THE ARMY's version of her death claimed that she was group of guerrillas March in a clash with Salvadorean forces near La Bermuda. In fact, Marianella Garcia Villas, founder and president of the Commission for Human Rights of El Salvador, was murdered while peasants away from a fierce army bombardment of their towards a refugee camp. leagues later confirmed that the 34 year-old lawyer and journalist had been taken alive by government troops, identified, then atrociously tortured. Twenty of the peasants died with her.
At the time of her death she had just returned to El Salvador from temporary exile to reports of the use of napalm and phosphorous bombs villages by the El Salvador force. Under her leadership Human Rights Commission documented and drawn the world's attention to the horrific repression Photo: CHRISTIAN POVEDA Socialist Action among death squads military 43,000 in evidence leading homes Her colto shore up the regime.
hit list.
investigate against round of air the has the assassinations (over the last three years, massacres, torture, abductions and the use of chemical weapons. few The Commission's independent has made of Ronald Reagan's arguments that the human rights situation in Salvador is improving, arguments concocted to justify his pumping in more US military aid and advisors visibility of the workers who collect and publicise this evidence has put them high on the security forces' When Marianella Garcia, accompanied by a photographer, used to go on her gruesome morning the streets San in Salvador searching for the bodies of death squad victims, she knew that she and her colleagues could also meet such a death at any time. Her close friend and Commission Henriques, was abducted, tortured and killed in October 1980. Her Executive Secretary, Valladares Perez, was shot down a weeks Last another Commission America Fernanda Perdomo, was abducted by soldiers and has never been seen since.
Marianella's own family were forced to flee the country after their house was bombed. On two previous occasions she herself had sought refuge abroad, using time to speak at solidarity rallies and give evidence before the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Yet 'she always against the advice of friends, on coming back. These extracts from her personal letters sent to a friend Europe, published humously, explain prepared to run the incredible risks she did and ultimately to pay the highest price of all for the struggle of her people.
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