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Cease Fire – 1993

The discovery of secret caches of FMLN weapons in Nicaragua in February 1993 raised tensions significantly, but did not lead to renewed armed conflict. The most serious threat to the cease fire agreement came from the resurgence of “death squads” in the latter portion of 1993. Several politically motivated illegal armed groups, some fashioned after groups active during the civil war, emerged. They carried out brazen acts of violence, including assassinations of former FMLN combatants, and threatened more. Fortunately, both parties to the Peace Agreement, in cooperation with the ONUSAL and the office of the UN Secretary-General, decisively condemned the actions of the death squads and took proactive measures to reign them in.¹

1. “Ninth report of the Director of the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL),” United Nations General Assembly, Security Council (A/49/59, S/1994/47), January 18, 1994.