HistoryLUC's video: Ignacio Ellacur a at Loyola: Tape 2

In 1986, Loyola awarded Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J. with an honorary doctorate of laws. While in Chicago for the ceremony, he gave a series of press conferences on the current political state of El Salvador under President Duarte, that country’s first civilian president after a decade of military rule. These tapes document Ellacuría’s few days at Loyola, from the moment he arrived to the final conferral of an honorary degree. On September 10, 1985, FMLN rebels kidnapped President Duarte’s oldest daughter and her friend from their car while parking at San Salvador University. The kidnapping was a ploy to negotiate the release of FMLN prisoners and to secure the safe passage of injured rebels. The FMLN held the two hostage for forty-four days. President Duarte asked Ellacuría for help in securing his daughter’s release. On the drive from the airport to Loyola’s campus, Ellacuría explains the process of negotiating her release. For more information, check out "The Ellacuría Tapes: A Martyr at Loyola" exhibit at http://www.lib.luc.edu/specialcollections/exhibits/show/ellacuria-tapes