San Jose las Flores, Chalatenango. 1995. San Jose las Flores was the other "guerilla capital" during the 12-year-old civil war. The Catholic church in the background began to crumble and collapse during the war due to government bombing campaigns that destroyed its foundation by shaking the earth. The two children, whose family's annual income would not have exceeded $200, were playing with dolls in front of the church. Catholic church members and leadership also suffered government repression throughout the war due to their support of Vatican II and Puebla Conference-inspired human rights and social justice issues. Some churches in Central America became government targets. In the early years of the war Archbishop Oscar Romero, an outspoken advocate of the poor, was assassinated while saying mass by government death squads .(Page 26-27)
©Larry Towell/Magnum Photos