Thousands of pages of declassified US documents appear to indicate that the CIA and US State Department had foreknowledge of the plan to kill six prominent El Salvador Jesuits in 1989.

The documents, which were presented to Spain’s National Court by attorneys representing the victims’ families, provide new clues that could lead to an increase in the number of people accused of the murders, Spanish lawyer Almudena Bernabeu, told IPS News.

The declassified documents, which include cables to Washington from US embassy, military and CIA officials, “provide important, compelling elements,” said Bernabeu, without entering into detail, because the case is in the hands of the justice system.

The lawsuit was filed in Spain’s National Court - the high court - in November 2008 by the Spanish Association for Human Rights (APDHE) and the California-based Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA).

Fourteen Salvadoran military officers and soldiers are under investigation, and former president Alfredo Cristiani (1989-1994) himself was accused of cover-up and obstruction of investigation.

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EL SALVADOR: Declassified Docs Shed Light on Jesuits’ Murders ^[1] (IPS News)