The emptiness. . . The earthquake has been followed by more 1,900 aftershocks, one occurring on January 21 registering 3.5 on the Richter scale, causing more mudslides and damage. Background AFSC has been present in El Salvador for almost 50 years, and during that time has built up a wealth of relationships, contacts, and trust with organizations and individuals from all walks of life and in all regions of the country. During the years of civil war, from 1979-1992, AFSC representatives in that country worked closely and steadily with campesino, labor, development, human rights, business, and government representatives and organizations to both address material needs as well as promote civil society, dialogue, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding with an eye towards ending the conflict. At the same time, AFSC worked on the Salvadoran situation in the United States, helping to design support and protection for refugees fleeing the violence and helping to build up movements all over the U.S. geared towards pushing the U.S. government into supporting a just and peaceful resolution to the civil war.
Earthquakes are unknown in Honduras, the only country without active volcanoes in Central America.
It was only a matter of hours before he began to receive information on the damage from El Salvador, and requests for assistance from the many different AFSC partner organizations in that neighboring country. A few hours away, in the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, AFSC's Central America International Affairs Representatives Tom Loudon and Jennifer Atlee-Loudon, had a similar experience. Over the next two days, Trinidad and Mary were in constant communication with AFSC's partners in El Salvador, gathering information and using their contacts to organize an immediate response. The drive was a tremendous success, reflecting the spirit of solidarity that swept through the towns of Central America and Mexico in response to the earthquake, a spirit of solidarity that rose above the problems of poverty and increasing violence all over the isthmus. But the solidarity brought about by this event goes beyond those in formal position of authority.