Sacred Scandal

An extended interview with writer and professor Roberto Lovato, whose book “Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs, and Revolution in the Americas” helped inspire the series.  

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A special conversation with Salvadoran American comedian Marcella Arguello, whose giant tattoo of Oscar Romero sparked the series. 

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The rise of President Nayib Bukele, and what that means for El Salvador’s future. 

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In the aftermath of the Salvadoran Civil War, gangs like MS 13 and Barrio 18 rise to power in the US and El Salvador. Jasmine interviews her aunt Vilma about the murder of her son. 

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The murder of 6 Jesuit priests finally ends the war in El Salvador, and brings into question who really holds the power. 

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A lonely town in the Salvadoran mountains becomes a symbol for the lies of the government. 

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Days after Jasmine’s mother, Ana, left for the US, her sister Margarita was “disappeared.” Her body was later discovered on a rural road, along with the bodies of 4 men. Through interviews with her family, Jasmine finally reveals the mystery of who is responsible for the murders. 

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Jasmine gets an unexpected visit from some cousins, who reveal the reason why her family left for the US. 

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The bodies of four American Catholic nuns are found on the side of a rural road. As violence spiraled out of control, this tragic event sounded the alarms in the country that was the biggest sponsor of the Salvadoran military: the United States. 

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Roberto D’Aubuisson, a military officer who plotted a coup and came back as a respected political figure, was beloved by some but feared by many. He was a boogeyman of sorts, one that created and led vicious death squads that terrorized El Salvador. 

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