The story of exile to Honduras in the 80s

            After many massacres such as in Copapayo, many people abandoned their ‘safety zones’, where they had sought refuge during the war, and walked, under cover of night, to escape to Honduras.  It was a real cavalry for them, falling many times.  Some gave birth on the way, some died, and some were helped by friendly strangers.   Life in the camps was hard: It was cold in the Honduran mountains and there was little food among the mostly women and children and elderly who lived there.  The people in the camps had no news of the war and they could not leave the grounds as they were surrounded by Honduran Soldiers ready to shoot them if they did.   The camp in Mesa, where many of the current residents of El Sitio stayed, was sponsored by the U.N.   Some people lived in these camps for up to 12 years – but the people of Copapayo were the last to go to the camp in 1983 and among the first to leave in 1987.    When they did choose to return – they did so at great risk as their petition to return was not well-received by the Salvadoran Government.   Still, they chose to accept this risk and return home to continue their struggle for justice.

Prayer:

Jesus, we recognize your tomb in the exile suffered by the survivors of Copapayo.  Just as the tomb could not hold you, Honduran exile did not hold our our El Sitio brothers and sisters for long.  Help us not to remain ‘entombed’ in our own exile, but always to seek the freedom of Your justice and truth.