GLOSSARY OF TERMS

ARENA   Alianza Republicana Nacionalista, the major right-wing political party in El Salvador

areneros   supporters of ARENA

CAFTA   Central American Free Trade Agreement

catorce familias   the “fourteen families,” an extended group of related Salvadoran families of particular wealth, power, and social prominence

caudillo   a large property holder, military leader, or other “strongman”

Chávez, Hugo   Leftist president of Venezuela; the current bête noir of American foreign policy in Latin America

efemelenistas   supporters of the FMLN

FMLN   Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, the major left-wing political party in El Salvador, formerly the unified guerrilla opposition

Fuerza Aérea   the Salvadoran air force

LEGAT   legal attaché, the head of an overseas FBI office

Los Patrióticos   a war-era death squad consisting of middle- and upper-class professionals operating out of the First Brigade’s civil defense training program

Los Soldados de San Miguel   a (fictional) death squad operating in eastern El Salvador

maquila   a factory that assembles imported components for export

mara   a Central American gang

Mara Dieciocho   the smaller of the two main Salvadoran gangs, an outgrowth of the Eighteenth Street gang (Calle 18) in Los Angeles

Mara Salvatrucha   the larger of the two main Salvadoran gangs, originally formed by Salvadoran refugees in Los Angeles as protection against Mexican gangs, specifically the Eighteenth Street Gang—members are called salvatruchos

marero   a Salvadoran gang member

Mercado Nacional de Artesanías   artisans’ market, where native crafts can be purchased

ODIC   the Overseas Development Insurance Corporation—a (fictional) export credit agency funding and insuring American investment in international development projects

placa   a hand signal denoting gang affiliation

PNC   Policía Nacional Civil, the national police force formed after the UN Peace Accords to supplant military involvement in routine police work

remesas   remittances—i.e., money sent back to El Salvador from migrants abroad

SOUTHCOM   Southern Command, the U.S. military’s regional command structure for Latin America