Guerrilla Army of the Poor
Massacres, forced disappearances, torture and summary executions of guerrillas and especially civilian collaborators of the communist Guerrilla Army of the Poor at the hands of United States-backed security forces had been widespread since 1965. It was a longstanding policy of the military regime and known by United States officials. A report from 1984 discussed "the murder of thousands by a military government that maintains its authority by terror". Human Rights Watch described extraordinarily cruel actions by the armed forces, mostly against unarmed civilians.