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El Salvador Civic Action
The involvement of the armed forces in civic-action projects
began in the mid-1960s. A hierarchy of government officials at
the highest levels supervised the national civic action program.
The ranking official, the director of civic action, was attached
to the Ministry of Defense and Public Security, directly under
the minister. A committee composed of the ministers of defense
and public security, agriculture and livestock, public health and
social services, education, and public works served as an
advisory group for the director. Regional committees supervised
the various projects assigned to their localities. These national
and regional committees prepared programs annually, with the
national group deciding on the allocation of tasks, resources,
and priorities. The army's engineer battalion generally
supervised construction and public works projects. Other
ministries represented on the national committee monitored
literacy, health, and welfare activities.
Civic action programs had a significant impact on the economy
and society. The army's civic action program was largely
responsible for the country's good road system
(see Transportation
, ch. 3). Members of the military not only
maintained and repaired roads but also built new ones, often in
difficult terrain. Although highway maintenance was one of their
primary activities, the army engineers also assisted in public
works projects ranging from bridges to earthworks, airfields, and
sewers. A particularly important facet of the civic action
program was the literacy campaign. The army operated literacy
centers for the public in rural communities throughout the
country, as well as for recruits at military posts. The army's
public health program, which included periodic immunization
campaigns conducted nationwide, was also a great benefit to the
public. The Army Medical Service maintained a number of clinics
that served the local population as well as military personnel in
the major barracks (cuarteles), and the service also
operated mobile health centers in isolated areas. Beginning in
1983, the army combined civic action projects with its
"pacification" campaigns
(see Left-Wing Extremism
, this ch.).
The navy and air force gradually began increasing their
participation in civic action in 1965, although their
contribution was relatively small. The navy participated in
search-and-rescue missions, particularly in the protection of
fishing craft off the southern coast. The air force used its
Cessna liaison aircraft extensively in civic action missions,
especially in remote or isolated areas, where it transported
medical teams to clinics and provided emergency evacuation.
Data as of November 1988
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