From Vietnam to El Salvador: The Saga of the FMLN Sappers and Other Guerrilla Special Forces in Latin America

by David E. Spencer

Overview

Spencer provides a history of the FMLN guerrilla special forces—known collectively by the acronym FES—in El Salvador. Trained in Cuba and Vietnam and utilizing techniques taken from the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese army, the FES terrorized the armed forces of El Salvador from 1981 to 1992. After reviewing their training, Spencer examines the major operations of the special forces and gives an in-depth discussion of their tactics and methods. He concludes with a look at the special forces groups in other Latin American countries.

After reviewing their training, Spencer looks at the major operations of the special forces groups of three of the guerrilla factions—the FPL, ERP, and FAL—and provides an in-depth discussion of their major operation tactics and methods. He concludes with a look at the special forces groups in Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico. This thorough examination of an often misunderstood approach to guerrilla warfare will be of great interest to researchers involved with contemporary low-intensity warfare and Latin American affairs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275955144
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/21/1996
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)
Lexile:	1180L (what's this?)

About the Author

David E. Spencer has lived and travelled throughout Latin America, spending more than 13 years in the region. From 1990 to 1992 he served as an independent political and public affairs adviser to the Salvadoran military. Currently he is a PhD candidate at George Washington University in comparative politics. Among his earlier publications is Strategy and Tactics of the Salvadoran FMLN Guerrillas (Praeger, 1995).

Table of Contents

Abbreviations
Introduction by Jose Angel Moroni Bracamonte
Guerrilla Special Forces of El Salvador: The FPL, Vietnam and Cuba
FMLN Special Forces Techniques
FPL Special Forces Operations
ERP Operations
Special Forces of the FAL
Guerrilla Special Forces in Latin America
Conclusions and Analysis
Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

Steve Salisbury Soldier of Fortune Magazine correspondent in Latin America

David Spencer is to be commended for his book. Easy to read, it is an impressive display of research and the best academic study on Salvadoran guerrilla special forces published to date that I've read. David Spencer's long days of sifting through captured guerrilla documents have paid off well in providing a bounty of detailed glimpses into the successes and failures of both the Salvadoran FMLN guerrillas and the Salvadoran armed forces. Tracing some of the FMLN's tactics back to the Viet Cong, From Vietnam to El Salvador informatively compares the Salvadoran experience with those of other Latin American guerrilla movements and sheds light on the Cuban connection. It is must reading for anyone serious about studying the history of guerrilla warfare. It uncovers lessons that any military professional would be wise to learn, not only from an academic standpoint, but also for the sake of saving lives in a possible future conflict.

Editorial Reviews

[M]ay well benefit military personnel who are charged with training for, carrying out, or defending against infiltration operations during future low-intensity conflicts. . . . [T]hey do serve to provide the reader with a clear sense of the kind of work special forces do.” —South Eastern Latin Americanist

From the Publisher

A former political and public affairs advisor to the Salvadorian military examines the guerrilla war and warriors of the liberation front in that country. His topics include their generation from models in Cuba and Vietnam, special forces techniques and operations, training, equipment, the various factions of the front and their coordination, and the influence they have had on other Latin American struggles. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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