Farabundo Marti
EL SALVADOR
(1893–1932) Farabundo Marti was born in Teotepeque, a small farming community in El Salvador. He was studying political science and jurisprudence at the University of El Salvador during the harsh conditions under the El Salvadoran dictatorship led by Maximiliano Hernandez Martínez, including a devastating economic recession. After repeatedly witnessing how El Salvador’s rich elite exploited the poor in his country, he dropped out of school to fight in the peasant movement. He was exiled multiple times for his efforts, but persevered and helped create the Communist Party of Central America. He was instrumental in the development of the “International Red Aid” program, which was similar in function to American Red Cross. In 1932, Marti helped organize a massive peasant uprising against Martinez, his elite supporters, and the national army. The uprising was crushed by the army in what became known as La Matanza or the Massacre. On February 1st, 1932, government forces shot and killed Marti. He is considered a martyr by many of El Salvador’s people and his name is honored by the political party, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).
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