1985 Zona Rosa attacks
Encyclopedia
The Zona Rosa attack was a guerrilla attack that took place in the Zona Rosa nightclub area of San Salvador, El Salvador at approximately 21:30 on June 19, 1985. The attack was conducted by gunmen dressed as Salvadoran soldiers, and in total twelve people were killed: four United States Marines, two United States businessmen, a Guatemala
n, a Chile
an, and four Salvadorans
. A left-wing guerrilla group, the Central American Revolutionary Workers' Party
(PRTC), and its terrorist arm, the Mardoqueo Cruz Urban Commando (CMC) claimed responsibility for the attack.
In July 1985, as part of the Combat Terrorism Act, the United States offered a reward of US
$100,000 for information leading to the conviction of the attackers. By September 1985, the Salvadoran government had arrested four men; one of them was Américo Mauro Araujo, a high-ranking Salvadoran
Communist Party
official. Seven others who were involved in the attack, however, were never apprehended.
restaurant in the area known as the "Zona Rosa" in the San Benito district. They were regular customers known to the owners of restaurants and cafes in the area and to those who worked there. They used to go there in groups whenever they were off duty.
The four marines were Staff Sergeant Bobby J. Dickson, Sergeant Gregory Weber, Staff Sergeant Thomas T. Handwork, Sergeant Patrick R. Kwiatkowski, who were with two other Marines, were responsible for security at the United States Embassy. The Marines, although not in uniform, were easily identifiable as United States Marines by their haircuts, clothing, and security radios. There is no evidence that they were carrying weapons. After a while, two of them left the group and went to sit down at a table in the Flashback restaurant a few yards away from their companions at Chili's. One witness said the Marines were approached by a young man who briefly spoke with them and then bicycled away. Ten minutes later, at about 9 p.m., ten men—wearing camouflage
shirts and caps and riding in a light-colored pickup truck—arrived in front of a group of four adjacent sidewalk cafes. The patrons of the cafes dismissed the group as a military patrol conducting a search or a document check.
The truck parked on the street in front of Chili's where the Marines were seated. The attack element jumped from the truck and turned toward the customers while others from their group deployed to adjacent security positions. The attackers moved directly toward the table where the Marines were seated while firing on full automatic with U.S. M16s, German G-3
s, and Uzi submachine guns. Fire was initially directed at the Marines but was then turned against other patrons. One Marine was reportedly chased into "Las Pizzas" cafe and killed. Several other armed men provided security by directing gunfire towards the Brazilian Embassy across the street.
On June 21, 1985, a juvenile delivered an envelope to the Salvadoran National Police containing a communique he said he found in a telephone booth. The envelope contained a note from a Salvadoran guerrilla group called the Central American Revolutionary Workers' Party (the Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores Centroamericanos or "PRTC"), which was one of the guerrilla groups constituting the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
(FMLN). The communique stated that the FMLN claimed responsibility for the "annihilation attack against American military advisors".
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n, a Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an, and four Salvadorans
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. A left-wing guerrilla group, the Central American Revolutionary Workers' Party
Central American Revolutionary Workers' Party
The Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers was a political party in Central America.The PRTC was founded in 1975, by a sector that had left the ERP-RN after the 1972 elections. Clandestine pre-congress meetings for the founding of PRTC were held in Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador in...
(PRTC), and its terrorist arm, the Mardoqueo Cruz Urban Commando (CMC) claimed responsibility for the attack.
In July 1985, as part of the Combat Terrorism Act, the United States offered a reward of US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$100,000 for information leading to the conviction of the attackers. By September 1985, the Salvadoran government had arrested four men; one of them was Américo Mauro Araujo, a high-ranking Salvadoran
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
official. Seven others who were involved in the attack, however, were never apprehended.
The attack
The four Marines sat down at an outside table at Chili'sChili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
restaurant in the area known as the "Zona Rosa" in the San Benito district. They were regular customers known to the owners of restaurants and cafes in the area and to those who worked there. They used to go there in groups whenever they were off duty.
The four marines were Staff Sergeant Bobby J. Dickson, Sergeant Gregory Weber, Staff Sergeant Thomas T. Handwork, Sergeant Patrick R. Kwiatkowski, who were with two other Marines, were responsible for security at the United States Embassy. The Marines, although not in uniform, were easily identifiable as United States Marines by their haircuts, clothing, and security radios. There is no evidence that they were carrying weapons. After a while, two of them left the group and went to sit down at a table in the Flashback restaurant a few yards away from their companions at Chili's. One witness said the Marines were approached by a young man who briefly spoke with them and then bicycled away. Ten minutes later, at about 9 p.m., ten men—wearing camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
shirts and caps and riding in a light-colored pickup truck—arrived in front of a group of four adjacent sidewalk cafes. The patrons of the cafes dismissed the group as a military patrol conducting a search or a document check.
The truck parked on the street in front of Chili's where the Marines were seated. The attack element jumped from the truck and turned toward the customers while others from their group deployed to adjacent security positions. The attackers moved directly toward the table where the Marines were seated while firing on full automatic with U.S. M16s, German G-3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
s, and Uzi submachine guns. Fire was initially directed at the Marines but was then turned against other patrons. One Marine was reportedly chased into "Las Pizzas" cafe and killed. Several other armed men provided security by directing gunfire towards the Brazilian Embassy across the street.
On June 21, 1985, a juvenile delivered an envelope to the Salvadoran National Police containing a communique he said he found in a telephone booth. The envelope contained a note from a Salvadoran guerrilla group called the Central American Revolutionary Workers' Party (the Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores Centroamericanos or "PRTC"), which was one of the guerrilla groups constituting the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is, since 1992, a left-wing political party in El Salvador and formerly a coalition of five revolutionary guerrilla organizations...
(FMLN). The communique stated that the FMLN claimed responsibility for the "annihilation attack against American military advisors".
Attackers
In 1992, three men were convicted of taking part in the gun attack. They were released the same year, having served their sentence. The mastermind of the attack, Pedro Antonio Andrade, was arrested in 1989 but was allowed to remain in the United States after giving help to authorities until 1997, when he was deported to El Salvador.External links
- http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/9609/zr1.htm
- http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/9609/zr5.htm
- http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1130
- http://www.usip.org/library/tc/doc/reports/el_salvador/tc_es_03151993_casesE2ab.html
See also
- Salvadoran Civil War
- Albert SchaufelbergerAlbert SchaufelbergerAlbert Schaufelberger was a United States Navy Lieutenant Commander who was assassinated in El Salvador.-Background:Schaufelberger was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and was an avid sprint American football and lacrosse player while in college...