Why was u.s support for government in el salvador controversial?

The U.S. support for the Salvadoran government during the 1980s was controversial for several reasons.

Firstly, the Salvadoran government was accused of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings of civilians, including by a U.N. report in 1982 during a time of heightened political oppression and conflict within the country. The U.S. continued to provide military aid and support to the government, despite these concerns, which raised criticism and accusations of complicity in human rights violations.

Secondly, the conflict in El Salvador was seen by some as a civil war between the left-wing guerrilla movement known as the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) and the U.S.-backed Salvadoran government. The U.S. involvement was perceived by critics as intervening in a domestic conflict and supporting one side over the other, rather than promoting a peaceful resolution and addressing the underlying causes of the conflict.

Thirdly, the Salvadoran government was perceived as lacking democratic legitimacy, with elections marred by fraud and a limited degree of political participation by the opposition. The U.S. support for the government was criticized as undermining democratic principles and contributing to the ongoing political instability and violence in the country.

Fourthly, the U.S. military aid to El Salvador, provided through programs like the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, was seen as promoting a militarized approach to resolving political issues rather than addressing the root causes of the conflict. Critics argued that this militarization contributed to the human rights abuses and hindered efforts for a peaceful resolution.

Overall, the U.S. support for the government in El Salvador was controversial due to concerns over human rights abuses, the nature of the conflict as a civil war, democratic legitimacy issues, and the militarized approach to addressing political challenges.