Chile Announces Drawdown of Soldiers Training at the

FEBRUARY 15-17: Lobby Days and SOA Watch Encuentro
in Washington, DC Page/Página
Page 7
www.SOAW.org
1
SOA Watch Legislative
Campaign Prepares to
Ensure True Change in
Latin America Policy
Chile Announces Drawdown of Soldiers
Training at the School of the Americas
Chilean Government
Declares Troop
Decrease as Former
Political Prisoners from
Chile and the U.S. Meet
As a result of November election outcomes
from across the country, the campaign to close
the SOA/ WHINSEC took several steps
towards victory. Over 35 of the “Hall of
Shame” representatives, (members of
Congress who voted against a cut in
funding for the SOA/ WHINSEC in June
2007), are no longer in Congress! In most
cases, more favorable representatives, and
in some cases allies
of our movement, Call Congress
have been elected in 202-224-3121
their place.
Why is the outlook so bright?! In June 2007,
the McGovern-Lewis (GA) amendment to cut
funding for the school lost by a margin of only
six votes, and with over 35 “no” votes taken
out of the equation, SOA Watch looks
forward to the potential for
an exciting and victorious
111th Congress!
Santiago, CHILE — In November,
Chile announced a dramatic
reduction in the number of its
students studying at the SOA in
2008. According to a statement by
Chile´s Defense Department, the
The elections may
enrollment of Chilean students at
be over, but
the SOA was reduced to 41, down
grassroots
from 195 students in 2007. In
legislative
addition, the President of the
action is not!
Chilean Human Rights Commission
announced that the head of the
Continued
Chilean Army will be called to testify
on Page 14
Photo by Pavelic Jofre
before congress about the country’s November 22: Protest for a Complete SOA Withdrawl in Santiago, Chile
participation at SOA/WHINSEC.
political prisoner under the
These declarations came during a dictatorship of General Augusto
delegation of former SOA Watch Pinochet, organized the visit along
Prisoners of Conscience who with members of the Kamarikun
traveled to Chile to learn firsthand human rights group, and the
Gracias por su interes
tenga interés).
about the effects that the SOA has Observadores de la Escuela de las
en el movimiento para
Varios artículos de
had on Chile. Pablo Ruiz, a former Américas. According to Pablo, as
cerrar la Escuela de
esta edición están
Continued on Page 5
las Américas. ¡Juntos
en español.
lo lograremos! SOA
Visita la versión
Also in this Issue:
Watch está buscando
electrónica de
un coordinador de
¡Presente!
comunicaciones
para más.
(contactarle a Eric si
www.SOAW.org/presente.esp
Obama and the SOA
Page 9
Vigil Photos
Page 11
Page/Página 2
Winter/Spring 2009
¡Presente! literally means "here" or "present" in Spanish. There is a long tradition
in Latin American movements for justice of invoking the memory of those who
have lost their lives in the struggle. It is used in the ritual at the gates of Fort
Benning, Georgia, when we remember those who suffered and were martyred
by the graduates of the School of the Americas. We pronounce their names and
bring their spirits and witness before us as we respond: ¡Presente! You are here
with us, you are not forgotten, and we continue the struggle in your name.
¡Presente!, la publicación del movimiento para cerrar la Escuela
de las Américas, se publica tres veces al año y se envía sin costo
a más de 36.000 suscriptores. Organizadores dedicados
distribuyen más de 34.000 ejemplares adicionales alrededor de
EEUU y más allá de sus fronteras como parte de la Red de
Distribuidores Activistas de ¡Presente!
In this issue:
Chile Announces Drawdown of Soldiers Training at the SOA .................... Page 1
Legislative Update ..................................................................................... Page 1
Presente en Español ................................................................................. Page 2
What is the School of the Americas ........................................................... Page 2
What is SOA Watch ................................................................................... Page 2
Movement Voices: Moving the November Vigil to Washington, DC? ......... Page 3
Presente Online: The Blessing is Next to the Wound ................................ Page 3
News Briefs from the Americas .................................................................. Page 3
Infographic: Latin America and the SOA .................................................... Page 4
Paraguay delegation ................................................................................. Page 5
Interview with H.I.J.O.S. Guatemala .......................................................... Page 6
Come to Washington, DC in February ....................................................... Page 7
Close Guantanamo ................................................................................... Page 8
Barack Obama and the SOA/ WHINSEC .................................................. Page 9
Petition to President Obama ...................................................................... Page 9
November Vigil Report Back .................................................................... Page 10
Poem: The Sanctuary of Presente .......................................................... Page 10
Photos from the November Vigil .............................................................. Page 11
Entrevista con H.I.J.O.S. ......................................................................... Page 12
II Encuentro Hemisférico contra la Militarización ..................................... Page 13
Message from Father Roy and Speaking Schedule ................................ Page 14
Support the movement to close the School of the Americas ................... Page 15
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Esta publicación intenta ser un instrumento para el
movimiento. Su finalidad es informar sobre los acontecimientos
de la campaña para el cierre de la Escuela de las Américas,
aportar información y análisis sobre eventos y desarrollos en las
Américas y motivar a más personas para que se involucren en el
trabajo de cambiar la política exterior opresiva de los EEUU, y
acabar con el sistema racista de violencia y dominación.
El vocablo ¡Presente! se usa en la vigilia a Fort Benning, cuando
recordamos a quienes han sufrido y han sido martirizados por
los graduados de la Escuela de las Américas. Pronunciamos
cada uno de sus nombres para asì tenerlos presentes entre
nosotros, su valentía, su testimonio de vida. A cada nombre
respondemos: ¡Presente! Están aquí con nosotros, no los
olvidaremos, y su muerte no fue en vano.
La tradición de leer los nombres de los asesinados por
regímenes políticamente represivos tiene una larga tradición en
América Latina. En el funeral de Pablo Neruda el día 25 de
septiembre de 1973 en Chile, Hernán Loyala informa que los
asistentes respondieron con “Presente” (significando “él o ella (la
víctima) está aquí”) al grito del nombre de Neruda, así como el
de Salvador Allende , el entonces recientemente destituido y
asesinado presidente. Esta fue el primer acto público de
protesta contra el régimen de Augusto Pinochet.
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What is the School of the Americas?
The School of the Americas (SOA) is a U.S.-Army
military training school for Latin American militaries, located in Fort Benning, Georgia. Renamed
the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001, the school has
been producing death squad leaders and human
rights abusers since 1946.
Dubbed the “School of Assassins,” the SOA/
WHINSEC is a school that is synonymous
with torture and military repression around
the world. Graduates of the school have a
long history of participating in and orchestrating killings, rapes and the suppression
of popular movements for social change.
Among those targeted by SOA graduates
are educators, union organizers, religious
workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the
poor. Hundreds of thousands
of Latin Americans have
been tortured, assassinated, raped, “disappeared,” massacred, or
forced into refuge by those
trained at the School of the
Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC).
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What is SOA Watch?
SOA Watch is a nonviolent grassroots
movement that works to stand in solidarity
with the people of Latin America and the
Caribbean, to close the School of the Americas and to change oppressive U.S. foreign
policy that the SOA represents. We are
grateful to our sisters
and brothers
throughout
Latin America
and the Caribbean for their
inspiration
and the
For more information and to get involved, contact SOA Watch at (202) 234 3440 or visit us online at www.SOAW.org
invitation to join them in their struggle for economic and social justice.
We are thousands across the hemisphere.
We engage in popular education, media
work, legislative work and direct action.
Join us!
Graphics by the Beehive Design Collective
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www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 3
NEWS FROM
THE AMERICAS
Moving the November Vigil to Washington, DC?
November 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the massacre of 14-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos, and six Jesuit priests at the
University of Central America in San Salvador. The movement to close the SOA will gather for the annual November Vigil in 2009 at the gates of Fort
Benning in Georgia to commemorate the victims of the SOA/WHINSEC, to call for the closure of the school and to demand a change in foreign policy.
Vermont SOA Watch has proposed to move the following November vigil (2010) to Washington, DC if the school has not been closed by then. The
proposal has initiated a dialogue within the movement about the vigil location and about the best strategies for our campaign. What do you think?
Dolores Perez Priem
SOA Watch West
"With a new administration, we should make
ourselves more prominent at our nation's
capital, since that is
where the policy is
made."
El Salvador Elections
At the time this issue is going to print,
El Salvador is preparing for important
elections, on the municipal, legislative
and presidential levels. There are high
hopes for FMLN presidential candidate
Funes as well as many local-level candidates around the country. In the past
the U.S. has heavily influenced electoral
politics, threatening Salvadoran
soverignty. Learn more at CISPES.org
and www.Share-ElSalvador.org.
COLOMBIA
Lorraine Krofchok
Gail Taylor
Joshua Cade Harris
Francisco Herrera
Grandmothers for Peace
Farmworker from DC
Religious scholar
Caminante Cultural
"We would just be an-
"We can't forget the
place where the murderers are trained or take
away attention from the
place that has caused so
much suffering."
"This doesn't have to be
an either/or issue. I
hope the movement will
mobilize and congregate at multiple sites
around the US."
"Ft. Huachuca, Arizona
is a very important
place ...[it] makes sense
for the connection between Fort Benning &
Fort Huachuca to grow."
other group, among the
many who protest every
other day in the streets
of DC. Fort Benning
was and is unique."
U.S. INTERFERENCE
Soldiers Fired for Killings
Colombian Army commander Mario
Montoya was forced to resign in November 2008 in the wake of a scandal
over army killings of civilians that a
United Nations official on Saturday
called "systematic and widespread." A
protégé of the US, Montoya received
Log on to www.SOAW.org/move to comment on the SOA Watch Vermont proposal
training at the notorious School of the
Americas (SOA) and has also taught
other soldiers as an instructor at the SOA.
For info on the new head of the Colombian
Army, visit www.SOAW.org/presente
The Blessing is Next to the Wound
A Conversation about Torture
and Transformation
The online edition of Presente features
an interview with Colombian activist and
torture survivor Hector Aristizábal.
Read the interview at
www.SOAW.org/Presente
Hector talks about growing up in
Medellín, Colombia, a city plagued by violence from the drug trade and war. His
poverty-stricken neighborhood was a recruiting ground for the “four armies”: the
Colombian military, the guerrillas, the
right-wing paramilitaries, and the cocaine
mafia. Hector also describes his firsthand experience with the SOA-trained
Colombian military, and his work with
Visit www.soaw.org/presente, to read the feature length interview with Hector Aristizábal
Theater of the Oppressed techniques.
FAIR FOOD VICTORY
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a
community-based worker organization, scored
another victory in the campaign for fair wages.
Subway, the third largest fast-food chain in the
world and the biggest fast-food buyer of Florida
tomatoes, reached an agreement in December 2008 with the CIW to help improve wages
and working conditions for the workers who
pick their tomatoes! See www.CIW-Online.org
SENATE CONFIRMS
Rumsfeld Authorized Torture
In December 2008, the Senate released a
report confirming that Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld and other senior US officials
were responsible for authorizing torture at Abu
Ghraib prison and Guantanamo Bay.
Read about the Senate report at
www.soaw.org/rumsfeld
Page/Página 4
Winter/Spring 2009
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 5
SOA Watch delegation in Chile: Jose Luis, Vera Leone, Father Joe Mulligan, Rebecca Kanner, Alicia Lira, Kathleen
Desautels, Theresa Cameranesi, Sister Maureen Newman, Judith Kelly, Lisa Sullivan, Alejandra, Pablo Ruiz Espinoza
Chilean Government
Declares Drawdown
Continued from Page 1
long as Chileans remain at the
SOA, the promise of nunca más
[never again] remains elusive.
Nunca más refers to 17 years of
brutal repression that began with
the U.S.-supported coup, led by
General Pinochet, to overthrow
Chile’s only elected socialist
president, Salvador Allende.
Among Chilean SOA graduates are
many of the commanders who
oversaw the disappearance of
3,000 Chileans and the torture of
tens of thousands of others.
“As long as Chileans
remain at the SOA,
the promise of nunca
más [never again]
remains elusive.”
- Pablo Ruiz Espinoza
Impunity is a major tool still used
in Chile to enforce a culture of
silence. Though Chile´s President
Michelle Bachelet was herself a
victim of torture under Pinochet,
the economic and political power of
Chile´s army still looms large. The
constitution Pinochet drafted
remains in place today, granting
more power to a tribunal
constitucional that includes
commanders of different branches
of the armed forces than to the
president. Arguably more damaging
is the economic model imposed
under the dictatorship. In an era
when protest was impossible, Chile
privatized almost everything,
including schools and roads. Macro
economic growth surged, but
millions of Chileans were driven
into poverty. Chile markets an
image of economic success to the
outside world, but a day on the
streets debunks this myth. Protest
is increasingly criminalized and
met with excessive police force.
While Chile’s decision to send fewer
troops isn’t as strong as the total
withdrawal of troops from
Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and
Venezuela, it is a move in the same
direction. Latin American countries
today are questioning their
participation at the SOA, and
governments are facing political
and economic consequences.
Caving to U.S. pressure, Costa
Rica´s Security Minister admitted
that they would continue sending
police to the SOA for anti-drug
courses, despite President Arias´
2007 pledge of a total withdrawal.
In order to close the SOA we must
join together with those who have
suffered its consequences. Latin
Americans are raising their voices,
both as individuals and as nations.
Monsignor Óscar Romero said that
we must be the voice of the
voiceless. Perhaps today he would
say that we must join our voices
North and South to create a new
harmony so powerful it can close
the doors to the school of assassins.
Visit www.SOAW.org/paraguay for a Paraguay delegation application, for a
Democracy Now! interview with president Fernando Lugo and for an article
by Lorena Rodriguez about a mass mobilization of some five thousand
campesinos from all over Paraguay in the capital city of Asuncion, met with
brutal police violence.
www.SOAW.org/paraguay
Advertisement
Page/Página 6
Winter/Spring 2009
Interview Sons and Daughters for Identity
and Justice against Oblivion and Silence
¡Presente! talked with Cecilia Gonzales of H.I.J.O.S.
during the Americas Social Forum in Guatemala
City about their activism, the re-militarization and
the School of the Americas.
What is HIJOS? What is your
work for justice in Guatemala?
HIJOS’ three principles are memory,
truth, justice.
Our complete name is Hijas e Hijos
por la Identidad y la Justicia contra
el Olvido y el Silencio (English:
Sons and Daughters for Identity
and Justice Against Forgetting and
Silence)
Memory means that we construct
our own histories. Our parents and
siblings have been portrayed as
victims, but it is important to also
place
emphasis
on
their
contributions to the struggle and
their
resistance.
We
are
In 1996, the peace accords were
reconstructing our own history. We
signed. At that time, many young
want to recognize the struggle that
people had
took place and
left
the
often-denied
country or
“Truth means to
element
of
had
been
armed struggle
know
what
happened,
born
into
in our official
exile.
The
who our parents and
histories.
National
relatives
were.”
Security
Truth means to
Archives
-Cecilia Gonzales, H.I.J.O.S. know what
produced a
happened, who
list of 180 or more names of people our parents and relatives were.
that were disappeared [during the These have been processes in HIJOS
civil war]; nothing was known of that have taken place for 10 years.
them. Among those people are the To remember them not as they are
mothers and fathers of HIJOS in the exhumation pictures – but full
members.
of life, as happy people, fighting
people.
An organization called FAMDEGUA
(Relatives of those disappeared in
What is the biggest challenge
Guatemala) supported us when we
that HIJOS is facing at the
first formed the collective in 1999.
moment?
We came out publicly for the first
time on June 30, 1999. This date It is the re-militarization of the army
is the anniversary of the [founding in the current government. On an
of the] military and there is always international level it is said that
a parade. According to the peace Guatemala has a leftist, democratic
accords, military parades are not government, but it is not this way.
permitted, but they have The military continues to dispossess
continued. That year, we jumped people of what belongs to them. We
into the parade. It was very tough. have to denounce this; it is not a
Entrevista con H.I.J.O.S. en español
Página 12
National March for Remembrance in Guatemala City.
government in favor of human
rights. Three times this year they
have declared a curfew. There is
Ramiro Choque, who is the first
political prisoner of this
government, who worked in
Livingston in the Caribbean
communities.
Photo by James Rodríguez
first
year
we
began
by
demonstrating at the military base;
the second year they paraded in a
public park and we infiltrated and
protested it. Last year we stopped
the military parade. And this is how
it took place. It was announced that
there was going to be a military
parade. We managed to create a
What are the greatest triumphs
huge debate with our campaign,
of HIJOS in Guatemala?
and for more than a month many
wrote newspaper articles in favor
A symbolic triumph is our four-year
and against it. We created a
struggle to stop the military parade
dialogue over this issue. This year,
that takes place every year. We
the military did not come out.
began to organize strong
mobilizations every June 30. The
Continued on Page 10
SOA Watch
Encuentro
Activists and organizers will come
together in Washington, DC on
Sunday, February 15 for a day of
reflection, discussion, and
strategizing around the campaign
to close the School of the
Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC) and
building a more just world.
Our campaign is at a critical stage
and we need everyone’s ideas,
creativity and energy to ensure
that we will be as effective as
possible in 2009.
Log on to www.SOAW.org for
an agenda and to register for
the Encuentro.
Stay for the Lobby
Days on Feb. 16
and 17, 2009 and
for the LASC/
NACLA panel on
Militarization.
Taking on Policy
During the presidential campaign,
the Latin America Solidarity Coalition
(LASC) sent a letter to Obama in
which it articulated 11 policy changes
we would like to see happen under
the new administration. The January
issue of the NACLA Report features
articles advocating a new U.S. relationship with Latin America.
LASC and NACLA are organizing
three joint events, featuring activists
and scholars, aimed at building
grassroots power and educating the
public and policy makers on three
broad topics:
• Militarization,
• Sovereignty and Democracy
Manipulation, and
• Trade/Washington Consensus.
The three panels will take place in
February, March, and April on the
East Coast and West Coast, and in
the Midwest. The panel on Militarization will take place on Presidents
Day Weekend in Washington, D.C.
Visit www.LASolidarity.org and
NACLA.org for more information.
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 7
Page/Página 8
Winter/Spring 2009
"One of the main myths that seems to be propagated
in the mainstream media is that 9-11 happened,
George Bush signed a decree, the CIA took off its
gloves, and torture was born in the military.”
-- Leslie Gill, in an interview about her book The School of the Americas:
Military Training and Political Violence in the Americas
Stop Impunity - Mobilize for Justice
1
2
3
End Torture and Shut Down the Racist System
of Violence and Domination.
Hold the Perpetrators Accountable.
SOA Watch is part of the campaign to close Guantanamo and to hold
U.S. officials accountable for the torture of detainees in Abu Ghraib,
Guantanamo and other places.
This is not the first time we hear of the U.S. military being involved in
torture and gotten away with it. In 1996, the Pentagon was forced to
admit that it had used training manuals at the SOA instructing Latin
American military officers and soldiers in the use of torture, blackmail, and executions as recently as 1991.
Just as the torture techniques that were authorized by members of the
Bush administration, the SOA torture manuals were also authorized by
the highest levels in the Pentagon. Not one person has ever been
charged for creating, using or authorizing the SOA torture manuals.
Advertisement
Impunity leaves the door open for future acts of abuse.
1
im·pu·ni·ty [im-pyoo-ni-tee]
Impunity means "exemption from punishment or loss". In the
international law of human rights, it refers to the failure to bring
perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such,
itself constitutes a denial of the victims' right to redress.
mo·bi·lize [moh-buh-lahyz]
to bring together, prepare for action
2
3
jus·tice [juhs-tis]
The principle of treating all persons fair and equal. Respect
for everyone’s civil, political, social and economic rights.
Justice also means that violators are being held accountable.
We make justice possible when we provide opportunities for
survivors to safely tell the truth about their experiences of
violence and when we hear and acknowledge that truth.
When we stand with them, require the system to respond,
and seek the restitution to which the survivors are entitled,
we are working toward justice.
Photo by Tom Bottolene
Make a Difference! SOA Watch is seeking a
full-time intern for a 3-4 months period in the SOAW
office in Washington, DC and a Summer intern in
SOA Watch’s Latin America office in Venezuela.
Being an intern at SOA Watch means becoming part
of the staff, which is made up of paid, unpaid, fulltime and part-time activists who are all dedicated to
the work of the organization:
standing in solidarity with the people of the
Americas, working to close the SOA/
WHINSEC and changing U.S. foreign policy.
Interns have input into their job descriptions and
work. The internship program is generally very flexible and can be shaped for each person. An important part of the work environment is participating in
the collective process and supporting each other in
our work. A little less than half of the intern's time will
be spent doing the general administrative work that
all office staff participate in. These duties include
answering the phone, responding to e-mail requests,
going to the post office, etc. The intern's share of
these duties will be no more
than any other staff member.
For more info, contact SOA Watch at 202-234-3440
and visit the webpage below.
Please share this message with anyone you
think might be interested in dedicating a few
months to working with us in Washington, DC
or in Venezuela!
Barack Obama
and the SOA/
WHINSEC
The election of Barack Obama as the
next U.S. president was a historic
moment. This election is significant
and represents new opportunities for
our world. We are encouraged by his
pledge to bring change to Washington. At the same time, we realize that
it is up to the grassroots to build
popular power to ensure that justice
takes root.
During the primaries, the Obama
campaign kept quiet about the SOA/
WHINSEC . Some saw this as a
strategic move to avoid retaliation
from the rightwing on the campaign
trail. Others were more concerned
and felt that Obama might be
reluctant to make a clean break from
past militarized U.S.’ foreign policy
approaches to Latin America.
Obama, elected as the anti-war
candidate, has a momentous
opportunity to change U.S.-Latin
America relations. He received a
popular mandate to challenge the
traditional U.S. foreign policy of
relying on military means to
“solve” social problems.
In the debates, Obama said: “I don’t
want to just end the war, but I want to
end the mindset that got us into war
in the first place.” He followed that
goal with a promise: “That’s the kind
of leadership that I think we need
from the next president of the U.S.
That’s what I intend to provide.”
President Obama needs to hear from
us. It is more important than ever that
we organize and mobilize and that we
keep Obama to his promise. It is up
to us and all advocates for justice in
the hemisphere to ensure that an
Obama administration will close the
School of the Americas and put an
end to the long legacy of using Latin
America’s people and resources for
U.S. ends.
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 9
Page/Página 10
Winter/Spring 2009
The Sanctuary of Presente
A Matter of Life and Death
by Kenneth Kennon
2008 November Vigil: Convergence of Hope and
Resistance at the Gates of Fort Benning, Georgia
“Life goes on, the death of the Jesuits and so many
Salvadoran military broke into the Jesuit
others, Celina and Elba, moved me to go on and
religious community and killed all the
not to fall into despair, tragedy. . . the Jesuits
community members who were in the house.
were men of joy – we are not condemned to spend
Sobrino attended the Vigil for the first time this
our lives in sorrow or mourning,” commented Jon
year on the 19 th anniversary of the Jesuit
Sobrino, SJ, the survivor of the November 16th,
massacre and believes that
1989 University of Central
working for the closure of the
America, El Salvador. The
“the Jesuits were men
SOA is more important now
notorious massacre of 14
of
joy
–
we
are
not
than ever. He was joined by
year old Celina Ramos her
autoworkers, torture survivors,
condemned to spend
mother Elba and his 6
students, veterans, members of
fellow Jesuits propelled
our lives in sorrow or
Martin Luther King Junior’s
the School of the Americas
mourning”
Southern Christian Leadership
into the public spotlight
Coalition (SCLC) and thousands
when
Congressman
- Jon Sobrino, SJ working for justice.
Joseph
Moakley
discovered the massacre took place at the hands
The sense of hope that Sobrino shared was
of SOA graduates. Sobrino was traveling at the
present at the Vigil as organizers celebrated 35
time of massacre and was not home when the
congressional opponents losing their seats and
Continued on Page 15
The fence was transformed
Once again
Into an unseasonable sacred space
A sanctuary of nonviolence
By the power of the spirit
Festooned on chain-links and barbed wire
White crosses and stars hung
Carrying names of the disappeared
Their holy images
And banners with messages of hope
This quiet metamorphosis
Emerged from simple acts of many hands
As tears welled
The remembered rang through stately wood
Of brilliant and falling leaves of autumn
In solemn preparation
Of a joyous spring
Presente
H.I.J.O.S. Interview
The government announced that
the parade would not take place
but not because of pressure from
the movement. To provide you with
some background information, this
date [June 30] comes from 1871,
the date of the victory of the Liberal
Revolution. It is celebrated as when
the military was born as an
instrument of the wealthy and
powerful.
What impact does the SOA/
WHINSEC and the U.S. military
training in Guatemala today?
I don’t have exact figures, but the
impact that the school has had
inside the Guatemalan population
has been to impose the US model
of security. They continue to
impose their agenda. Before they
continued from Page 6
would call us communists, now
they call us terrorists. They
continue to impose their ways;
there is repression and it continues
to cost lives. A controversial topic
is the death of youth and women.
It seems at times that these deaths
can be linked to the military for the
signs of torture and the way the
bodies appear.
Who are the people most affected
by military violence or of the
state of Guatemala today?
The most vulnerable sectors are the
indigenous
and
peasant
communities. There are military
posts outside of their communities
and on the outskirts of the city
neighborhoods.
What role does impunity in
Guatemala and the work of
H.I.J.O.S. play today?
There are laws that continue to
affect groups. Rios Montt [the
former Guatemalan general who
received his training at the School
of the Americas before he became
military dictator], accused of one
of the major genocides, not only
runs free but he is a Congressman,
and on top of it, he is the President
of the Human Rights Commission
in Congress! This clearly shows
that impunity continues.
What are the roles of the popular
movements for social justice that
are based in the United States,
like SOA Watch? What role do
they play in the fight for justice
and against impunity in
Guatemala?
In our struggle we have to see the
context that affects us, we have to
see where it comes from, the fight
against
militarism
and
imperialism. We have to unite the
people of the United States and the
people of Latin America.
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 11
Page/Página 12
Winter/Spring 2009
Entrevista Hijos e Hijas por la Identidad y
la Justicia contra el Olvido y el Silencio
¿Qué es H.I.J.O.S.?
¿Cómo es su trabajo para la
justicia en Guatemala?
Nuestro nombre completo es: Hijos
e hijas por la identidad y la justicia
contra el olvido y el silencio
Una obra de historia, en el año 96,
firman acuerdos de paz, muchos
jóvenes habían ido o nacido en el
exilio, National Security Archives
publicó un listado de 180 o más
nombres de personas que fueron
desaparecidos, no se supo nada,
entre esas personas, están las
mamás y los papás de nosotros.
Una
organización
llamada
FAMDEGUA
(Familiares
de
desaparecidos de Guatemala) nos
dieron apoyo para el colectivo. Nos
formamos en el año 99, salimos al
público por primera vez el 30 junio
1999 públicamente. Esa fecha es el
aniversario de los militares, y
siempre hacen un desfile.
En ese año, nos metimos en el
desfile, fue fuerte. Según los
acuerdos de paz, no se permitían
desfiles militares. Pero, seguían.
planteamientos, de 10 años, venir
y reconocer también de no recordar
a nuestros familiares como en las
fotos de exhumación, sino
recordarlos en vida, como personas
alegres, personas luchadoras, memoria colectivo, derecho a la justicia
excusa, narcotráfico, control de
emigrantes, pero el ejército sigue
despojando, hay que hacer ese
anuncio, no es un gobierno a favor
de los DDHH. 3 veces este año han
declarado un estado de excepción,
toque de queda . Hay Ramiro
Esa marcha fue a los 3 años de los
acuerdos, había mucha esperanza
todavía, en un momento se dijo que
el grupo era muy radical
Nuestros 3 ejes son:
Memoria, verdad, justicia
Memoria: construir nuestras
propias historias, nuestros padres,
hermanos, han sido mostrados como
victimas. Pero, es importante
también hacer énfasis en sus
aportes a la lucha, su resistencia.
Estamos reconstuyendo desde
nuestra propia historia. Queremos
reconocer la lucha que se dio,
también la lucha armada, en la
historia oficial, esto es negado.
Verdad. Por este sentido, conocer lo
que pasó , quienes eran nuestro padres, nuestros familiares, han sido
procesos en HIJOS, estos
Foto por James Rodríguez
¿Qué son los desafios más
grandes que HIJOS se está
enfrentando en este momento?
Es la re-militarizacion, del ejercito,
en el actual gobierno, En el nivel
internacional, se dice que es un
gobierno de izquierda, democrático,
pero no es asi. Dieron un aumento
significativo de sueldo, la misma
Choque, es el primer preso político
de este gobierno, ha trabajado en
Livingston, comunidades del Caribe,
se lucha por territorio, han sido
despojada, muy coticiado por
extranjeros, por hoteles, etc. Tiene
cargos fuertes, robos, responsable
de reforestación, etc.
¿Qué son los éxitos mas
profundos de HIJOS en Guatemala?
Un éxito simbólico es nuestra lucha
desde hace 4 años de parar el desfile
militar los 30 junio. Comenzamos
haciendo acciones fuertes cada 30
junio. Este año el ejèrcito no salió.
Nosotros entramos como un boicot
a la base el primer año, el segundo
año lo hicieron en un parque central, y infiltramos, hicimos un boicot.
El año pasado paramos el desfile
militar. Este año hicimos una
campaña, recoger firmas, para no
seguir este desfile. Y fue así. Se
anunció que no iba a haber desfile
militar. Logramos generar mucha
polémica con nuestra campaña, y
durante más de un mes, muchos
escribieron artículos de prensa a favor y en contra. Generamos dialógo
sobre esto. El gobierno anuncio que
lo paraba, no por presiones del
movimiento. Para ubicarles, esta
fecha viene de 1871 que es el triunfo
de la Revolucion Liberal. Se celebra
el 30 junio, y también es cuando
nace el ejército, como instrumento
de la oligarquía.
¿Qué impactos tienen la
Escuela de las Américas (ahora
llamada
Instituto
de
Cooperación para la Seguridad
Hemisférica ? SOA/WHINSEC
por sus siglas en inglés) y el
entrenamiento
militar
estadounidense de los soldados
latinoamericanos en Guatemala hoy?
No tengo datos exactos, pero el
impacto que ha tenido, esa escuela,
dentro de la población guatemalteca
ha sido de imponer el modelo de
seguridad de EEUU. Ellos siguen
imponiendo su agenda de seguridad,
antes nos llamaban comunistas,
ahora terroristas, nos siguen
imponiendo los modos, la represión,
y que sigue costando vidas. Un tema
polémico, la muerte de jóvenes,
mujeres, se vincula a veces estas
muertes con el ejercito, por la forma
con tortura, como aparecen los
cuerpos.
¿Quienes son las personas más
afectadas por la violencia
militar o del estado en Guatemala hoy?
Son los sectores más vulnerables,
las comunidades indígenas,
campesinas, hay militares afuera de
su comunidades, afuera de los barrios de las ciudades.
¿Qué papel tiene la impunidad
en Guatemala y en el trabajo
de HIJOS hoy?
Hay leyes que siguen afectando
grupos. Ríos Montt, acusado de uno
de los mayores genocidios, no
solamente anda libre, el es diputado
en el Congreso, y además es el
Presidente de la Comisión de
Derechos Humanos en el Congreso.
Esto muestra que sigue total
impunidad.
¿Qué son los papeles de los
movimientos popular para
justicia social que están
basados en EEUU, como
Observatorio de la Escuela de
las Américas, que papeles
tienen ellos en la lucha para
justicia y contra la impunidad
en Guatemala?
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 13
Informe sobre el II Encuentro
Hemisférico contra la Militarización
Entre los días 3 al 6 de octubre de las guerras y la represión
2008 se realizó el II Encuentro convertida en jugoso negocio.”
Hemisférico contra la Militarización
en La Esperanza, Honduras. Bajo Durante el encuentro se
el lema “Para callar las armas, repartieron
200
dícticos
hablemos los pueblos” más de 800 informativos de SOAW en el que se
delegadas y delegados de 175 invita a las organizaciones a
organizaciones y
participar de
de 27 países se
acciones
“"Más de 800 delegadas las
reunieron para
de noviembre
y delegados se
reflexionar
para cerrar la
sobre “la conreunieron bajo el lema Escuela de
tinua escalada
las Américas
para callar las armas,
de militarización
y se sugieren
y
represión, hablemos los pueblos!"” p o s i b l e s
ocupaciones y
acciones a
- Pablo Ruiz Espinoza desarrollarse
saqueo
de
recursos natuen los países;
rales, y la imposición de la se explica qué es la Escuela de las
hegemonía
económica Américas y se informa de la
estrechamente vinculada a la campaña en América Latina para
militar por parte de los Estados sumar más países a lo que ya
Unidos y otros países” y con el soberanamente han retirado sus
objetivo también de “definir líneas tropas de la Escuela de las
de acción que permitan avanzar de Américas como es el caso de Urumodo más coordinado y efectivo guay, Bolivia, Venezuela, Costa
ante la amenaza continental y glo- Rica y Argentina. Se reparten enbal que representa la militarización, tre los asistentes, de diversos
por Pablo Ruiz Espinoza
países, 30 copias DVD con los
documentales “Escuela de
Asesinos” y “Armas y Avaricia.”
La participación como delegado de
SOA Watch permitió poner en la
agenda del evento nuestra lucha
por cerrar la Escuela de Asesinos y
hacer conciencia en las personas y
organizaciones presentes sobre la
importancia de esta campaña. Se
hicieron contactos con decenas de
personas y organizaciones. Fue una
experiencia muy importante para
mí como activista de derechos
humanos y de SOAW por lo cual
agradezco al movimiento la
oportunidad de representarlos.
Pablo Ruiz
Espinoza es
integrante de los
Observadores de la
Escuela de las
Américas en
América Latina.
En nuestra lucha tenemos que ver
el contexto que nos afecta, tenemos
que ver de donde viene, lucha contra militarismo y el imperialismo,
tenemos que unir lazos
con el pueblo de EEUU
y los pueblos de
América Latina.
“La violencia engendra violencia, como
se sabe; pero también engendra
ganancias para la industria de la
violencia, que la vende como espectáculo
y la convierte en objeto de consumo. ”
- Eduardo Galeano
Page/Página 14
Winter/Spring 2009
Columbus, Georgia
Dear Friends and Supporters,
is the newspaper of the movement to
close the School of the Americas. It is published
three times a year and sent to 32,000 subscribers. 38,000 additional copies are being distributed by local activists and organizers (see below).
SOA Watch Council Members:
Liz Deligio, [email protected]
Palmer Legare, [email protected]
Deirdre MacDermott, 215-601-4805
[email protected] and Linda Panetta,
[email protected], 215-473-2162
Greg Speltz, [email protected]
Theresa Cameranesi, 415-876-1455,
[email protected] and Margaret
Johnson, [email protected]
Pedro-Jesus Romero-Menendez,
[email protected]
Andy Kafel, [email protected]
Gray Newman, [email protected]
Wayne Wittman, Veterans for Peace
Demissie Abebe and Harold Nelson,
Torture Abolition and Survivor Support
Coalition (TASSC)
SOA Watch Staff:
Luciana Andrade, Michael Baney, Father Roy
Bourgeois, Pam Bowman, Rebecca Hahn,
Eric LeCompte, Pablo Ruiz Espinosa, Lisa
Sullivan and Hendrik Voss
Contact:
SOA Watch, PO Box 4566
Washington, DC 20017, United States
Phone: 202-234-3440
Email: [email protected]
SOA Watch website: www.SOAW.org
Subscriptions
www.SOAW.org/presente/subscribe
Activist Distributor Network
www.SOAW.org/presente/distribute
Back Issues
www.SOAW.org/presente/archive
Submissions
www.SOAW.org/presente/submissions
Advertise in ¡Presente!
www.SOAW.org/presente/advertise
Many are saying that 2009 is our year to shut down the School
of Assassins. Yes, we can. Hope has never been stronger. But before
we have that big fiesta, there is much work ahead of us. And we
can all do something in 2009 to help close this school that
has caused so much suffering and death - and we can do it well.
About my problem with the Vatcican. For 18 years I have been
speaking out against the injustice of the SOA. As a Catholic
priest, I could not remain silent about injustice in my church.
For years, I have been saying that the exclusion of women from
the priesthood is a grave injustice and cannot be justified.
Sexism, like racism, is immoral.
After participating in the recent ordination of SOA Watch Prisoner of Conscience
Janice Sevre-Duszynska, I received a letter from the Vatican. This letter stated I
had 30 days to recant my belief and public statements that support the ordination
of women, or I will be excommunicated.
After much reflection, I wrote the Vatican that, in conscience, I cannot recant. This
is like the Pentagon asking me to recant my belief and statements about the SOA.
I am waiting for a response from the Vatican.
In Solidarity,
Father Roy Bourgeois, M.M.
read Fr. Roy’s letter to the Vatican at www.SOAW.org/presente
Father Roy’s Speaking Schedule
January 25-27: Columbus, Georgia
Festival of Hope and Trial of the SOA 6
February 14-17: Washington, DC
SOA Watch Encuentro and Lobby Days
Feb.18-19: Jacksonville/Gainesville, FL
Contact: Nancy O’Byrne, 904-422-3618
March 4, Franklin College, Indiana
Sara Colburn-Aslop, 317-332-8418
March 13: Rochester, New York
Contact: Dr. Ernie Matlin, 585-768-2345
March 14: Buffalo, New York
Contact: Marie Kullman, 716-832-6135
March 31 - April 3: Long Island and NYC
Contact: Bill McNulty, 613-751-2097
Syracuse, New York
Contact: Bob Dugan, 800-523-1991
To invite Father Roy to speak in your
community, please call 706-682-5369
SOA Watch Legislative Campaign
People power will be the ingredient that delivers a
victory to close the SOA/WHINSEC, and we need
your help with our new legislative campaigns.
The campaign and historic election of Barack
Obama (D-IL) demonstrates the power of grassroots
activism, and his campaign has given hope to many
that true change is possible. SOA Watch will work
Continued from Page 1
tirelessly to make sure this campaign of change
includes a new direction for U.S. foreign policy in
Latin America, including an investigation and
closure of the SOA/ WHINSEC (see page 7).
Our legislative campaign also focuses on both the
House and Senate to build support for legislation
to suspend operations and investigate the SOA/
WHINSEC. Before new legislation is introduced,
SOA Watch activists will be scheduling meetings
with their elected officials in their local district
offices and thousands of call, faxes, and emails
will be sent to build support for the new bill.
SOA Watch activists around the country are mobilizing for the February events in Washington DC.
The weekend events include an intensive lobbying
training and preparation before participants flood
the halls of Congress to meet with their elected
officials about closing the SOA/ WHINSEC.
Join us and make history!
For updated information on the legislative campaign,
check out www.soaw.org/legislative
.
www.SOAW.org
Page/Página 15
Hope and Resistance at the Gates of Fort Benning
continued from Page 10
a petition drive to encourage President Obama
to close the SOA/ WHINSEC by executive order.
of the most profound experiences of my life,
standing there in nonviolence ... bringing her
(Kazel’s) voice and her love of the people of El
Salvador to the 21st century.”
Hope is what carried six of our movement to
cross onto Fort
In addition to Sr.
Benning and risk 6
“It
was
one
of
the
most
profound
Diane Pinchot, five
months in federal
others
were
experiences of my life, standing
prison. One of the line
arrested:
Father
crossers, Sr. Diane
there in nonviolence ... bringing
Luis Barrios, Louis
Pinchot knew Sr.
her (Kazel’s) voice and her love of
Wolf,
Theresa
Dorothy Kazel who
the people of El Salvador to the
Cusimano,
Al
was among 4 U.S.
21st
century.”
Simmons
and
church women raped
- Sister Diane Pinchot student Kristen
and killed by SOA
Holm.
graduates in El
Salvador.
The six will face trail on January 26 th in
After her arrest Pinchot spoke with the Columbus, Georgia. There they will put the
Cleveland Plain Dealer and shared, “It was one SOA/ WHINSEC on trial. On January 25th we
Invest in Resistance
e
School of the Americas (SOA
/WHINSEC)
Yes, I support the Movement to Clos
e th
The work to close the School of the Americas and to change oppressive U.S.
foreign policy depends on the generosity of individuals like you. Thank you!
However, no organization is totally immune
from the recent financial malaise. That’s
why we’re focusing our efforts on broadening our grassroots base. With a broader
base of support, we will be
better positioned to capitalize
on the recent changes in
Washington to get Congress to
investigate and shut down the
School of the Americas once
and for all.
Although we value our onetime donors, one of the best
ways you can provide this
needed support is to join our
monthly donor program. By
giving us a predictable donation once a month, you can
provide a solid foundation
for our efforts. Thank you!
The Vigil moves us to take action and change
U.S. policy. As our movement grows and we
organize for justice we hope that our next vigil,
the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit massacre,
November 20 th through 22 nd in Columbus
Georgia will be a victory
celebration.
Support the work of SOA Watch
In Times of Economic Turmoil
In times like these, it’s important for notfor-profit organizations such as SOA Watch
to avoid over-dependence on a few big
foundations or, worse yet, returns on
investments. Thankfully, over 90 percent
of the funding of the movement to close
the School of the Americas comes from
individual donors like you.
will gather in Columbus in a Festival of Hope –
a public event of celebration, reflection and
remembrance. For more information and to join
us at the trial, visit www.SOAW.org.
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Page/Página 16
Winter/Spring 2009