University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository NotiCen Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) 6-5-1992 El Salvador: Official Investigation Of 1981 El Mozote Massacre To Begin Deborah Tyroler Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/noticen Recommended Citation Tyroler, Deborah. "El Salvador: Official Investigation Of 1981 El Mozote Massacre To Begin." (1992). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/noticen/7502 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NotiCen by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LADB Article Id: 060862 ISSN: 1089-1560 El Salvador: Official Investigation Of 1981 El Mozote Massacre To Begin by Deborah Tyroler Category/Department: General Published: Friday, June 5, 1992 On May 27, Justice Ministry officials commenced investigation of the December 1981 massacre in El Mozote, Morazan department. Soldiers pertaining to the Atlacatl Battalion reportedly murdered 1,000 civilians, accused of supporting the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). Presiding Judge Federico Ernesto Portillo visited the site, accompanied by Supreme Court officials, staff from the Attorney General's office, UN observer mission (ONUSAL) human rights division director Philippe Texier, and director of the Catholic Church's human rights office Maria Julia Hernandez. Rufina Amaya, sole survivor of the attack, was also present. Amaya explained to officials how the soldiers separated men, women and children before killing them. During the visit to the site, investigators took photographs and measurements. Several sets of human remains were discovered. The next phase of the investigation will include a visit by officials to the eight villages where massacre victims lived before being taken to El Mozote. Exhumation of the mass graves follows. (Basic data from Agencia Centroamericana de Noticias-Spanish news service EFE, 05/26/92; Agence France- Presse, 05/26/92, 05/27/92; Inter Press Service, 05/27/92) -- End -- ©2011 The University of New Mexico, Latin American & Iberian Institute. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 1.