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“The assassination of Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero was a tragic event for the people of El Salvador, but for those of us who covered that country during the horrific civil war, the murder gave rise to a very personal anger that such actions could go uninvestigated and unpunished. Assassination of a Saint illuminates the ongoing struggle for justice. This is critical reading for those of us who lived through those turbulent and terrifying times, and for those born after the war who are now trying to come to grips with it.”—Craig Pyes, human-rights investigator and Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter
“The effects of the assassination of Archbishop Romero are still echoing through Central America. It was a seminal event that revolutionized how the Christian Church—across Catholic and Protestant divides—viewed the prophetic mission to preach justice and liberation to the poor in a time of deep repression and injustice. Yet the murder has never been solved. Murdered witnesses, a web of lies and obfuscation by U.S. and Salvadoran officials, and the passage of time have blurred the possibility of finding the truth. Yet this book strives to reveal that hidden truth, a vital missing link in understanding not just the death of Romero, but the history of Central America and the role of the United States in shaping that history.”—Douglas Farah, coauthor of Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible
“The assassination of Archbishop Romero was a pivotal event that had profound spiritual as well as political effects. When it happened, though, no one expected that it would set off years of tireless investigation and ultimately a spectacular court case in the United States. This sequence of events makes for a rich story that has cried out for a proper telling.”—Stephen Kinzer, author of Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
“In my opinion, the Saravia case bids fair to become a landmark in the history of human-rights law and, as such, its story needs to be told with all the care and credibility one close to the case could muster.”—Mark Danner, author of The Massacre at El Mozote: A Parable of the Cold War
List of contents
Preface
Introduction
Photos
Key Figures
Maps
1 • “Informational Goulash”: Prior Investigations of the Romero Assassination
2 • “In Violation of the Law of Nations”: The Romero Assassination Comes to the United States
3 • “The Enemy Comes from Our People”: Coffee, Anti-Communism, and the Death Squads
4 • “The Door of History”: Archbishop Romero and the Catholic Church in El Salvador
5 • “A Bed to Drop Dead In”: The Search for Álvaro Saravia and the Death Squad Financiers
6 • “ARENA’s Achilles’ Heel”: Our First Trip to El Salvador
7 • Baby Robbers, Mad Bombers, and Other Assorted Criminals: Saravia’s Escape to Miami Brings U.S. Foreign Policy Full Circle
8 • “You’re Making a Lot of Noise”: Looking for Evidence on the Death Squad Financiers
9 • “You Know Better Than to Ask That”: The Search for the Getaway Driver
10 • “A Rabid Anti-Communist”: Meeting Witnesses from the ARENA Party
11 • “We Don’t Have a Clue What the Hell Is Going On”: The Continuing Hunt for Saravia and Insider Witnesses
12 • “God Forgive Me for What I’m Going to Do”: An Insider Goes on the Record
13 • “There Must Have Been a Thousand Romeros”: Final Interviews and Trial Preparation
14 • “Of a Magnitude That Is Hardly Describable”: The Romero Assassination Case Goes to Trial
15 • “The Fleas Always Stick to the Skinniest Dog”: The Verdict’s Impact on Saravia
Epilogue
Afterword, by Benjamín Cuéllar
Acknowledgments
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the author
Matt Eisenbrandt is a U.S-trained human-rights attorney who has devoted his career to finding legal means to prosecute war crimes. In the early 2000s, he served as the Center for Justice and Accountability’s Legal Director and a member of the trial team against one of Óscar Romero’s killers. Now based in Canada, Matt is a special consultant to Camp Fiorante Matthews Mogerman on the law firm’s business and human rights cases. He is also a special advisor to the Canadian Centre for International Justice, where he previously served as Legal Director.
Summary
On March 24, 1980, the assassination of El Salvador's Archbishop Oscar Romero rocked that nation and the world. This is the story of an international team of lawyers, and experts who fought to bring justice for the slain hero.
Additional text
“A sophisticated read for educated laypeople that performs a valuable service.”
