El Salvador
This country page describes, in brief, data that TJET has compiled on regime transitions, intrastate conflict episodes, and transitional justice mechanisms. For details on the data included on this page, view the FAQ.
For El Salvador, TJET has collected information on: eleven amnesties between 1979 and 1993; 89 domestic trials starting between 1972 and 2020; two foreign trials starting between 2003 and 2011; one reparations policy created in 2013; one truth commission mandated in 1991; and two vetting policies starting in 1992.
Select any transitional justice mechanism in the table below to view a timeline in the figure.
Country Background
Democratic Transition
Based on well-known democracy data, TJET records one democratic transition starting in 1984.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Violent Conflict
Based on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, TJET records four violent intrastate conflict episodes between 1972 and 1991 (during 14 calendar years), involving four distinct armed opposition groups fighting against the government.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions. Source: UCDP Dyadic Dataset version 23.1, https://ucdp.uu.se/downloads/index.html#dyadic.
Transitional Justice Data
As of 2020, El Salvador ranks 79th out of 174 on TJET’s legacy of violence index. For a full list of country rankings over time, view the index page, and for an explanation of the index, view the Methods & FAQs page.
Amnesties
El Salvador had eleven amnesties between 1979 and 1993. One occurred in the context of democratic transition. Six were passed during ongoing internal armed conflict. Three were passed after internal armed conflict. Three were part of a peace agreement. Five amnesties released political prisoners. Four amnesties forgave human rights violations.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Domestic Trials
TJET has compiled data on 89 domestic prosecutions between 1972 and 2020. These include eight transitional human rights prosecutions of state agents, in which eleven persons were convicted; 57 regular human rights prosecutions of state agents, in which 56 persons were convicted; 26 intrastate conflict prosecutions of state agents, in which 18 persons were convicted; and five intrastate conflict prosecutions of opposition members, in which four persons were convicted. In eleven trials that involved high-ranking state agents, five persons were convicted.
Click on accused records for data on convictions. Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Foreign Trials
Nationals of El Salvador were defendants in two foreign prosecutions in Spain and the United States of America beginning between 2003 and 2011.
Click on accused records for data on convictions. Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Reparations Policies
El Salvador implemented one reparations policy between 2015 and 2019. According to available information, there was a total of 5000 individual beneficiaries.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Truth Commissions
El Salvador mandated one truth commission in 1991. The commission completed its operations in 1993. The commission issued a final report, which is publicly available. The report included recommendations for reparations and institutional reforms.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.
Vetting Policies
El Salvador had two vetting policies between 1992 and 1994. One policy provided sanctions based on past individual conduct.
Data up to 2020. Hover over column labels for definitions.