. I often heard discussions of how it was possible that an outsider came to conquer Hilda.
A couple of years ago in Australia I met a friend of a cantón next to ours who recalled the event as follows:
“…I remember that the wedding of Hilda with Enrique was the greatest event in my memory of childhood. I was not invited, but all the same, all who knew her wanted to go to her wedding. Hilda was very popular loved everywhere, which is why that large numbers of people of all ages came without being invited. There were a lot of people during the ceremony in the church as well as waiting in the detour to Jiqulisco two kilometres away. And from here, the musician, the people and the newlywed, as a cheerful procession, walked to the house with the sound of the music of the local band of the Mejia brothers”[14]
In six years the young couple built a stable economic unit as a result of the effort and energy of their youth. Enrique’s family land, formerly unused, became a fertile farm. The ranch where the fruit used to be wasted or left to rot was now lovingly tended and produced abundant harvest that was sold in the town by cartloads. They had barns full of corn and pastures with many cattle, but most importantly, the young couple had been rewarded with 4 beautiful children out of love. Enrique, had not only become a prosperous farmer in the region but also made time for trading in cattle. Although the pastoral participation of Maria Hilda had diminished, still the couple was well known and appreciated by all around. What happened then is that in the mid-seventies the strongest repression in the country began and the church was encompassed. In the days when father Rutilio Grande[15] was murdered, a slogan was coined by the government: «Be a patriot, kill a priest!»! And it was then that the murdering of priests and catechists began.
Within the Catholic Hierarchy in El Salvador, there were bishops and priests, who supported the positions of Colonel Molina’s government as well as the ones of his successor General Humberto Romero; both gave the endorsement to increase the persecution and repression for the followers of the Second Vatican and Medellin. During the Synod of Rome in 1977, Bishop Revelo from El Salvador before an assembly of bishops stated that: … “In El Salvador, catechesis was definitely indoctrinating people in Marxism and that the catechism texts themselves they used were a proof of it”…[16] This was the same position of GOES[17] with its structures of control and repression. These unfortunate statements by the bishop in Rome were as a green light for deepening the repression of priests, catechists, and organized people in general. Countless killings were everywhere as if they gave priority to members of the Christian communities.
“…Particularly this counterinsurgency policy is adopted by the Salvadoran government between 1977 and 1980, and the first call of attention about this counterinsurgent policy are the complaints and attacks through the media and religious orders. The most notable cases are the attacks against the Jesuits through the media, denouncing them as «agents of the international communism» and «front of the guerrillas.»
«Throughout the first half of 1977 appeared displayed in the press signed by the associations that made up the front of owners, in which they attacked the members of the Company of Jesus and the Church’s social doctrine emanating from the meeting of Medellin; flyers were distributed and legends appeared on the walls of the cities, which advised their inhabitants: «Be a patriot, kill a priest”…” [18]
During the funeral of Bishop Romero, Hilda and Enrique were present when Bishop Romero’s coffin was drawn from the central cathedral[19], the police began shooting people, and a massacre took place. That was shocking to most people, and that event really influenced my brother in law and my sister, who realized that it was no longer possible to reach any kind of political solution within the framework of legality.
«… In the period from 28/01/77 to 15/07/79: 69 threatened priests (by brigades of death squads) were expelled from the country and 6 killed (Rutilio Grande, Alfonso Navarro, Ernesto Barrera, Octavio Ortiz Luna, Rafael Palacios, Napoleon Alirio Macias, Bishop Romero Assassination… «[20]
One day in late 1980 at sunset, a young boy, known to them and of the same canton, came to notify them that in the mountainous part of their land, on a small hill, a militia’s camp of the FPL had been installed. It was the only place with forested conditions which could conceal a camp with those features and they requested secrecy. The war had come home to stay.
The rural repression increased and some months later, my brother in law went shopping riding on his spirited horse. He never came back, no one gave news of him, and he just disappeared[21]. His body was found already in an advanced state of decomposition. The villagers who found him buried him in the spot as unknown by the Km 98 of the coastal road, in the jurisdiction of Jiquilisco[22]. Before the murder of Enrique, Hilda moved three of her four young children to the custody of their grandparents, who lived in “El Taburete Claros”, keeping the eldest son with her in Las Milpas to have support in the housework and so that he could continue his first year in the nearby school. Months later, army soldiers arrived and burned her house with all their belongings, killing the livestock, etc. Hilda and her son escaped just moments before the arrival of the army, walking, separated, across the fields through different paths, and without any plan, reunited many hours later in the house of my parents located 8 kilometres away.
Given the urgent situation and extreme risk to herself, her children and our parents, Hilda had to make a quick and definitive decision on the path to follow in her life. Enrique had been decapitated, their house burned with all their belongings including the picturesque photos of the most renowned wedding of the region. Return and rebuild the property? Will there be any safety for the small and broken family? Hilda realizes that if she stays there, not even the house of our parents could provide safety. She had to make the most difficult decision of her life, a decision that thousands of compatriots had to take to avoid being killed by the extremely repressive system of a military government. Hilda had no other choice at the time: expect to be killed along with members of her family at any time or die clutching a rifle.
The night was well advanced, when with much emotional pain in the heart of a young mother and eyes clouded by tears; Hilda presses against her chest each one of her children individually, kissing them on the forehead. Then, kneeling on the dirt floor, she embraced them all together as a brave hen, covering her chicks with her wings to protect them from the claws of the chicken hawk. She then embraced and said goodbye to our aged parents, left the house and was lost in the darkness of the night. Hilda marched to war to protect her children, her parents, and to be consequent with her Christian principles and fight to make justice prevail. She joined the guerrilla group that had camped on their land months earlier. Being widely known and a natural leader in the local cantons and hamlets, Hilda was integrated into political-organizational tasks in the FPL. I know of that critical moment about Hilda’s life because I was told, by then I had been in Morazán camp for half a year.
We were both in the eastern part of the country during practically all of the civil war, but never met. I received only two letters written by her hand throughout ten years of war. A third letter on its way in1987 never arrived to my hands since Jeremías, of the Carrillo family of Jocoaitique, who travelled with permission from Jucuarán to Morazán, was ambushed in the hill Cacahuatique, lost his life and what he was carrying. According to the two letters, whose content I remember vaguely, her main personal concerns were the family, her little sons and daughters, our parents, and the family security. She was planning for us to meet in the town of Santiago de María at the end of the year and visit them. In the political arena, she was concerned about the unity in the FMLN and the coordination and complementarities between the different organizations. Pepe Obrero and Calín, political teams of the ERP, stationed in the Eastern region and working primarily in the south, made comments to me when attending political meetings that took place in the eastern camp of Morazán. I will include the content of a conversation with Pepe:
—I bring news about your sister Gloribel! Here is a letter written by her own hand, she wrote it as soon as she knew that I was going to a meeting with you in Morazán.
—Thank you Pepe, it is new for me to know about her and the family. She was married and with four little children before the war began.
—Ay! Mate! Read the letter and we talk after, I have a very good impression of her. Since she’s been in the organisational work in the Angela Montano front, everything has changed for the better in relation to us. Do you remember all the friction we had with “Paco Mal de Ojo”, who was stationed in the Jicaro when you were in the South? And that Guillermo came next in occasion of the logistics?
—Yes, I remember well … You have reminded me now. I also recall that you and Cirilo even made graffiti on the school walls making allusion to Marcial, for which Paco went with a complaint to Chelito Gonzalo. I believe that “Paco Mal de Ojo”[23] mimicked the solemnity they say Marcial has when he converses. He even wore a Lenin style beret, and he wanted all who were encamped under the name of the Front to put themselves at a state of attention when hearing the name Marcial… I believe that ‘compa’ was not right in the head; it’s the most extreme incidence I’ve seen in promoting the cult of personality, thank goodness that he was replaced by Guillermo[24].
—I want to get to that, note that since Gloribel arrived in those parts (all south east they call Angela Montano as I told you), everything has changed in the relationship with the ERP and the way they relate, the coordination, and there are no crossings or misunderstandings…
—I am glad Pepe that things have improved. The frictions in the past were funny; y however they had quite a damaging effect on the south.
In 1990 after the top offensive, and due to health reasons the FMLN sent me abroad for a complete medical check up, so I flew to Habana in Cubana de Aviación. In the airport of Cuba, while walking down the plane stairs, I met Esteban[25] who had been travelling in first class, so we had not seen each other during the flight; my ticket was economy class. I took the opportunity to ask him about Gloribel, saying she was my sister, and could he tell me anything about her. Facundo took out his diary and wrote: request report to Mayo Sibrián about Gloribel, sister of a Commander of the ERP. He said goodbye saying:
—Be assured that as soon as I get the reply I will send it to you where ever you are—. The war ended and again I met Facundo at the International Fair during the creation of COPAZ, where he was obliged to provide an explanation:
— I am sorry that I have not been able to find out about your sister yet. Do you know what happened to Mayo? Well, that has made it difficult, but be sure that I will find out—. Again he retreated.
When the war ended in December 1991 and while trying to move on with my private life, I started investigations about Hilda by my own means. Logically if she had not appeared and was not disabled, for sure she had fallen in combat or she had been affected by Mayo Sibrián’s paranoia. I felt indignation to think that she could be one more victim of that black episode of the FPL. Doing research with my sister who lived in Santiago de Maria and a nephew of the urban structure of the F’s, we got information that Hilda had fallen during the period of armed peace in a village where there is an enormous wooden cross at the foot of a small hill, where the road of the neighbourhood (village of La Cruz) makes a L, located between Berlin and the bridge Cuzcatlán. In 1994, when we arrived at the place in a four wheel drive vehicle, a peasant who knew Hilda told us the story that I summarize as follows:
«… Well, in that little house without tile and walls that you see beyond that small hill. All were sleeping there. As it was an armed peace, all felt quite safe. Commander Gloribel was the only one with a gun, they had collected the militia, there was a squad of about 30 boys, and she was the only woman. She had to take them at dawn to the other side where they would stay for a few days in the verification camps while they could be counted by ONUSAL to verify numbers … When at midnight the troops came by surprise, the comrades did not shoot, only the soldiers fired, killing them all. She, being the only woman, we buried her apart and I planted this bush garden … Right here is the commander Gloribel «[26]…
Dagoberto Gutiérrez, “Logan”, in a poetic narrative, describes part of the story of her life in the path taken during the civil war:
«… After three years of war, María crosses the Lempa River in the passage that is before Corlantique; was early morning and the fog was plentiful like blots on an asleep horizon. María was clinging to a wooden door, while several canoes were crossing the river; they were attacked by gunfire ambush. María grabs with her teeth the bag containing her clothes raises her rifle and allows to be carried away by the waters to a halt in abundant and dark roots that protected her during the whole day. At night and with the support of local people she comes back to life and her fighting unit. She decides to look for her family to see her children and Josefa, her older sister; these meetings were a party and everyone was talking and asking, Maria was silent and took them all in the warm oven of her heart. The army killed the cows of her parents and burned the stockyards and, both leave the country with the children of María. The offensive in 1989 saw her fighting in San Salvador, on the southern motorway, and soon returns to Chalatenango and then to the sierra Tecapa-Chinameca «[27]…
In December 1991, José Dolores Romero, our elderly father, arrived in San Salvador from Australia to visit us and obtain news from us, I reported him the information that I had gathered about Hilda as well as what I knew from her two letters and from Josefa Dolores in the search for her body. From my father descriptions I came to know everything the family went through in the civil war period. About Hilda’s surprise visits to the family home during the evenings to see her children and the elderly parents after securing the area militarily; in addition to the continued trips to the salt mines of El Zompopero and to Santiago de María by Papita Lolo, moving the minors to be seen by Hilda. Those stories gave me great sadness for I knew from personal experience the compelling desires to know and see the family which was not always possible for the encamped contingents during the Civil War. There were many difficulties to be able to make a visit to relatives: authorization by the headship, security of the area, security for the family, and emotion and reflection during and after the visit. Many times in the area where I worked, it was necessary to act as a counsellor due to the grief or depressive states of our peers who visited their children and, these saw them with all the usual indifference of strangers. «My kids do not know me compa Fidel, they are indifferent with me, do not let me carry or caress them, do not know what to do, they are sick … it is something more that the enemy owe to us, this war, we must win it but the family is broken, there is no unity.» That was the constant expression of those returning from visiting their beloved offspring and their parents.
After I arrived to Australia I met with my brother, nieces and nephews after 17 years. I had met my father twice during the five years that we lived in San Salvador after the peace agreements. Luis and I had lengthy conversations to catch up on the information vacuum caused by that long period. We wanted to know what had happened during those 17 years, the experiences lived from the commitment in April 1981:
«We cannot leave our elderly parents alone, you look after them for both of us and I’ll try to do the work for the two in the front, I’m already burned and camped anyway» …
“The important thing is that both have, for some reason, survived this period of high risk and you, with a bandage from the commitment, brought ahead not only our parents but also the 4 nephews and nieces, orphan kids, children of Henry and Hilda … And there is something else that was not included in the verbal and psychological agreement made in 1981 …, supporting my every movement after the war because of being at high risk of being assassinated together with my family due to “having the privilege” of being part of a blacklist drawn up by perverse minds of some political groups with dirty interests.
«… Another friend from the blacklist, and with similar path to mine, wants to form and he suggested we form up a civic committee to expose them and give some political coverage to the enlisted ones (we are 30). The idea sounds good to me but to do that is to be active politically again and getting to the last consequences. I have no willingness to do that on a personal level after all I have experienced, I feel vaccinated against such activities. Well, these are the latest news from 3 days ago «…[28]
“ We have all the time to share our lived experiences Fidel, I too was persecuted and I needed to draw on contacts to free myself from the guard of Jiquilisco that had me on their Black List, they also looked for me at school. The fallen of Hilda is very heartbreaking, we all feel sorrow, but it is more so especially for her children who perhaps have never understood how a mother could leave them to go to war …”
“Look Luis, I will try to explain, it is not too easy to understand it, however it was common that this happened in all war zones and not to mention in the whole country. This is the tragedy of all those who already had offspring or family. People have different opinions according to their understanding of this issue. Someone said that one, who wants to criticize the road I have travelled, should put my shoes on and walk through it so that something may understand of how hard that path is. Everyone sees the pain and uprooting of the sons, the family fractured, the heartbreak, the indifference… It is easy to see it, but no one can explain the pain and the bitterness felt by these fathers and mothers who, to avoid greater tragedies, had to leave the most precious thing they had: their families and their children, and put a distance and be absent to minimize their risk. Who knows how many times our sister walked, missed sleep, endured hunger and thirst, risked her life to visit and see them just for a moment, then soon to go away with her bitterness of seeing the indifference of her offspring but pleased to see them with some degree of security and protected by you all. I say that because I know it by heart for that was the common story described by my fellow ‘compas’ where I was, it was the intangible drama of war. That hidden pain produced by the breakdown of the family and the indifference of the offspring to their parents…”
“Well Fidel, everything you say is understandable and in the end it will be long before people have the maturity to accept and understand that no one in particular is to blame for the aftermath of that conflict, it is the time we have had to live and act in accordance with what one thinks and believes… I think, to start with, that we have already talked a lot; we now have to make plans to adapt to this new society that is not ours.”
In December 2012, during a visit with my daughter to El Salvador to attend a family event, I knew part of the story when the house was burned down destroying everything that was of value by the soldiers, they left everything turned to ashes, except the arras[29], symbol of Hilda’s marriage.
The story that my niece Vilma told me, remembering Aunty Hilda, is as follows:
“…Poor aunty Hilda, she suffered a great deal remembering her little darlings according to my mother’s account, I do not know where she got all the energy form to walk so much. She appeared in Santiago de María in aunt Lola’s[30] house so that the children could be brought and see them; then she appeared in Jucuarán and in the islands of Jiquilisco bay (El Jobal, Méndez island, Corral de Mulas, San José del Gozo), to the south of Tierra Blanca, El valle de la Cruz and I do not know in how many other places…
…I also want to tell you that I have something very valuable from her that I don’t know if I deserve it: I have half of the arras of her marriage; they are a bit damaged but can be repaired. As you know, she had a very hard time when Enrique was assassinated, they burned her house and all her things, her livestock were killed; by miracles of God she came out alive with her children and by night she brought them to Papa Lolo, and then she continued to the guerrilla camps…
…As I was telling you, Papa Lolo went to see the damage the soldiers did to the property a week after they destroyed everything, and there came a sister of the late Enrique called Carmen, she had already checked the destruction finding only their scorched arras, that was all to be saved, I think the gold which covered the coins melted leaving only the silver, because they were gold plated and by sure it melted leaving them charred. Carmen gave them to my grandfather who kept them and gave them to Aunt Hilda the first time he saw her and Aunt Hilda gave them to my mom Chabela to keep them for her. My mom has passed them to me because her health is poor. What do you think?”
-“My opinion is that there is a great symbolism in all that. First the meaning of the arras in a marriage and then it is the only thing that is saved from the fire … It is the phoenix rising from the ashes, these arras would correspond to one of her daughters living in Australia … I can be the carrier and tell them the story”.
Arriving in Brisbane, I reported the story of the arras to the 4 nieces and nephews, children of María Hilda, all independent already and conducting their own lives, so that they could decide who will keep them and pass the story to the next generation. The youngest daughter of María Hilda, with almost no memories of her mother, got a very colourful tattoo long time ago which is located on the top right side of her back on her shoulder blade. The tattoo consists of an eye of a hawk and has the name of María Hilda at its base, the name of her mother. She was asked about the meaning of the tattoo, and answered as follows:
“…It is the eye of a hawk; it represents a God of the ancient Egypt, Horus, represents wisdom and the creation of culture. I had it put on my back with the name of my mother and feel protected”.
We reached the end of this narrative remembering Maria Hilda Romero. This story is for the new generations who are interested in knowing from our roots that are in El Salvador, where there are many unknown heroes as a consequence of the process of the civil war, which increased the exodus to the exterior during a 20 year period (1980-2000), reaching nearly three millions of fellow countrymen, representing a 35% of its population.
Note: writing completed by early September and published in a blog in September 13, 2013. After a few hours some comments were received in my inbox and Facebook from which some excerpts are added…
Somefragments of
comments on the writing on María
Hilda, «Gloribel»:
Carlos:
special person of those who may come into this world in a hundred years, when
reading these lines embodied with objectivity and the sentiment of a brother,
of a revolutionary, come to my mind thousands of memories and details of Hilda
that it would be difficult for me to write them all, as many details have been
obscured in the mists of the cruel oblivion, Hilda protected me and took care
of me a lot during several years of my childhood …
» And as you say, it corresponded to me to accompany her to her long days of Catechesis in the cantons of Jiquilisco and surrounding
municipalities, Hilda was committed in mind and heart to the Liberating Doctrine of the Church,
but not only that, she was very active and dynamic, when she was single had
more than a hundred laying hens, three or four pigs, a cow , besides that I
remember that in times of harvesting the
cotton crops , she rose at one or two o’clock in the morning to turn on the
oven and prepare the bread and quesadillas , she left the mass from corn ready
a day early, the quesadillas and bread were ready to be sold by half past four
or five in the morning in the farm ‘El Común , owned
by the wealthy family Guandiquez Escobar from Jiquilisco, with proceeds of that sale she dressed me and
shoed me and gave me some money to buy some candy , Hilda was an example to be
follow by other young girls in the canton » …
…, «on
one occasion there was an
ecclesiastical activity at St.
Francis Xavier Church, we were travelling
in the vehicle of Father Pedro
Ferrada, when for a neglect of this, the vehicle was about to overturn, the
other catechists were about to
faint, Hilda stayed calmed, and told me to accompany her to a little house that was near the scene of the incident, we went to ask for
water for her
companions, she, very serene, remained calmed, inherent characteristic of a leader «…
the main promoter for the construction of several chapels in the
area, skilfully and efficiently
she negotiated from donated land to build these
shrines to donations of materials for
the same purpose with public
institutions of the Departments of
Usulután,
San Miguel and
San Salvador «…
… «She is who I admire and appreciate very
much and keep remembering her with much admiration
and respect. My greatest wish is, that one day, to know with certainty where rest the remains of
my Cousin, Godmother
and a great Revolutionary who gave her life for
this people that stay so
marginalized and oppressed «…
Gloribel footprint is extraordinary,
how could be left
without coming to light such a
woman!, I believe that her children must have more thing to tell about the time when the
vultures come to give them a big blow, at
such a short age, and remove
the quiet life they had. What a pity that Gloribel could not write
her experiences «…
Yasser:
had to live (like us) at a time when one had to make difficult decisions. I
have no doubt that she made the best decision according to her high level of
commitment, because and although her husband’s life was lost and her own, she
managed to preserve the life of her daughters and sons, and leave to posterity
a great example of dignity and commitment to the ideals of justice «….
tell you that again yesterday as I worked on screen on this, I wept. Imagining what you all went through during
those dark days is very difficult. I am
sure my imagination is not really up to the task. I have always admired you and Francisca
tremendously, and you both give me a lot of hope about humanity in general and
the power of the human spirit.
written a powerful testimony to the magnificence of your beloved sister, and
her descendants will be able to find all this valuable information about her in
one repository. It is beautifully
expressed, logically explained yet very moving, very personal. What a beautiful collaboration, for you and
Luis to work together on this.
for entrusting it to me for comment.
just my first, rough attempt to see whether this is the sort of treatment it
needs. I am happy to talk to you and
Luis about it and help to polish it if that is your wish.
Fidel,
que decir que ayer volvió a medida que trabajaba en la pantalla en esto,
lloraba. Imaginar lo que todo pasó durante esos días oscuros es muy difícil.
Estoy seguro de que mi imaginación no es realmente a la altura. Siempre tú y
Francisca tremendamente he admirado, y ambos me dan mucha esperanza en la
humanidad en general, y el poder del espíritu humano.
ha escrito un poderoso testimonio de la magnificencia de su querida hermana, y
sus descendientes podrán encontrar toda esta información valiosa sobre ella en
un repositorio. Está muy bien expresado, lógicamente explicado todavía muy
emocionante, muy personal. ¡Qué hermosa la colaboración, para que usted y Luis
a trabajar juntos en esto.
por confiar a mí por comentario.
es sólo mi primer intento áspero para ver si este es el tipo de tratamiento que
necesita. Estoy feliz de hablar con usted y Luis al respecto y ayudar a pulir
si ese es su deseo.
for the effort to build on this mission of translating testimony
for future generations. So far, Hilda is
one of 14 stories written, in total there will be 30. Would you be willing to
help me with all of them? If that is so, it would be a good challenge to
publish a bilingual book. What do you say?
priests in Jiquilisco parish
to train young peasants as catechists with a focus on the philosophy of Vatican
Council II and Medellin. In a short time the school became a headache for the
GOES of the country president, colonel Molina.
This centre was closed and reopened for a period of time by Monsignor Romero when he was Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago de María.
Juan Macho and Zacharias
Diaz
Theology is a theological reflection that began in Latin America after the
Second Vatican Council and the Conference of Medellin (Colombia, 1968). Its
most prominent ideologists are the priests Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino (Peru), who
in 1973 would publish the first book on the subject History, Politics and
Salvation of a Theology of Liberation, and Leonardo Boff (Brazil).
http://www.seminarioabierto.com/derechos31.htm
Romero
3 political parties: PDC, UDN, PSD.
Gordon, Crisis Política, pp.175
Mons. Romero. August 1977
(the corn fields), jurisdiction of Ozatlán. Enrique Romero’s place of origin. Jealous
local young men nicknamed
him «the little shirt
outsider«.
later in Brisbane made by Erick
Rivera, native from the neighbouring
canton Taburete Jagual, Jiquilisco jurisdiction.
greater tragedy happened on Sunday March 30, 1980, during the funeral of Archbishop Romero, who
was assassinated by a far-right
command, when 44
people died during a stampede after security
forces fired from
the National Palace against parishioners
who formed the funeral procession.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_Metropolitana_de_San_Salvador.
a team of priests and seminarists and coordinated by the priest Walter Guerra,
2007
stance or was a militant
of the belligerent organizations in
El Salvador.
Seco”
internally in the ERP to the team manager of the FPL who had mainly
logistics functions. This derogatory nickname was given because of his
way of addressing us simulating a high concentration in what he said and continuously moving
his eyelids as to
clean or moisten his eyes.
during the war by Oscar Ortiz, today he has been mayor on Santa Tecla
city for several periods and candidate for vice president of the republic by the FMLN.
the civil war
by a local villager of La Cruz, jurisdiction of Berlín.
Hilda Romero, Todo Empezó en una Plaza, written by Dagoberto Gutiérrez,
opiniones co-latino, Friday 2nd March 2001
Rica to my brother Luis in Australia,
on May 12, 1997.
arras represent, in the Mozarabic rite, the property spread over the twelve
months of the year, and one more to share with the poor, this one also
represents the number of good luck.
Today the 13 arras, that are delivered by the godparents, in the context
of the religious ritual, mean prosperity as well as the acquired commitment to
bring to fruition future assets both material and spiritual. They are the money
circulating from hand to hand, from the Godfather to the groom and from the
groom to his wife. They are stored in a
chest that is carefully placed on a charolita
resting on a small white pillow; some have added a crystal box to this custom.
took her name from my father, José Dolores. We used to call her Lola or Lolita.
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