Who Killed Archbishop Óscar Romero? Unpunished Assassination in El Salvador
Archbishop Óscar Romero, a voice for the poor in El Salvador, was assassinated on March 24, 1980, while saying mass in San Salvador. The murder occurred amid the country's civil war, fueled by Cold War tensions and liberation theology. Roberto d'Aubuisson, a former army intelligence officer and death squad leader, was identified by a UN Truth Commission as the mastermind. He was never prosecuted due to political protection and an amnesty law. Álvaro Rafael Saravia, a key conspirator, was found liable in a US civil suit in 2003 but remains at large. The CIA had intelligence on the murder but suppressed it to support anti-communist efforts. No one has served prison time for the killing.
Key facts
- Óscar Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980, in San Salvador.
- Roberto d'Aubuisson coordinated the murder, according to a UN Truth Commission.
- Álvaro Rafael Saravia was ordered to pay $10 million in a US civil suit.
- The CIA had intelligence on the murder but did not act.
- El Salvador's amnesty law prevented prosecutions until its overturn in 2016.
- The assassin's identity remains unverified, possibly Óscar Pérez Linares.
- Saravia implicated businessman Eduardo Lemus O'Byrne and others.
- Romero was canonized as a saint in 2018.
Entities
Institutions
- United Nations
- CIA
- ARENA
- El Faro
- The Guardian
- Center for Justice and Accountability
- School of the Americas
Locations
- El Salvador
- San Salvador
- Modesto
- California
- United States
- Latin America