1. Foreign Policy: Death Squads
Official paramilitaries were created, trained, and financed in Colombia, Guatemala, and El Salvador to protect U.S. interests and Central America from communist influences.
Vocabulary Terms to Know:
Death Squad- any varied group of assassins, especially of Central America, whose members murder political dissidents, criminals, or any “undesireable”s
Paramilitary- militia trained, financed, and coordinated by political officials & elites
Guerrilla militia- militias organized by those targeted by paramilitaries for protection
Domino effect- Cold War campaign believing when one country falls to communism, neighboring countries will follow, threatening security of U.S. borders and interests

2. What U.S. Officials/Departments trained, financed, & supported death squads?
CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
Green Berets (elite members of the U.S. Army Special Forces)
U.S. President and Vice President
State Department (Secretary of State & Secretary of Defense)
Congress

3. Death Squads of Colombia, Guatemala, and El Salvador:
“Death squads are defined as any paramilitary force, government or non-government, that kills unarmed civilians during a state of conflict, usually avoiding direct identification and accountability.”
“Death squads have been used by many governments, elites, and other groups, regardless of size, power, and wealth. Regime type and democracy have not stopped various governments from being associated directly or indirectly with death squads.”
“World wars, small wars, civil wars, ethnic conflicts, terrorism, etc. have all provided the context and opportunities for mass murdering unarmed populations.”
“They sought to eliminate not only the armed insurgents but anyone who may have been supportive or sympathetic to the insurgent cause. Their goal was to kill many and intimidate the millions of others into submission.”

4. Death Squads in El Salvador:
Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan, U.S. Missionaries killed by death squads in El Salvador on December 02nd, 1980.

5. What was this civil war about?
Maintaining corrupt, democratic governments that fought against civilians opposing:
Corruption
Human rights violations
Being targeted by government officials and militias
These civilian populations found communism appealing because?
In theory, it reflects equality and equal opportunities for all
In theory, it seeks to eliminate poverty and struggling conditions
A new nationwide government was more promising than what already existed
HOWEVER…
“An estimated 75,000 civilians died during the war, many attributed to death squads. The death squads were virtually all supportive of the government and the status quo...”

6. A Closer Look at the Death Squads in El Salvador…
El Salvador Death Squads Part I:
1. How does this video show the contrasts of what former President Ronald Reagan’s speech says on foreign policy and what is actually occurring in El Salvador at this time?
NYTimes Retro Report:
Summarize the events of the “Retro Report.”
What emotions do these heinous crimes, committed on behalf of the El Salvadoran government and covered up and ignored by the U.S. government to protect foreign policy interests, evoke in you?
How does the U.S. Government try to justify continued foreign policy in El Salvador during the Cold War?