Rufina Amaya --only Survivor of El Mozote Massacre-- Dies
( from Diario Colatino )

Rufina Amaya, the only survivor of the El Mozote massacre, died of a heart attack March 6 in the San Miguel hospital, according to family members.

Amaya, who survived the massacre exacted by the Atlacatl Battillion from December 11-13, 1981, was the only witness to testify against the assassinations perpetrated by the Armed Forces against 1000 campesinos, in large part children, who were accused of being guerilla sympathizers.

At the time, Radio Venceremos reported that the Army´s constant operations in and around Mozote and aimed to wipe out everyone. Among these Operation Yunque, Operation Martillo,and Operation Tierra Arrasada, stood out.

The testimony of Amaya, who demonstrated outstanding courage to denounce these Crimes Against Humanity, located the remains of the assassinated and to pointed out the guilty, who were never charged. A long series of ARENA-led governments continue to affirm that there is “no reason to open the wounds resultant from the war.”

Amaya was also an example of the search for justice, as she spoke out about the nightmare that occurred.

“At five o’clock in the afternoon they put me in a group with 22 other women. I was at the end of the line. I was still breastfeeding my daughter. They took her out of my arms. When we got to the house of Isabel Márquez, I could see the mountain of dead bodies that they were machine gunning.

“The other women were grabbing each other, screaming and crying. I went down on my knees, thinking of my four children. In that moment, I half-turned, took off and hid behind a rosebush,” Rufina testified.

The assassins were under the command of Coronel Domingo Monterrosa and Major Natividad de Jesús Cáceres.

One of Amaya´s relatives—in the community of Segundo Montes, where Amaya resided—received a call from the hospital notifying her of Amaya’s death at about 12:30 in the afternoon of March 6.

Rufina had been taken to the emergency room earlier that morning, when she suffered difficulty breathing. Doctors maintained her on artificial respiration until midday. Her remains were transferred back to Los Quebrachos (Segundo Montes) and she will be buried on Sunday, according to family members.