Romero

Romero

During the unrest In El Salvador Archbishop Oscar Romero chooses to do what most people fail to do and in that way encourages the spread of terror, he chooses to speak against the campaign of terror that the government adopts in an attempt to quell and completely crush the guerrillas fighting against the government forces. He raises the question of the death squads but his action is seen as disloyalty against the government (Williams, 54-86).

The government retaliates by attacking more priests and shutting down churches. Romero is not cowed by the government’s ruthlessness and continues to condemn the savage actions the government continues against its people. His protests despite the persecution of the church by the government finally cost him his life.

The movie is relevant to a modern Latin Student as it is set during the dark days in El Salvador where the ruthlessness of the government against its people in the name of crushing a rebellion went to unprecedented levels. It portrays the bravery of a man who couldn’t be silenced even by threats against his own life (Williams, 54-86).

Romero brings out the issues that most people would rather turn the other way from. When a government sets up death squads whose mandate is to exterminate whoever is perceived as a threat to the government regardless of whether that person is a priest or in the case of Oscar Romero, an Archbishop.

Governments have committed despicable atrocities against their own people and these actions do shape the history of a country like in the case of El Salvador or indeed other Latin American countries. It is the actions of people like Oscar Romero who do not cower even in the face of mortal danger but instead choose to speak against that which is wrong even if the cost of refusing to stay silent death (Williams, 54-86).

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