Homicides in the major municipality of Sonsonate. 1786 1820: An approximation to the motivations for violence

Abstract

Homicide is a highly discussed topic nowadays in El Salvador. However, a little known fact is that this crime has been present throughout the country’s history. Noteworthy are the considerable number of cases of homicide reported at Sonsonate City Hall at the end of the colonial period. Homicide took place when, on occasion, people’s behavior was altered for different reasons, giving rise to violent attitudes, which came about when individuals felt this act was deserved. The motivations that lead to this conduct were mostly closely related to drunkenness, as a direct cause for homicide. Honor, passion, and self-defense are some of the most outstanding motivations to commit the crime. It cannot be ignored that some crimes were due to debt, and others took place within households – husbands murdering their own wives – and there were those that had no motivation: accidents. This crime was considered one of the most serious, and shook society at the time. Indigenous people were considered the most prone to committing homicide, given that authorities attributed ignorance to being the key factor in generating this sort of attitude.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v1i1.1393