Objectives

1

To unite and represent victims and survivors of massacres and serious human rights violations occurred in the Department of Chalatenango in the late 1970s and during the civil war from 1980 to 1992 in order to defend their human rights, particularly their right to truth, justice and reparations.

2

To commemorate the victims of the Sumpul River massacre in Las Aradas and other places with the participation of survivors. We will work in conjunction with other entities that support our claims and promote our historical memory such as ADESCOs, parishes, schools, universities, museums, mayor’s offices, and other local and national organizations; we will facilitate access to the sites, especially for the elderly; and we will encourage the active participation of the youth and children, and other organizations and cultural groups in Chalatenango.

3

To promote the investigation, documentation and dissemination of historical events through the recovery and protection of any documents, testimonies, photographs or objects related to the massacre in Las Aradas and other massacres and human rights violations perpetreated in the Department of Chalatenango.

4

To create and manage a memorial park in the village of Las Aradas, in the district of Yurique, municipality of Ojos de Agua, department of Chalatenango, by acquiring, managing, maintaining, and enhancing the sites of the massacre, thus promoting the participation and voluntary work of the local communities. To safeguard the dignity of its surroundings, which the Secretary of Culture of the President’s Office’s declared as historical site and part of the cultural heritage of El Salvador, and to protect the Sumpul river in its natural state in order to preserve the memory of those who were killed and drowned in it.

We also aim to identify and protect other massacre places and sites to establish monuments, parks, museums and other memorials of the victims and human rights violations occurred in the region.

5

To collaborate with legal processes initiated by survivors or their descendants. To ensure that state and justice authorities treat them with dignity and respect.

6

To seek moral and material reparation, individually and collectively, from state entities to victims and survivors; to propose measures related to health care, psychological care, dignified housing, work, education, and exhumation processes for a proper burial of the victims.

7

To coordinate and collaborate with other social organizations in the promotion of a Salvadoran society of peace, justice, human rights, historical memory and solidarity with the most vulnerable so that the past violent events do not reoccur.