Annotations for Persona: Argueta Sánchez

Up next, we will present an interview with a comrade, a former member of the Civil Guard, who listened to the call of the Farabundo Martí for National Liberation Front and laid down his weapon at the taking of Villa El rosario on April 16 of the current year. Let’s listen to his witness account about the repression.

They killed whoever they caught there. They killed nineteen, among them children and the elderly just because they were refugees and others from the same town they had them on a list to kill, but among the nineteen that they killed were children, elderly people, and women that were nursing.

And there, around five days later was the story in the newspaper about a confrontation in El Rosario Villa where nineteen guerrillas had died and that (the army) had not suffered any casualties.

In January. And I said to myself, “Fuck, that’s how they’re lying to these people.” And I said, “and here I am, one of them, being an accomplice to these huge massacres.” That’s when I became convinced that it was very true. Of course, the huge massacres that they commit are in front of us.

As guerrillas, and since they were elderly, children, and nursing women, that's were I was convinced, when I realized what we were burying.

Yes, only one, his name was Federico Marquez. He was from the center (of town).

Yes, I saw them. One had his teeth out, others were beheaded, which is how they assassinated Federico; a machete wound in the back of the neck they gave him, and they left him half-alive, and he had to finish dying on his own. Then, well, there was this officer, too, and he was stationed there.

His name was Grande García.

Yes, of course. There was a huge loss of control with that particular police officer from Torola because he was already there, see? And he already knew everyone (in the town). So then, Liutenant Grande, Mr. Quito, and that one that returned told them of Torola, “Fuck, you guys,” he said, “you’re all massacaring people, and how,” he said, “are we going win?” he said. “What? You must be a subversive,” they told him. “Sure,” he said to them, “If I’m a subversive,” he said to them, “here’s my equipment and everything,” he said, “kill me.”

Right now, it’s a weakness that they have. Some of them like to massacre (people), and other are at this moment on the people’s side, and maybe they’re there because of the salary or because of some obligation that they have with high command, or the high commanders put them there.

There are some that do not agree with going around massacring the people, and others that do (agree). I would make a calling to all of those officers, cadets--I was a sergent--liutenants, second liutenants, that I have known them, that they are not assassins, that they do come for the people, that they should leave those ranks, that they should join our people, that they will be received well here. And it’s not just anyone who’s telling you this, but it’s someone who has sone it, and who is seeing it, and who has lived through it, and I’ve surrendered here, and I have served as a witness as the best comrade--

I feel very happy to be here because they had us deceived, and although they say they’re winning, that the revolutionary forces are made up by two or three and that they’re losing. That’s how they have many people deceived. It’s when one becomes aware that one can no longer be deceived, and if there are any deceived I want it to be clear, stop letting them deceive you. Our people will never lose.

We showed this recently in the case of soldier Santos Enrique Diaz Alvarenga, the third brigade of San Miguel. And now we have just heard the testimony of Santiago Argueta Sanchez, a former civil guard in Villa del Rosario. In this town when our forces too the enemy’s possession’s, Santiago Argueta Sanches deposed his weapons in response to our combatants’ calls (to join their ranks), and he laid down his weapons and joined our forces.

A continuación, presentamos una entrevista con un compañero, ex miembro de la Guardia Civil, que atendiendo el llamado del Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional depuso su arma en la toma de Villa El Rosario el 16 de abril del presente año. Escuchemos su testimonio sobre la represión.

Allí mataron al que agarraron, mataron 19 entre niños y viejitos solo porque eran refugiados y otros allí del mero pueblo los andaban en la lista para matarlos, pero lo cual que mataron 19 muertes entre niños, viejitos y mujeres dando de mamar.

Allí, como a los cinco días salió la noticia en el diario de que en un enfrentamiento en la Villa El Rosario habían muerto 19 guerrilleros y que de las bajas de ellos ninguno.

En enero. Dije, «Puta, sí así es como están mintiendo esta gente.» Y dije, «y uno incorporado a ellos, siendo cómplice yo de estas grandes masacres.» Fue cuando yo me convencí que era muy cierto. Claro que a la vista de uno están las cosas de los grandes asesinatos que ellos hacen.

Como guerrilleras, y donde eran viejitos, niños, mujeres dando de mamar, allí me convencí yo que yo verbalmente vi cuando los andábamos enterrando.

Sí, solo uno, uno es Federico Márquez, que era del centro.

Sí, los vide. Uno con los dientes de afuera, otros descabezados, lo cual es asesinado Federico, un machetazo aquí en la nuca que le dieron, que lo dejaron medio vivo, y él se acabó de morir solo. Entonces allí, pues, hubo un oficial también, el que estaba allí puesto.

Se llamaba teniente Grande García.

Sí, pues. Hubo un descontrol con ese policía de Torola, porque él ya estaba puesto ahí, ¿va?, él ya conocía a toda la gente. Entonces, como el teniente Grande, Don Quitico, y ese y que regresó de vuelta, les dijo a los de Torola, "Puta. Ustedes,» les dijo, «andan masacrando a la gente, y así» les dijo, «¿Cómo vamos a ganar?» les dijo, «¿Qué? Si usted es subversivo», le [dijeron], «A usted lo van a matar.» [le dijeron] «Vaya,» les dijo él, «Sí, yo soy subversivo», les dijo, «Aquí está mi equipo y todo», dijo, «Mátenme.»

Hay unos que no están de acuerdo en andar masacrando al pueblo, y otros que sí. Yo le hiciera un llamado a todos esos oficiales, cabos, fui sargento, teniente, subteniente, que yo los he conocido, que no han sido asesinos, que vuelven por el pueblo, que dejen esas filas, que se incorporen a nuestro pueblo, que aquí se les recibirá bien. Con lo cual no es nadie ni otro que les cuenta, sino quien lo ha hecho, y quien lo está viendo, y quien lo ha pasado, que yo he sido rendido aquí, y he sido de testigo como el mejor compañero--

Yo me siento muy feliz de encontrarme aquí, porque allá solo engañado lo tenían a uno, aunque dicen que ellos ya van ganando, que la fuerza revolucionaria ya son unos dos, unos tres los que van quedando perdido. Así es como tienen mucha gente engañada. Es cuando uno ya echa de ver no lo engañan, y si alguno está engañado quiero que le quede en claro, que no se siga dejando engañar de ellos, que nuestro pueblo nunca perderá.

Recientemente lo demostramos con el caso del soldado Santos Enrique Díaz Alvarenga, de la tercera brigada de San Miguel. Ahora lo acabamos de escuchar el testimonio de Santiago Argueta Sánchez exguardia civil en Villa del Rosario. En esta población cuando nuestras fuerzas tomaron las posiciones del enemigo, Santiago Argueta Sánchez ante el llamado de nuestros combatientes depuso sus armas, y se entregó a nuestras fuerzas.