FMLN (El Salvador)

 

 

Background:

FMLN, short for Farabundo Marti National Liberations Front, was created in October of 1980 as the military arm of the Democratic Revolutionary Front. Throughout the 1980’s the group engaged in numerous battles with the Salvadoran government military. The most brutal attack came in 1989 when the FMLN launched a surprise invatsion of many urban centers within El Salvador, including its capitol. In 1992, the group and the El Salvador government reached a peace agreement and since then the FMLN has operated only as a political party.[1]

 

Funding:

In the 1980’s the group was heavily funded by the Cuban government. [1] The group also received support from Sandinistas in Nicaragua along with sympathizers from the United States and Europe.[2]

 

Human Rights Violations:

The group commonly used bombings, assassinations, sabotage, arson, and other criminal activities to further its goals. During its raid on urban centers in 1989, the group significantly increased its terrorist activities leading to the deaths of many civilians.[2]

 

 

[1] Britannica, 2015

[2] FAS, 1998

 

Britannica (2015) Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/201692/Farabundo-Marti-National-Liberation-Front-FMLN

 

FAS (1998) FMLN. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/fmln.htm