 Downtown Federal Building, Los Angeles. A vigil commemorating Monsignor Oscar Romero Anniversary - Sanctuary members- John D'Quatro. |
1987 CARECEN forms the "Promotores de Derechos" (Rights Promoters Project) to inform Salvadoran refugees of their rights under the IRCA act of 1986. Salvadoran death squads operating in LA target Salvadorans active in raising awareness of the Salvadoran civil war and US military support to El Salvador. CARECEN staff and volunteers receive death threats. CARECEN denounces and openly protests the activities of the Salvadoran death squads both in Los Angeles and El Salvador. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates. The City of Los Angeles creates a fund to assist death squad victims. CARECEN dramatically increases its education and outreach to the general public focusing on the human rights for refugees. CARECEN publishes a Human Rights Bulletin documenting human rights abuses in Central America as well as abuses of the rights of Central American refugees in the United States. U.S. military aid to El Salvador escalates to $597 million a year. Central American military officers (many of whom are later proven to have committed human rights abuse, including Roberto D’Aubisson who organized the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero), are trained by the US military at the School of the Americas in Georgia. |