ARENA, FMLN and the logic of political violence in postwar El Salvador

• In Event: Ethnographies of violence in postwar El Salvador

Abstract

The peace accords that put an end to the Salvadoran civil war have often been interpreted as an effective abortion of politically motivated violence in this country, inaugurating instead a surge of different types of ‘apolitical violence.’ This is a misconception. Violence connected to partisanship and political activism has continued to play an important role in postwar politics, mainly as a function of the rivalry between the right-wing Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) party and the left-wing Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) party. The presidency of Tony Saca (2004-2009) marked a climax in such polarized and fearful politics. This paper offers an ethnographic reconstruction of several violent incidents that took place during these years. It also focuses on the different meanings that former FMLN guerrilla fighters ascribe to such incidents. Such an approach generates analytical insight into how partisan violence and its correlated imaginaries found inroads into postwar politics, and with what consequences. The exact nature of this violence is highly contentious, and speculation plays a crucial role in shaping the ‘narrative battle’ between FMLN and ARENA that unfolds after each incident. Though some kind of objective truth about such incidents may be difficult to discern, the way different political actors respond to them point to partisan conspiracy and clandestine violence as relevant features of contemporary Salvadoran politics, features strongly interconnected with the ongoing electoral dynamics.

Author

• Ralph Sprenkels, Utrecht University