The Sumpul River massacre took place in Chalatenango, a region in El Salvador that had become a focal point during the Salvadoran Civil War. The war, which lasted from 1980 to 1992, was characterized by conflicts between the Salvadoran government, which was backed by the United States, and leftist guerrilla groups seeking social reform. On this particular day, a group of refugees, mostly women and children, fleeing the violence in their communities, attempted to cross the Sumpul River in search of safety. The Salvadoran military, suspecting that these refugees had links to guerrilla forces, opened fire on them as they crossed. Eyewitness accounts suggest that many civilians were killed in the ensuing chaos, with estimates of the death toll varying widely, but it is reported that at least 600 individuals lost their lives.The massacre was not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger strategy of terror employed by the Salvadoran government against suspected insurgents and their sympathizers. The brutality of this event, along with others during the war, drew international condemnation and highlighted the severe human rights abuses occurring in El Salvador. The Sumpul River massacre became emblematic of the larger patterns of violence that plagued the country during this tumultuous period, leading to calls for intervention and increased scrutiny from international human rights organizations and foreign governments.