Church, Land, and Peasant Struggle: Suchitoto, El Salvador, 1968-1977 by Jose "Chencho" Alas Jose "Chencho" Alas was one of the first priests in El Salvador to found Christian Base Communities and to raise awareness among peasants about the teachings of Medellin and the Second Vatican Council. He worked in Suchitoto parish, which later suffered a lot of violence during El Salvador's civil war (1980-1992). This is one of the first books published about the years leading up to the civil war.

In this work, Chencho writes about important historical happenings, which he participated in himself. These include the first Agrarian Reform Congress, the foundation of the Monsignor Luis Chavez y Gonzalez Agriculture School, the protests over the construction of Cerron Grande hydroelectric dam, the foundation of the first grassroots coalition in the country - FAPU, and the first occupation of the national cathedral.

He also discusses the conflicts that he had with local and national authorities as he defended human rights -- including his kidnapping and torture.

This book also presents little-known details about Salvadoran martyrs Father Rutilio Grande, Father Alfonso Navarro, and our beloved Monsignor Romero.

These stories are told with a typically Salvadoran humor, and with details that only someone who was there can remember. This makes for a stimulating and fun read, in addition to helping us understand Salvadoran history better -- particularly the years before the civil war.

To obtain a copy of this book in Spanish, contact Sean Hale at

Sorry, this book is not yet available in English.