Ugly History: The El Mozote murders - Diana Sierra Becerra

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 至磊Zi Le 黃Ng

In 1984, a group of radio broadcasters and operators

1984 年，

一群電台廣播員及營運者

walked into the abandoned village of El Mozote in El Salvador.

走進了薩爾瓦多的廢棄村落莫佐特。

Fireflies illuminated the remnants of a massacre

螢火蟲照亮了大屠殺的遺跡，

that had taken place three years earlier.

那是三年前發生的事。

Led by Colonel Domingo Monterrosa,

在多明哥‧蒙特羅薩上校領導下，

government soldiers had tortured, raped, and murdered 978 people,

政府士兵虐待、強暴、 殺害了 978 人，

including 553 children.

當中有 553 名孩童。

The youngest victim, Concepción Sánchez, was just three days old.

康塞普西翁‧桑切斯 是最年輕的受害者，才出生三天。

Both the US and Salvadoran governments denied the massacre had taken place,

美國及薩爾瓦多政府 都否認發生過這場大屠殺，

and the slaughter left few people alive to tell their story.

屠殺後也沒幾個人 能活下來訴說他們的故事。

But with the help of Radio Venceremos, one of those survivors, Rufina Amaya,

但在「我們必勝」電台的協助下，

其中一位倖存者魯菲娜‧艾馬亞 分享了她的證詞，

shared her testimony—

exposing both Monterrosa and the governments funding his crimes.

揭發蒙特羅薩及資助其罪行的政府。

This massacre was one in a long line of atrocities

這場大屠殺只是針對薩爾瓦多農民

committed against El Salvador’s farmers.

所犯下的一長串暴行之一。

Since the 1800s, a handful of oligarchs

1800 年代起，

少數幾位寡頭政客 就掌控了該國大部分的土地，

had controlled nearly all the country’s land,

forcing laborers to work for almost nothing.

強迫勞工幾乎無償地工作。

In 1932, Indigenous farm workers led an insurrection,

1932 年，

原住民農場勞工帶頭起義，

but the dictatorial government responded by committing genocide

但獨裁政府的因應方式是

對這些社區進行集體大屠殺。

against these communities.

From then on, one military dictatorship after another ruled the country

從那時起，

該國就被一個又一個的 軍事獨裁政府統治，

in concert with wealthy landowners.

並與有錢的地主合作。

Their power only grew in the 1960s,

他們的權力在 1960 年代才增強，

when the United States began supplying the regime with military aid.

那時美國開始提供 軍事援助給該國政權。

The US wanted to stop the spread of reformist and revolutionary movements,

美國想要阻止 改革與革命運動繼續擴散，

which they saw as threats to capitalism.

認為這些運動會威脅到資本主義。

So they spent huge sums of money training Salvadoran soldiers and “death squads”—

所以他們花了一大筆錢，

訓練薩爾瓦多士兵 及「處決小隊」——

fascist military units versed in brutal counter-insurgency methods.

法西斯軍事單位，

精通用殘酷的方法來反制暴動。

Throughout the 1970s, these forces slaughtered farmers

1970 年代期間，

這些軍事小隊屠殺了為了索求 基本權利而組織起來的農民，

who organized to demand basic rights,

such as living wages, food, and clean water.

他們索求的包括 生活工資、食物及乾淨用水。

Finally, in 1980, farmers and urban workers formed

終於，在 1980 年，

農民及都市勞工組成了 馬蒂民族解放陣線黨 FMLN 。

the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front.

This coalition of guerrilla groups fought to overthrow the dictatorship

這個游擊隊聯盟 戰鬥的目的是要推翻獨裁政府

and build a socialist society that met the needs of laborers.

並建立能滿足勞工需求的 社會主義社會。

These revolutionaries were attacked from every direction.

這些革命者處處被攻擊。

Colonel Monterrosa led a special battalion intent on destroying the FMLN,

蒙特羅薩上校帶領特別部隊 打算摧毀 FMLN ，

using tactics he’d learned at an American military school.

他的戰術是在美國軍事學校學到的。

State forces terrorized farmers to stop them

國家軍隊恐嚇農民， 阻止他們加入或援助游擊隊。

from joining or aiding the guerrillas.

But one group of rebels would not be silenced:

但有一群反抗軍不願沉默：

the operators of Radio Venceremos.

「我們必勝」電台的營運者。

This clandestine guerrilla radio began in 1981,

這個秘密的游擊電台 成立於 1981 年，

and its broadcasters Santiago and Mariposa became the voice of the revolution.

電台廣播員聖地牙哥及瑪莉波莎

成了革命的聲音。

They transmitted news from the front lines

他們會傳播前線的新聞，

and reported military abuses that no other source covered.

並報導其他來源不肯報導的 軍隊虐待事件。

The station’s politics and popularity made it a high-profile target.

這個電台的政治色彩和知名度

讓它成為備受關注的目標。

And because they operated in a relatively small area,

因為他們只在相對較小的範圍運作，

its broadcasters had to move constantly to evade capture.

電台廣播員必須 時常轉移，以免被抓。

To communicate undetected, the group modified two radios into telephones,

為了讓通訊不被偵測到，

他們將兩台無線電設備改造成電話，

linked together through kilometers of barbed wire covering the countryside.

透過鄉下遍佈數公里的 有刺鐵絲網來連結。

This secret telephone line helped the rebels

這種秘密電話線協助反抗軍

stay one step ahead of their pursuers.

總是能領先追殺他們的人一步。

In addition to reporting news,

除了報導新聞，

the radio broadcast educational programs in areas under guerrilla control.

該電台也會在游擊隊控制的地區 廣播教育性的節目。

Here, farmers organized democratic councils to govern themselves,

在這裡，農民會組織民主議會 來治理他們自己，

alongside cooperatives, schools, and medical clinics.

此外還有合作社、學校及醫療診所。

Organizers also encouraged civilian women to participate in these councils

組織幹部會鼓勵平民女性 參與這些議會，

to ensure the revolution overthrew both capitalism and patriarchy.

以確保革命能夠推翻 資本主義以及父權制度。

Women made up roughly a third of the guerrillas,

游擊隊中女性佔大約三分之一，

working in a huge variety of roles.

她們能擔任各式各樣的角色。

Colonel Monterrosa was obsessed with destroying Radio Venceremos.

蒙特羅薩上校一直很想要 摧毀「我們必勝」電台。

In October 1984,

1984 年十月，

government soldiers finally captured their radio transmitter.

政府士兵終於奪得了 他們的無線電發射機。

Monterrosa himself went to retrieve the equipment

蒙特羅薩自己去取回該設備，

and held a theatrical press conference celebrating

並舉辦了很誇張的記者會，

his “decisive blow to the subversives.”

慶祝「對顛覆分子的決定性打擊」。

But in reality, the radio team had outsmarted him once again.

但在現實中，

電台團隊又再次智取了他。

The transmitter was boobytrapped.

發射機裝設了詭雷，

Once Monterrosa’s helicopter left the press conference,

蒙特羅薩的直升機一離開記者會，

radio members detonated the device over El Mozote,

電台成員就在莫佐特上空 引爆了那個裝置，

killing the colonel near the village he had massacred.

讓上校葬身於他大屠殺的村落附近。

Monterrosa’s death was one victory in a much larger conflict.

蒙特羅薩的死僅是 更大的衝突中的一場小勝利。

The civil war raged on for 8 more years before concluding in 1992,

內戰又肆虐了八年， 到 1992 年才結束。

when peace accords dissolved the oppressive National Guard

和平協議讓暴虐的國民警衛隊解散，

and allowed the FMLN to become an electoral party.

讓 FMLN 成為能參與選舉的政黨。

But these accords didn’t address problems of deep, structural inequality.

但這些協議並沒有去處理 藏在深處的結構性不平等問題。

In 1993, the UN Truth Commission

1993 年，

聯合國真相委員會

reported that over 75,000 people died during the war.

報告稱有超過七萬五千人 在這場戰爭中死亡。

Yet the Salvadoran legislature prevented the prosecution of war crimes

但，薩爾瓦多的立法機關 讓戰爭罪無法被起訴，

and continues to obstruct justice to this day.

至今都仍然持續阻礙正義伸張。

As of 2021, no participating American officials have been put on trial,

截至 2021 年，

都還沒有捲入此事的美國官員受審，

and only one individual from the Salvadoran government

薩爾瓦多政府也只有一個人

has been sentenced for war crimes.

因為戰爭罪而被判刑。

Historical erasure exists in the US as well,

美國也同樣在抹滅歷史。

where these and other stories of US intervention in Central America

在美國，這些美國干預中美洲的故事

are rarely taught in public schools.

很少會出現在公立學校教材中。

But the victims refuse to be forgotten.

但受害者拒絕被遺忘。

Rufina Amaya continued to share her testimony until her death in 2007.

魯菲娜‧艾馬亞持續分享她的證詞，

直到 2007 年辭世。

And survivors of other massacres still organize to denounce state violence.

其他大屠殺的倖存者

仍然組織在一起譴責國家暴力。

They map old massacre sites, exhume and bury loved ones,

他們找出大屠殺的遺址，

挖出家人好好安葬，

and build sanctuaries and museums,

並建立聖所及博物館，

all in the hope of pollinating a more just future.

全都是希望能帶來更公正的未來。