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| 1981–82 |
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| The war settled into a stalemate, but by mid-1982 it seemed that the guerrilla forces were making major advances. At the Battle of Escandón (June), rebel forces defeated a battalion of elite troops. Rebel offensives were destroying the economic infrastructure and making the situation of the government tenuous. | 1 |
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| 1982, Aug |
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| After U.S.-backed Christian Democrats failed to win a majority in congressional elections boycotted by the Left, the Christian Democratic Party (PDC), the Party of National Reconciliation (PCN), and the Nationalist Republic Alliance (ARENA) agreed on moderate Alvaro Magaña as president. In a concession to the far Right, ARENA's Roberto d'Aubuisson (the man widely believed to have orchestrated the murder of Archbishop Romero) was made president of the constituent assembly. | 2 |
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| 1983, Jan |
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| A military mutiny demanded the removal of Defense Minister García, who was replaced by Gen. Carlos Vides Casanova. | 3 |
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| 1984, May |
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| PDC candidate Duarte won presidential elections, defeating extreme right-wing ARENA candidate d'Aubuisson. Heavily backed with U.S. funds, Duarte promised some reforms and negotiations with the rebels. He did initiate talks with the FMLN that year, but they soon broke off. After the elections, the U.S. Congress voted an immediate increase in military aid. | 4 |
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| 1986, Jan |
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| Presiding over a devastated economy and unable to initiate any social reform, Duarte announced an austerity program to help pay the costs of the war. | 5 |
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| Oct. 10 |
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| An earthquake hit El Salvador, killing over 1,000 and leaving nearly half a million people homeless. | 6 |
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