lotta. She thanked her for giving this “gift” to Adela. Her parting words were, “Ifyou could teach more women to read in this easy manner, Salvador would achieve peace without war.” Previously, Carlotta had not regarded reading a “gift” nor associated the ability to read with peace. When she graduated from Divine Providence, she declared education as her major at the university. Carlotta’s father was pleased. “Women should not be engineers,” he said. “They make better teachers.” Carlotta’s education professor insisted that his students learn, by immersion. He required that each student volunteer in a literacy program for which they would be evaluated and given credit. Carlotta returned to Calle Real and asked Adela if her village would be interested in starting a literacy program. Adela was enthusiastic but said that she would have to bring the proposal to the community council. Other communities had experienced difficulty with the police when they introduced adult literacy programs. The next week, Adela and the president of the community council visited Carlotta at the National University and agreed to the project. It was also agreed that Adela would be Carlotta’s assistant. Carlotta travelled to Calle Real every Friday for evening classes. Due to the danger of travelling at night, Carlotta stayed with Adela, returning home Saturday morning. The two women continued to work together and as Adela became more involved in the classes, her reading skills improved dramatically. On April 3,1987, Adela met Carlotta at the University. The two women intended to visit a bookstore in downtown San Salvador to purchase books for their reading program. As they were leaving the University, the National Police set up a cordon • M W ® NABOLOS GRAPHICS EXCHANGE GORE & MUCH, MUCH MORE—THE PERFECT ARCHIVE FOR PUBLISHERS OF DEATHZINES AND STUDENTS OF THE MACABRE. CHOO SE FROM OUR REPOSITORY OF CURIOSA . ACCE SS DATA ON: Human Sacrifice, Self Mutilation (Pick Your Part), Funeral rites, Rippers & Stabbers, Gallows Humor, Skin Disease, Necrophilia, Genetic Mutation, Coroners Photos, Cannibalism, Funeral Art, Demonology, Torture, Mass Murder, Death Trivia, Mythology Research, Strange Suicides, Medical Illustration, Grave Robbing, Auto-Erotic Fatalities, Diabology, Evil Poetry, Satanism, Sex Crimes, Ghosts, Paranormal Phenomena, Vampirism, Charles Addams, Crime Quiz, Psychopathia Sexualis, Insanity, Eschatology, Honor and Splatter Movie Stills, Skull Art, Facial Mutilation, Revenge Tricks, Assasination Techniques, Execution, Victoriana, Freeze Frame Death, Fortean Data, Terata, Curious Demises, Christian Sillyness, Despotism, Serial Killers, Genocide, Calendar of Death, Military Curiosities, Secret Societies, Flagellation, Famous Curses, and Roman Leisure. THE WORLD’S STRANGEST XEROGRAPHIC ARCHIVAL RESEARCH SERVICE SEND $ 2 .0 0 PER CATEGORY + $1 .00 U .S . /$ 2 .0 0 FOREIGN FOR POSTAGE AND HANDLING TO: D.G.E. P.O. BOX 4527 • PORTLAND, OR 97208 40 Clinton St.—Spring 1990 around the perimeter to check students’ identification papers. Adela was detained because she was not a student and her cedula— identification document—indicated that she was from a conflict zone north of the city. Carlotta insisted on accompanying her friend to police headquarters. Carlotta, having never experienced trouble with the police, was confident that her explanation would set things right. The police reluctantly agreed to let her accompany Adela and the two of them soon found themselves sitting in a waiting room in the downtown National Police headquarters. The police captain in charge -of the interrogation demanded Carlotta and Adela’s cedillas. While the captain was inspecting these, Adela motioned for Carlotta to notice a sign hanging on the wall. “It says they can only hold us for seventy-two hours.” The captain overheard this exchange. He returned Carlotta’s identification and told her to leave. When Carlotta insisted on leaving with Adela, the captain replied, “We know that this woman is not who she claims to be. Her cedula clearly states that Adela Casteneda cannot read. I heard this woman read that sign to you.” Carlotta tried to explain that she had taught Adela to read. The captain stated that if Adela was innocent, she would be freed. As Carlotta was forced to leave police headquarters, Adela called out for her to contact her family and the Archdiocesan human rights office. The next day, Carlotta returned with Adela’s husband and a lawyer from the Archdiocese’s Tutela Legal. “There is no record of an arrest of Adela Casteneda at the National University,” Carlotta was told. “In any event, she is not here now. Check her home later in the day. She probably spent the night with a boyfriend.” But Adela was not home. She had been disappeared. Carlotta was visited by the police two days following Adela’s disappearance. The police warned Carlotta that arlotta begins every new class by telling her students the story of Adela Casteneda, warning them: “Reading thinking is more dangerous still.” she should no longer travel north of the capital. “There has been too much trouble on the Troncal Norte and we are afraid that the terrorists might kidnap you.” They also asked about the literacy program in Adela’s village. It was evident from their questions that they had gotten some information from Adela before she had been disappeared. Carlotta did not finish the term at the University. She heeded the police and did not return to Adela’s village. Instead she went to Morazan and joined the FMLN as a civilian literacy teacher. Carlotta teaches in the small cantons and villages under FMLN control. “Adela Casteneda was my friend,” she says. “Although we only knew each other for two years and came from different backgrounds, we loved each other like sisters. I learned something as a child—you cannot sit idly by when a friend suffers. 1joined the revolution in El Salvador because no other route was left to me to seek justice for Adela’s death.” Carlotta begins every new class by telling her students the story of Adela Casteneda, warning them: “Reading can be dangerous—thinking is more dangerous still.” Vicki Martin-Boro works within the FMLN as a community organizer. Ironically, her decision to join was made for her by the Armed Forces of El Salvador. Vicki was born in 1965, the oldest of four children of Felix and Mercedes Boro. Vicki’s family is from the Department of Chalatenango. Her parents were small landowners, a rarity in El Salvador. They farmed twenty acres near the Sumpul River on the Salvadoran-Honduran border. Vicki’s father was a catechist. Every Saturday and Sunday, he travelled
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz