Demonstration against School of the Americas, Sat. 22 Nov

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

Demonstration Against the School of Americas (recently renamed Western Hemisphere Institute For Security Cooperation).

Also known as “School of Assassins” its graduates have been involved in many human rights abuses of Latin American civilians up to the killing of people.  This institution is run by the U.S. Army and teaches Latin American soldiers who have been involved in human rights violations against the people of their own countries.  Some of the people who have become victims of graduates of the SOA are human rights workers, labor organizers, religious people and even children.

The South Country Peace Group and the St. Joseph The Worker Pax Christi Group have organized a local demonstration to Long Island to show solidarity with demonstrators at Fort Benning and elsewhere around the country.

Yes, our work has only just begun. Barack Obama and Joe Biden need to know that the American people want them to shut this crazy place down for good. As you can see, at least one other previous candidate is well aware of what SOA/WHINSEC is all about. Yes, that is Dennis Kucinich at a previous demonstration.

What is the SOA?

The School of the Americas (SOA), in 2001 renamed the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation,” (WHINSEC) is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Initially established in Panama in 1946, it was kicked out of that country in 1984 under the terms of the Panama Canal Treaty. Former Panamanian President, Jorge Illueca, stated that the School of the Americas was the “biggest base for destabilization in Latin America.” The SOA, frequently dubbed the “School of Assassins,” has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned.

Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. 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, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refugee by those trained at the School of Assassins.

More details here.