Final offensive of 1989

Final offensive of 1989
Part of the Salvadoran Civil War
Rebels on the march during the 1989 offensive
Date 11 November – 12 December 1989 Location El Salvador Result Government military victory FMLN political victory
Belligerents
Salvadoran government Supported by:  United States	Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front Supported by:  Cuba  Nicaragua
Commanders and leaders
Alfredo Cristiani René Emilio Ponce	Schafik Hándal Salvador Sánchez Cerén Joaquín Villalobos
Strength
Unknown	2,000–3,000
Casualties and losses
446 killed 1,228 wounded	1,902 killed 1,109 wounded
64+ civilians killed

The final offensive of 1989 (Spanish: ofensiva final de 1989), also known as the ofensiva hasta el tope ("to-the-top offensive"), was the major engagement of the Salvadoran Civil War. The battle, fought between the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (Spanish: Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, FMLN) Marxist guerrilla and the Salvadoran government, lasted from 11 November to early December 1989.^[1] Sometimes referred to as "Ofensiva fuera los fascistas. Febe Elizabeth vive", ("Offensive to drive out the fascists. Febe Elizabeth lives".) in honor of an assassinated union leader, it was the most brutal confrontation in the entire conflict, amounting for seventeen percent of the total casualties in ten years of warfare.^[2]

The extent and consequences of the offensive determined the course the civil war would take in the following two years. The confrontation resulted in casualties for both armies, as well as many civilians. As a consequence, there was an increased pressure to end the war as it had been shown that neither party could achieve total victory and the losses were too large.^[1]