Table Of ContentPITT LATIN AMERICAN SERIES
Billie R. DeWalt, General Editor
G. Reid Andrews, Associate Editor
Carmen Diana Deere, Associate Editor
Jorge I. Dominguez, Associate Editor
Published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pa.
15261
Copyright © 1997, University of Pittsburgh Press
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Printed on acid-free paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Williams, Philip J., 1959-
Militarization and demilitarization in El Salvador’s transition to
democracy / Philip J. Williams and Knut Walter,
p. cm. — (Pitt Latin American series)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-8229-4041-8 (cloth : acid-free paper). —
ISBN 0-8229-5646-2 (pbk. : acid-free paper)
1. Civil-military relations—El Salvador. 2. El Salvador—Armed
Forces—Political activity. 3. El Salvador—Politics and government—20th
century. I. Walter, Knut. II. Title.
III. Series.
JL1566.C58W54 1977 97-4920
322’ ,5’097284—dc21
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the
British Library.
i
List of Acronyms vii
Acknowledgments ix
l. Introduction 1
2. The 1931 Coup and the Consolidation of Military Rule 13
3. The New Armed Forces of the Revolutionary Government 37
4. The Era of National Conciliation 63
5. The Political Crisis of the 1970s 85
6. The Military and Democratization During the 1980s 114
7. The Armed Forces After the Peace Accords 151
8. Conclusions: The Road Ahead 184
Notes 197
<
Bibliography 231
Index 239
ACRONYMS
ABECAFE Asociación de Beneficiadores y Exportadoras ele Café
ACM Acción Cívica Militar
ACS Asociación Cívica Salvadoreña
ADEFAES Asociación de Desmovilizados de la Fuerza Armada
de El Salvador
AGEUS Asociación General de Estudiantes Universitarios
Salvadoreños
AIFLD American Institute for Free Labor Development
ANDA Administración Nacional de Acuaductos y Agua
ANSESAL Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Salvadoreña
ANSP Academia Nacional de Seguridad Pública
ANTEL Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones
ARENA Alianza Republicana Nacionalista
BIRIs Batallones de Infantería de Reacción Inmediata
CACM Central American Common Market
CCE Consejo Central de Elecciones
CD Convergencia Democrática
CEL Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa
CEMFA Centro de Entrenamiento de la Fuerza Armada
CENITEC Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas
CEPA Comisión Ejecutiva Portuario Autónoma
CETIPOL National Police Technical School
CGR Consejo de Gobierno Revolucionario
CGTS Confederación General de Trabajadores Salvadoreños
CODEM Comando de Doctrina y Educación Militar
CONARA Comisión Nacional para la Restoración de Areas
COPEFA Consejo Permanente de la Fuerza Armada
DNI National Intelligence Directorate
EMC Estado Mayor Conjunto
ENI Escuela Nacional de Inteligencia
ESAF El Salvadoran Armed Forces
ESF Economic Support Fund
FAN Frente Amplio Nacional
FECCAS Federación Cristiana de Campesinos Salvadoreños
FMLN Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional
vil
vlll ACRONYMS
FUDI Frente Unido Democrático Independiente
INCAFE Instituto Nacional de Café
INSAFI Instituto Salvadoreño de Fomento Industrial
IPSFA Instituto de Previsión Social de la Fuerza Armada
ISSS Instituto Salvadoreño de Seguro Social
ISTA Instituto Salvadoreño de Transformación Agraria
MAP Military Assistance Program
MILGROUP U.S. Military Group
MJM Movimiento de la Juventud Militar
MNR Movimiento Nacional Revolucionario
MU Movimiento de Unidad
OIE State Intelligence Organ
ONUSAL United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador
ORDEN Organización Democrática Nacionalista
PAR Partido de Acción Renovadora
PCN Partido de Conciliación Nacional
PDC Partido Demócrata Cristiano
PNC National Civilian Police
PPS Partido Popular Salvadoreño
PRAM Partido Revolucionario Abril y Mayo
PRN Plan for National Reconstruction
PRUD Partido Revolucionario de Unificación Democrática
PRUDA PRUD Auténtico
PSD Partido Social Demócrata
PUD Partido Unión Demócrata
SENCO Secretariado Nacional de Comunicaciones
SIU National Police Special Investigative Unit
SRN Secretariat of National Reconstruction
TSE Tribunal Supremo Electoral
UCA Universidad Centroamericana
UCS Unión Comunal Salvadoreña
UDN Unión Democrática Nacionalista
UEA Special Anti-Narcotics Unit
UNO Unión Nacional Opositora
UPR Unidos para Reconstruir
USAID United States Agency for International Development
USAL Universidad Salvadoreña
USGAO U.S. General Accounting Office
USSOUTHCOM U.S. Southern Command
UTC Unión de Trabajadores del Campo
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A generous grant from the North-South Center at the University of Miami
provided funds for the bulk of the field research and for a conference on
civil-military relations in San Salvador. The Centro de Investigaciones Tec
nológicas (CENITEC) cosponsored the conference in October 1993. A
grant from the United States Institute of Peace made it possible for Williams
to spend much of 1994 working on the manuscript. The Division of Spon
sored Research and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the Univer
sity of Florida also provided support for a graduate research assistant during
the 1993-94 academic year.
We thank Tommie Sue Montgomery, Manuel Vásquez, Amanda Wolfe,
and an anonymous reviewer for their valuable comments on the manu
script. We are also grateful to the many retired and active-duty officers who
shared with us their stories and insights, some of whom must remain anony
mous. Throughout the course of the project, the authors benefited greatly
from the insights and encouragement of fellow Salvadoranists, Tommie Sue
Montgomery, Jack Spence, David Holiday, Elisabeth Wood and Bill Stanley,
and our colleagues at the UCA.
Williams would like to thank Melida Porras and Miguel Arrieta for their
hospitality and support during his research visits to El Salvador. Also, a spe
cial thanks to the residents of Mejicanos, whose probing questions and
healthy skepticism were a constant source of inspiration throughout this en
deavor. And finally, to “mi flaquita,” thanks for your patience and under
standing during the best of times and worst of times these last few years.
ix
MILITARIZATION
AND DEMILITARIZATION
IN EL SALVADOR'S TRANSITION
TO DEMOCRACY
