José Feliciano Ama

José Feliciano Ama was born circa 1881 into a prominent Pipil indigenous family in Izalco. As head of the Cofradía del Corpus Christi, Ama was recognized as the supreme traditional spiritual and political authority (cacique) of the indigenous community.

When land oligarchies seized communal ancestral indigenous holdings for coffee plantations, Ama organized peaceful protests. In January 1932, amidst widespread famine, peasants revolted across western El Salvador. Captured by General Hernández Martínez's forces, Ama was brutally lynched by public hanging in front of the parish church of Izalco on January 28, 1932.