The February 28 Popular Leagues (, abbreviated LP-28) was a mass movement in

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

. LP-28 was launched in September 1977 by the People's Revolutionary Army (ERP), functioning as its mass front. The name referred to the February 28, 1977 massacre of ERP supporters, killed at Plaza Libertad in

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

during a protest against electoral fraud in the 1977 Salvadoran presidential election. LP-28 had some 5,000 to 10,000 members. Its following was largely based among peasants in

Morazán Department Morazán () is a Departments of El Salvador, department of El Salvador. Located in the northeast part of the country, its capital is San Francisco Gotera. It covers a total surface area of 1,447 km2 (558.8 mi² Square Miles). History G ...

. Leoncio Pichinte was the general secretary of LP-28.

ERP and the formation of LP-28

In the lead-up to the

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War () was a twelve-year civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador, backed by the United States, and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition of left-wing guer ...

the mass mobilization of ERP was weaker than that of other guerrilla groups, as ERP had a more militaristic outlook. ERP had lost its previous mass front, the

Unified Popular Action Front Unified Popular Action Front () was a revolutionary mass front in El Salvador, linked to the National Resistance Armed Forces. FAPU was formed in 1974. It consisted of trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American En ...

(FAPU), in an internal split in 1976. LP-28 was launched in response to the advances in mass organizations of its competitors among the guerrilla movements. In reaction to the electoral fraud and repression against the progressive sectors in the

Catholic church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, most of the Ecclesiastic Base Communities (CEB) in Morazán Department joined LP-28. In November 1977 the military forces had arrested and tortured Father Miguel Ventura in Morazan Department, but LP-28 organized mass protests in the area and managed to secure his release and allow Ventura to go into exile.

1979 coup

LP-28 took a militant stance against the October 15, 1979 coup d'état, taking actions to draw attention to the situation in El Salvador, such as occupations of embassy buildings, government installations and churches. LP-28, along with ERP, issued a call for a nation-wide insurrection. On October 29, 1979, government forces opened fire on an LP-28 rally in Morazán Department, killing 29 people.

1979 congress

The movement held its first congress on November 27, 1979, which affirmed the overthrow of the military junta and the establishment of a socialist society as the goals of the movement. The congress was baptized 'Irma Elena Contreras'. Some 3,000 LP-28 supporters attended the event. The meeting was addressed by guerrilla leader . The People's Revolutionary Bloc (BPR) sent a small delegation to the LP-28 congress. The BPR delegation was led by Juan Chacón, who in his intervention at the event made a call for unity. FAPU did not attend the LP-28 congress, as there was still hostility after the ERP killing of FAPU leader

Roque Dalton Roque Antonio Dalton García (14 May 1935 – 10 May 1975), known professionally as Roque Dalton, was a Salvadoran poet, essayist, journalist, political activist, and intellectual. He is considered one of Latin America's most compelling poets ...

CRM and FDR

On January 11, 1980, LP-28, BPR and FAPU issued a joint call for insurrection. LP-28, BPR and FAPU organized a joint protest on January 22, 1980, which was met with violence from the state. Subsequently, LP-28, BPR and FAPU formed the

Revolutionary Mass Coordination The Revolutionary Mass Coordination ({{langx, es, Coordinadora Revolucionaria de Masas) was an alliance of revolutionary mass organizations in El Salvador formed on January 11, 1980. After existing for only three months, it merged into the Revolut ...

(CRM). CRM later merged into the

Revolutionary Democratic Front The Revolutionary Democratic Front (, FDR) was a coalition of mass organizations in El Salvador. It was aligned with the FMLN guerrilla movement in the Salvadoran Civil War. The FDR was formed in 1980, through the merger of the Salvadoran Democr ...

(FDR), LP-28 was given one of seven slots in the FDR leadership - where it was represented by Pichinte.

Member organizations

LP-28 was constituted by *the "Heroes of October 29" Popular Peasant Leagues (''Ligas Populares Campesinas "Héroes del 29 de octubre"'', LPC-28) *the Secondary Students Popular Leagues "Edwin Arnoldo Contreras" (''Ligas Populares Estudiantiles de Secundarias "Edwin Arnoldo Contreras"'', LPES) *the Popular University Leagues "Mario Nelson Alfaro" (''Ligas Populares Universitarias "Mario Nelson Alfaro"'', LPU) *the Popular Workers Leagues "Marco Antonio Solís" (''Ligas Populares Obreras "Marco Antonio Solís"'', LPO-28) *the LP-28 Barrio and Colony Committees (''Comités de Barrios y Colonias LP-28'', CB-LP-28) *the Association of Market Users and Workers of El Salvador (''Asociación de Usuarios y Trabajadores de los Mercados de El Salvador'', ASUTRAMES).

In exile

LP-28 was present in Salvadoran diaspora, for example it had presence in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

References

{{Reflist 1977 establishments in El Salvador Organizations established in 1977 Organizations of the Salvadoran Civil War Organizations with year of disestablishment missing Political organizations based in El Salvador