José Alberto Medrano
José Alberto Medrano | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 November 1917 El Salvador |
| Died | 23 March 1985 (aged 67) El Salvador |
| Allegiance |  El Salvador |
| Service/ | Salvadoran Army |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | |
| Battles/wars | Salvadoran Civil War Football War |
José Alberto Medrano (2 November 1917[1] – 23 March 1985[2]) was a Salvadoran general who, starting in the 1960s, headed the National Security Agency of El Salvador (ANSESAL) and the Nationalist Democratic Organization (ORDEN), a paramilitary group supported by the Green Berets. ORDEN was later accused by Amnesty International of using "clandestine terror against government opponents."
Early Life[edit]
Medrano was born on November 2, 1917 in San Salvador, El Salvador. On April 10, 1946, he married a woman named Marta Ruth Nuila.
Career[edit]
Medrano became Chief of the National Guard of El Salvador sometime prior to 1962, when he created the ORDEN death squad, in addition to the Salvadoran National Security Agency.[3] In El Salvador, he is sometimes considered the father of the country’s death squads.[4] In 1969, he participated in the Football War with Honduras, crossing the border on a donkey disguised as a monk. He retired sometime prior to 1985.[2]
Death[edit]
Medrano was killed in San Salvador on March 23, 1985. He was shot as he arrived at a theater by suspected leftist guerillas.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Ancestry.com birth certificate
- ^ a b c "Rightist Is Slain in El Salvador". The New York Times. 24 March 1985.
- ^ "RAICES - Periodismo alternativo en el Salvador". web.archive.org. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ^ Service, Cox News (1985-03-25). "GUNMEN KILL SALVADORAN `FATHER OF DEATH SQUADS`". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
External links[edit]
- History Commons "Profile: Jose Alberto “Chele” Medrano." Accessed 25 November 2008.