ja_mageia

By Michael Baney

July 9, 2012

The unfortunate actions in Cajamarca well demonstrate that while Latin America as a whole has greatly changed since the end of the Cold War, human rights and democracy concerns still exist today. Peru has historically been one of the biggest senders of personnel to the School of the Americas, and in recent years the bulk of Peru's SOA students have been members of the National Police. While the American people have a right to know if the police involved in the deadly violence in Cajamarca were trained by SOA/WHINSEC, cross-checking the names of the students with those of the abusers is impossible, as the US Department of Defense refuses to release the names of WHINSEC students, citing "the historical stigma" that has been attached to graduates of the school. Of course, the stigma exists only because so many SOA/WHINSEC graduates have been involved in abuses, which is why SOA Watch will continue to fight get the names of the students released and have the school finally shut down.

On June 27 and 28, 2012, the news that Ecuador had pulled out of the SOA made shock waves in Columbus, Georgia. During those two days, SOA Watch activists – including Fellowship of Reconciliation’s John Lindsay-Poland, former SOA Watch Prisoner of Conscience Louis Wolf and members of SOA Watch-Columbus – spoke out at the SOA/WHINSEC Board of Visitors’ meeting.

The activists inquired about the transparency of the school that neither releases the names of the graduates and instructors, nor knows how to track them after they leave. Ecuador’s decision to leave the school left a cloud of doubt over the meeting.

Click here to read Lou Wolf's testimony.

Click here to read John Lindsay-Poland's comments to the Board of Visitors.

The Board of Visitors meets annually, supposedly to “oversee” what happens at the SOA/WHINSEC. However, it appears to be more of a rubber stamp board for PR purposes.

Send letters to the Ecuadoran embassy – as well as to those of Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Venezuela – supporting them for their just and courageous actions. The Americas are rising up!

Letter from jail, by Theresa Cusimano, SOA Watch prisoner of conscience

"As you may recall, I entered frustrated and disillusioned. This second time around certainly reminds me of my incredible privilege of being born into an upper middle class family. It reminds me why justice work is central to our existence. Sharing cannot be an option... it must be required if we are ever to pretened we are a merciful community of citizens."