Original subtitles

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

It was in the early days of January

when we first went to La Joya

Inside, we found plates on the table

and a pot of coffee on the ashes of the stove

Everything had been left behind in a hurry

Resting against the barbed wire fence in the backyard,

we found the family that lived in the house

Their bodies were mummified by the sun

Intact

Because they had also killed all the animals in the area,

the bodies were not disturbed,

and had dried up there,

with their clothes,

their shoes,

in the same spot in which they were shot

They were just skin and bones,

but looked alive,

like staring at you

The old man died with his mouth open

I often wonder about his last question

His last words before he died

Fireflies at El Mozote

Hello, guys

From liberated territory in Morazán Province

This is Sebastian,

reminding all of you listening

YOU ARE Radio Venceremos

Today, we begin our broadcast with important information,

In a few days, the army is launching a

Scorched Earth operative

in the hamlets and villages north of the Torola River

We advise the population

to flee the area

and to seek shelter in the refugee camps in Honduras

to safeguard your lives

Then, we went on to El Mozote

DECEMBER 10TH, 1981 RESCUE OPERATION MORAZÁN, EL SALVADOR

283 bearing Northeast at 25 degrees

Copy. 283 keeping bearing at 13:09:02

What a shot, dude!

It's huge

It'll make a big meal

Let's go!

292 beginning approach to landing zone

Troops, begin deboarding

Charly 292 lifting off

- What's up? - I don't know

I have a bad feeling about it

We have to go down anyhow

Why?

You have your sister and your mother who loves you and takes good care of you,

but I only have my grandfather

I don't trust the fucking soldiers

I'm staying here until they leave

Have it your way

Mom, what's going on? Why is everybody here?

Hey, little shit!

Didn't you hear to be quiet?

What are you doing here?

You should have stayed in the forest

And leave you two alone here? That's not what real men do

Take him

Listen up!

All of you are going to be held inside the church until your ID papers can be verified

Let's go

What's that, Jose? Nothing!

He killed another animal again, Mommy Shut up, snitch!

Be quiet, the two of you!

You

You

You, too

You

And you

Please, don't take me! I'm the only one they have left in this world!

Nothing is going to happen to you. Go there!

Hey!

Little fuck!

Such a fool!

Please, forgive him! He's just a boy! He doesn't know what he's doing!

Give it to him, José! Don't be foolish!

I'll be damned!

This has been in my family forever, José

I'm giving it to you because now you are the head of the family

Whatever happens, take good care of your little sister!

Mom!

Climb up!

Come! Let's go!

Grab her legs!

Fucking whore!

What was that, José?!

I'm scared!

Don't be afraid

This cross is going to protect us until we find our mother

Take it!

Let's go!

Aha, little shit!

Where do you think you are going?

To find my mother

Really?

And you are making all this fuzz just for that?

You should have told me

I'll take you to her

Come, my love. Come

What was that?

Shut up and don't ask questions if you want to see your mother

But I saw they were taken over there

Shut up and don't ask, didn't you hear me? Are you deaf?

You, you, and you! Bring me that little fucker!

Everybody, line up!

Aim!

Fire!

Holy shit! You really fucked him over!

But if you hadn't killed him, he could have walked back on his own

Now, he's going to have to be carried

I'm not carrying him, assholes

Neither am I

You shot him, you have to carry him back

Hey, hey, hey! You can't go there!

If you calm down, I'll let you go

Do you know her?

Is she... your mother?

Oh, my child!

Come, come with me...

Okay, okay... shhh...!

Don't cry, my boy...

She's gone, but...

she's always going to be with you, in your heart and in your thoughts

You saw the sons-of-bitches who did this!

You know who they are!

Hate them! Hate them with all your strength!

What are you doing?!

And in that hate you will find the strength to become a great fighter

worth ten of those sons of bitches!

And then, you will avenge your mother!

Don't you realize you are hurting him, pendejo?!

Enough!

I said that's enough!

Fucking bitch!

Okay, what's the problem?

What's the problem? Rafael is the problem!

She's his mother, Aurelio!

Alma, this is war That boy is going to have to get used to the violence

No, not if I can help it

There you go, always owning other people's problems

Do you know how exasperating it is to live with you?

What?

No, you and I don't live together anymore and that

shitty attitude of yours is the reason for that

No, you are mistaken. You and I are no longer together

because of your stubbornness, not for any other reason

But that's water under the bridge

You know that my position doesn't allow me the luxury of taking platitudes

No, they are not platitudes, Aurelio

I'm not going to allow anybody to hurt that boy!

Since when?

We just found him, and you are already making him yours?

And what makes you think that the rest of us are going to allow him to be harmed?

This is not your own private war, Alma

And that boy isn't Diego

Eh, eh, where are you going?

Stay put!

No, no, no, no! What's the matter!

What do you want? What?

We don't have time for this!

They are at the creek, right now

It's the Atlacatl battalion

How much time do we have?

Half-an-hour at the most

You know what to do

Alma, Alma!

If he doesn't calm down, we are leaving him

Let's go!

Come, come...

There are so many bodies that it would take us days to give them a proper burial

We have only a few minutes before the soldiers show up

If we leave them like that, we run the risk of an epidemic

Close the doors and let's go

Seriously?

Hey! Hey!

Aurelio!

Walter! Rafael!

With them! Go! Go!

Eduardo, with me. The rest, carry on. Go!

Lay down!

Victor, on the right flank! Nelson, the right flank! Let's go!

Don't ever disobey my orders again

You know very well that they would have killed him

There's nothing I can do for him

You are lucky. It went through muscular tissue only

Keep pressure on the wound..

Hey, boy!

You son of a bitch!

What do you want to do about Walter?

He stays

Let's go!

Let's go

You know what to do

It's a group of approximately fifteen, Colonel

And they are carrying one wounded

We found this. It belongs to one of our radios

It was completely destroyed

But they took it, anyhow

Okay

They belong to Radio Venceremos

They are going to make a big scandal out of the massacre

And who is going to believe them?

It's going to be their word against ours

They are not stupid

They know they can gain a political victory if word gets out

We have to silence them

Make sure their families get their benefits

Send another patrol to follow their trail

Where is Walter?

They'll follow the larger group

Take the column, head north,

and don't stop until they get tired of chasing you

Understood? I'll take Alma, Eduardo, and two men toward out Guacamaya camp

What about the boy?

The boy comes in my group

It's going to rain

They'll quit soon enough

Don't start any trouble unless you can't avoid it

- Let's go! Okay!

Let's go!

Son of a bitch!

If I were a soldier, you'd be dead now

When did you arrive?

Right now

What about El Mozote?

They killed the entire population

You are talking about hundreds of people

There were so many corpses that we couldn't bury all of them

The worst part was...

the bodies of the children

I'd never see anything like that

This is a message

Montenegro is letting us know how far he's willing to go if we keep broadcasting

Well, he's fucked because we are going to keep

broadcasting even if he cuts our balls off. >>

But it's not just that There's something else

What, then?

Montenegro knows that our survival hinges

on the help we get from the rural population

With this massacre he's demonstrating that we can't protect them

From now on, people will be afraid of helping us

What are we going to do?

We must reveal to the rest of the world what these assassins have done

Let's do it! Today! In our six o'clock broadcast

- No. Not yet - But, why?

We can't give them the opportunity to twist or

manipulate what happened with lies or falsehoods

We are going to denounce them in the international press

Is Maria still in touch with Randall?

I think so

He's been asking for a permit to visit us for a long time

Well, he just got lucky

What are you thinking about?

In the New York Times. We are going to let Randal break the story

The only thing that worries me...

is that we are going to have to wait for them here in the camp

That's fucked up

Montenegro hasn't found us because we are always moving

Why take the risk?

To stop the flow of millions of dollars in military aid to these butchers

Hello

What's your name?

Mine is Alma

I don't know if you want company, or if you

are interested in what I'm going to tell you...

but I want to you to know...

that here, in this camp, we've all lost loved ones in this war

I, myself, lost my entire family

We used to live in the capital...

and back then, there were protests every day

My brother was coming back home on a bus...

when they got stuck in traffic in the middle of a protest

He was...

very intelligent...

and extremely curious...

and he couldn't resist the temptation to peek out of the bus' windows...

right when the troops open fire on the protestors

So...

a stray bullet found him...

And, well, that was the end for him

His name was Diego

You remind me of him a lot

My mother never recovered!!

She went crazy, started talking publicly against the government

One day, death squads kidnapped her...

and disappeared her

She had long, black hair...

very pretty

We received her scalp wrapped in a newspaper

We never found the body

So, my father and I joined the struggle after that

He died a couple of years ago...

fighting in those hills over there

So, I'm the only one left

You know

When I miss them,

I like to think about something my mother used to say

She used to say...

that the only things in life worth living for,

are the things...

also worth dying for

And that thought...

comforts me when...

No, no, no, it's okay...

Don't cry...

it's not your fault...

Don't cry... Don't cry...

Don't worry

The security guys will bring him back later

It's not the first time he runs away

But where does he go?

There's nothing around here

Back to El Mozote

There's definitely something tearing him inside

Every time he pretends to escape, he lets us find him before he exits the campground

It's like he has an internal struggle that doesn't let him rest

And there's something even more worrying

What?

He has lost his speech

Is he mute?

No, no. Because we've heard him speak in nightmares

He's suffering from a syndrome called Selective Mutism

It's like his subconscious is constantly disconnecting his ability to speak

Is it permanent?

No, Alma. He needs a specialist

Where are we going to find a specialist around here?

We could send him to the capital

That would be like signing his death sentence

Alma, he's not going to get better here

But here, at least he's going to stay alive

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE BORDER BETWEEN EL SALVADOR AND HONDURAS

There's a few more

I don't understand why they want to go there

The pictures provide enough evidence

It's not in our best interest

Montenegro keeps the area under surveillance...

He could set up a trap for us at his will

Why the fuck don't you want to tell them that we found the boy?

Shut up, asshole!

He's a child, Aurelio. We can't get him involved in all of this

Randall is right

We have to take them to El Mozote. It's a risk we have to take

From liberated territory in Morazán Province,

this is Sebastian, reminding all of you listening,

YOU ARE Radio Venceremos

Today, we begin our broadcast with a dilemma

we have become witnesses to an act that defies understanding

But, for circumstances out of our control...

we cannot make it public

Meanwhile, we want to warn villages and hamlets north of the Torola River...

of an Army's troops displacement...

We alert the population again, that this military operation is still in progress

The troops continue their Scorched Earth Campaign

Let's go

Let's go

We got them, Naldo! Even the gringos!

Let's hit them right now!

They are not carrying radio equipment

If we hit them now, another asshole will be broadcasting on the radio tomorrow

We need to get the transmitter

to get that scorpion out of our asses once for all

Let's go!

Let's go, now!

- What's going on? - It's Montenegro

Pack up only what's necessary and let's go!

Careful!

This is the heart of our radio station

I'll take the Black Road and cross the river and regroup

with you in Clemente's house in the slopes of the volcano

Okay? - Okay

You guarantee their safety

Okay. I protect them with my life

There are soldiers everywhere

But we must cross now

Heads up! Heads-up!

Bring her over!

- She's dead! She's dead!

Retreat! Let's go!

On the hill! They are on the hill!

Take cover!

Quickly! Quickly!

The sons-of-bitches got me good!

Shhhh...

I need your help. Put pressure here

Strongly

We have to keep moving, Rafael Or they are going to kill all of us

Come

Fuck, Tony! I almost killed you!

Come help me with Rafael

Tony?

Tony?

Shit!

Okay, wait for me here

I'll be right back for you!

I'll be back!

Help me!

Here

I'm going to get Tony I leave you with the boy

Please...

forgive me...

Shhhh know... There's no need to say anything

I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere

I'm thirsty

Do you remember the first time we found you in the brush?

Never meant to hurt you with what I said

I want you to know

Sebastian!

Alma! Are you okay?

Fuck, Alma! They really fucked us over!

He's dead

Rafael is badly wounded

Where?

Where are the fucking guerrillas?

He's dead?

Where is the boy? I told him to wait here

He left. His tracks disappear in the water

We have to go. There are lots of troops in the area

But where is the boy? We have to find him!

Those are the motherfuckers from the Atlacatl battalion, executing our wounded!

But it could be the boy

If that's the case, there's nothing you or I can do for him, but we need you

Have you found any radio equipment?

No, but we are not done combing the area

I want to be informed immediately if you do

Immediately

We are going to continue chasing them without resting

They are waiting for you at the house

Keep your eyes open

What happened?

The boy is missing

Where's the transmitter?

Pedro is carrying it

I put it inside his backpack. He's not here?

No, he was part of your group

We got separated in the skirmish

The last time I saw him he was running toward the Witch's Creek

Montenegro had set up an ambush there

Everybody that went there are dead

Rosario is dead

She's going to have to be buried here

It's already happening

Where's the boy?

I don't want to hear anything about him

Right now, the only thing I care about is finding our

fucking transmitter and the rest of the equipment, okay?

The soldiers are coming

How long do we have?

One hour at best

Montenegro is pushing us in our rear to hit us hard on that valley,

But, if we trek toward the north...

we can reach the lava field,

we can cross it and escape in the tunnels before he even realizes it

What are we going to do with our wounded?

We'll protect them the best we can

Okay, are we going or what?

Let's go. Alma!

Let's go!

We are on the move!

We have to find the best place to cross

Alma, Jacobo, and Sebastian, with me

Clemente, you stay here and be ready in case we need you

- Are you alright? Yes

It's weird... He was laying on the ground. I stepped on him

What the fuck is going on?!

I just killed another soldier over on that side

It's an ambush

No. We would be dead already

Deserters?

They wouldn't be wearing uniforms

The soldier you killed, was he laying down on the ground?

How do you know?

Something or someone knocked the shit out of them

Where is his rifle?

The soldier I killed wasn't armed either

Maybe some of our men managed to get through

But who? All of our remaining men are with Clemente

So, what happened to these pendejos?

Don't know

Let's go!

I want to know immediately where those shots came from

There!

It's the boy!

I told you to stay put! Why didn't you follow my instructions?

What?

It's Pedro's backpack!

With the transmitter!

And it appears to be in good working condition!

We heard shots!

What's going on? Where did he come from?

Questions later. Montenegro must have heard the

shots, too We must cross the lava field right now!

I want to know about even the most insignificant shit they say on the radios

- Where are the rest of our men? With Clemente

Get them here now!

Don't you think there might be more soldiers around?

No. They would have hit us already

But this is a travesty. We just lost the

advantage we had Now, we have to run. Let's go

Let's go!

Run

Posts seven and nine are not responding, Colonel

Troops, do you copy? Over

Dismantle the camp and await my orders

The lava field! They are crazy!

Would have done the same

That's why I placed lookouts there

They changed all their radio frequencies

We need more time

It doesn't matter. We have to cross now

What?!

Shhh...

Mara

Sebastian, take the transmitter right now! Mara, go with him!

Take the boy! Go!

Go!

Deflection: Twelve-hundred millimeters

What's going on?

I don't know. But something is not right

Stay alert. Take your position

Let's go!

Fire!

Advance!

Two, there! Three, over there!

Cover for us! Cover for us!

Stop!!! Stop!!!

Nobody touches him!

He's mine!

Comandante Jacobo,

We finally meet face to face

Where's the fucking transmitter?

If you tell me,

I'll kill you quickly and without pain

If you don't, it's going to be a long and painful death

We must take him to the field hospital!

Patch me up...

and then, take care of my men

What are you waiting for?

They are going to get away!

Go on!!

I'm staying to help

Alma!

Let's go! Let's go!

Can you walk?

Let's go!

Hey! Where are you going?!

Let's go!

You go! I'll cover your retreat!

I'm not leaving you here! Let's go!

Don't worry. I'll follow you in a bit

Let's go!

You don't even have bullets

Don't be a hindrance. Go!

Hey! Where do you think you are going?

Alma! Where is Alma?

Wait!

What are you waiting for? Follow them!

Get them out!

Maldonado!

Blow the shit out of them!

Ochoa!

Fuck! Fuck!

No! Turn around! Run! It's going to explode! Run!

Fucking stubborn boy!

Alma!

Have you read it?

I refuse to waste my time like that

How come The New York Times is now publishing

communist propaganda for these assholes?

That's no mystery They've always been a bastion of "Commie" ideology

Maybe so, but millions of "gringos" read it

And once they take a look at the picture of that "poor peasant boy",

they'll rush to call their Congressmen,

crying out:

"Human Rights abuse"

and those Congressmen have the final say on approving our military aid, Naldo

We are talking about twenty-five million dollars

Are we going to let these shit-eaters win the war?!

Not at all

We just destroyed their main camp...

and killed most of their leadership

They can't recover from that

What are you talking about?

Radio Venceremos is still on the air! Everyday! On time!

Radio Veceremos is also finished

All it's left of them is a couple of fools

hiding in the jungle with a radio transmitter

A couple of fools hiding in the jungle with a radio transmitter...

can be very dangerous in a war like ours, Naldo?

We have big plans for your future

Make sure you don't shit all over them

You shouldn't be up yet

Where is Alma?

Alma is dead

We don't even know your name

José

Why do you always run away like cowards?

Why don't you stay to fight?

We are not cowards, José

Many times we stay to fight

But there are times when it's stupid to stay to fight

And in those cases, is better to...

Run away?

Retreat

In war, retreating and running away are not the same

But when you "retreat",

you leave behind innocent people that don't know how to defend themselves

And the soldiers take advantage of that

But if you stayed to fight instead of running away,

you could protect them

But if we get killed...

we couldn't protect anybody

You are not protecting anybody staying alive, either

What's the difference?

We are not the enemy, José

What are you, then?

It's obvious

that we have to get rid of Montenegro

That's always been obvious. The thing is, how?

We have to learn to think like him

Who can tell me what he's after whenever he attacks us?

To kill the command post and to silence the radio station

And what happens when he can't find us?

He takes trophies

What would be the most precious trophy he could score?

Think about it

Which trophy would mean the end of our radio station?

Our radio transmitter

Exactly!

If he wants our transmitter so bad, we'll hand it to him on a silver platter

I don't understand

Are you mad?

Listen to Mauricio

We bought this marine band radio transmitter

as a backup/replacement for our main one

but it never worked well,

so, we started gutting it for parts

Because Montenegro doesn't know what brand of transmitter we use in our broadcasts,

it occurred to me that we could use it as our Trojan Horse

I've modified this remote control to be able to send an electronic pulse

to a fuse inside a range of approximately one-hundred meters

To get rid of Montenegro,

all we need to do is

to fill up this fake transmitter

with several sticks of dynamite,

and let Montenegro capture it

And, when he's standing next to it,

we press this button and

Ka-boom!

And you are positive it will work?

As long as you are inside the fuse's range, the dynamite will explode. I guarantee it

One-hundred meter is not a lot

The range doubles with the antenna

And how are we going to make Montenegro stand next to the transmitter?

He won't resist the temptation

Capturing our transmitter, to him means the end of our radio station

And how are we going to prevent Montenegro from suspecting it's a trap?

For that, we are going to need your journal

My journal? What for?

Don't ask. Write whatever bullshit you want,

but in your own handwriting

Today, we are going to broadcast from the jungle...

ignoring the safety measures we normally take to avoid detection

Meaning that

today, we are going to let them detect our radio signal

This program

is dedicated to the missing ones...

To the disappeared...

To all the victims of El Mozote

We've been at war for so long

And we have lost so much...

Loved ones that will never return...

Homes destroyed...

Lives

ruined...

We need something to remind us of our humanity

That a better world is possible

A world in which the price of a better future...

doesn't have to be paid with innocent lives,

or stepping over the dignity of the weak and disefranchised...

A world in which human beings worth...

is measured by their contributions to society,

not by their wealth

We have a long road ahead of us

The ideals we aspire to demand great sacrifices

But these ideals are noble

and they are worth fighting for

Until that day,

when we attain that better world that we yearn for,

this is Sebastian,

reminding all of you listening...

YOU ARE Radio Venceremos

Leave that shit!

Get the wounded out!

We have the transmitter!

Again, we have the transmitter!

Waiting for instructions. c

Affirmative. Alfa, delta, return to base immediately

Copy. Copy

This spot is perfect

Copy, Charly Carlos...

Aurelio...

Continue to the designated coordinates

I've got something!

Over there

Who is it?

I don't know. He hasn't identified yet

It must be him. His pilot is the only one who follows

the security protocols of not revealing his identity

- What are they saying on the radios? - Nothing...

It's strange

That's Montenegro's helicopter

Do you want to do it yourself?

Okay

Press this button when I tell you. Understood?

Now, José! Do it!

Press the button now, José!

I'm pressing it!

- What's happening? - I don't know! It's not working!

What's happening?

It's already out of range

It didn't work

Motherfucking fuck!

Wait a minute!

What would happen if we had a radio operator

in the town and wanted to talk to him...

Could we get in touch with him?

Maybe...

if he's in a high point

like in the church tower

Why?

Because the town is boxed-in low in a valley

and radio frequency travels in a straight line

It's difficult?

Yes

The transmitter is still in the town. They haven't moved it

So? Did they find the dynamite?

I don't think so because we would have heard something on the radios

So, why the fuck didn't it blow up?

Because it was out of range

And the helicopter didn't blow up because it wasn't carrying the transmitter

And Montenegro was in the helicopter or is he still in the town?

We don't know that, but we need to find out

I can go to the town

Don't talk shit, José

Who of you can go without getting killed?

You'd be in great danger

It wouldn't be the first time

On the other hand, José could take the remote control and use it...

when he sees Montenegro standing next to the transmitter

And then, what? How would he escape?

You have to do it when nobody is watching you

- Okay - Okay

GUERRILLERO

Uh-huh, you nosy little fuck. Get over here

Tell me

You are going to tell me what you saw, you hear me?

What's going on?

I caught him snooping through the window, Colonel

What's in the box?

No... nothing

Let him go

Shine my boots

What...?

You don't like my men?

They go around treating everybody like shit

Not everybody

Only the guerrillas

Because that is what they are

Shit that is destroying our country with their godless communism

You don't understand it now because you are young and ignorant

But one day you will understand it

What's your name?

José

Are you from here?

Where do you live?

In the back of the barn by the entrance to the town

And before that?

I've lived here all my life

You haven't been doing this a very long time, have you?

What does your father do?

He's dead

What about your mother?

They're both dead

- How did they died They were murdered

Who murdered them?

You know what happens

to those who lie to me?

Charly Carlos, do you copy? Over

That's enough

Your shoeshine sucks

I don't have change

Keep it

I already have all I want from this place

Charly Carlos, do you copy?

Affirmative

Send my bird over to pick me up immediately. Over

Copied. Do you have the transmitter?

Affirmative. I'm looking at it

Excellent. Sending 283 to pick you up immediately

I'm ready

I'll be waiting in the soccer field

Over and out

What do you have here?

Look, you little fuck,

you can fool the Colonel,

but you can't fool me

Did you hear me?

I asked you a question

Answer me

What is it?

I don't know. I found it on the street

Ahhh, you found it on the street?

It's very cool, isn't it?

Don't play dumb with me!

Stand up!

Stand up! Now!

Where did you get this?

I already told you, I found it on the street

And why did you throw away your shoeshine box?

I didn't throw it away. I left it

I went in the brush to take a piss, but I was coming back to get it

Don't lie to me!

I've seen you before

Where?

I've never seen you before

What are you up to, little fuck?!

Huhhh?

It's you!

The little fuck with the iguana! In El Mozote!

Why didn't you take it with you?

They would have found it!

Montenegro is about to leave in the helicopter!

I saw him! And he's taking the radio transmitter!

You can't go back to the town! Let's go!

Where the fuck are they? Why is it taking so long?

It's him! IT'S HIM!

Let's go, José!

Go ahead!

I'll tell you when!

Ready?

And...

NOW!

Mauricio,

listen to their radio transmissions to

confirm that Montenegro was in the helicopter

What are they saying?

It's confirmed!

We didn't only get Montenegro! Ramos and López were in the helicopter with him!

Okay! Let's get ready to go back to our camp, because

our radio station is going on the air tonight!

Do you like the place we chose for her to rest?

She would have liked it

Come with me

Leaving without saying goodbye?

Montenegro is dead

Isn't that what you wanted?

I only wanted to live in peace with my family

What really happened to you in El Mozote?

My mother

asked me to take care of my little sister...

and I ran away

It's not your fault, José

The soldiers killed her

But I ran away...

and left her behind

If you had stayed, you would also be dead

Why was El Mozote so important to all of you?

Why couldn't you just leave us alone?

The answer is complicated. I'm not sure you would understand it

Because I'm ignorant? - No

Because you are too young to have to think about that

Montenegro told me the same thing in Joateca

You are all the same

You wear different uniforms but shoot the same bullets

And the rest of us have to live with the leftovers you leave behind

This is not a war between two guilty sides with

innocent people trapped in the middle, José

We kill because monsters like Montenegro don't leave us another choice

And whether you like it or not,

I'm not going to feel guilty about celebrating his death

I'm also glad he is dead

But only because now, more people will have a chance to live

Alma told me once...

that the only things in life worth living for,

are those also worth dying for

And if I stay with you,

I'll end up miserable and full of hate like Montenegro, or like you

And that's not worth living for, or dying for

What are you going to do?

Since then El Mozote has become a holy graveyard

Years later,

when we were trekking through the area with a guerrilla column,

something very strange happened

Something I've never told anybody

It was a dark night,

and when we approached the mass grave,

thousands of Fireflies lit up at the same time!

But I mean, thousands and thousands!

The entire field glowed

as if following a mysterious order,

they all turned off at the same time

They would all light up...

with that spectral light...

and they would turn off again

I swear, I've never seen anything like it in my entire life

And I'm sure that no one in our column that night,

has been able to forget...

the Fireflies at El Mozote

HE WAS ISSUED A PUBLIC FORMAL APOLOGY BY THE NEW YORK TIMES

Executive Producers

Executive Producers Niko Foster

Executive Producers Niko Foster Hemdee Kiwanuka

Executive Producers Niko Foster Hemdee Kiwanuka Stuart Alson

Niko Foster Hemdee Kiwanuka Stuart Alson Nicole Holland