Transforming Experience
Transcripción
Transforming Experience
www.SOAW.org Page/Página 1 U.S. Resurrects Fourth Fleet in Latin America Transforming Experience Building Supportive, Respectful, and Collaborative Relationships with Survivors of Human Rights Abuses The U.S. Fourth Fleet, which was dissolved after World War II, is back to reassert U.S. military dominance over the region. Lead by an aircraft carrier, the fleet is operating as part of the Pentagon’s Southern Command and patrols the waters of the Caribbean and Latin America. While Washington can point to no imminent military threat, the reactivation of the Fleet has a powerful symbolic significance, indicating a return to gunboat diplomacy. SOA Watch at RNC and DNC SOA Watch activists took to the streets at the Democratic and the Republican National Conventions to expose the double-standard in the U.S. War on Terrorism and to call for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC. Visit soaw.org for a report. Masculinity and Militarism Adriana Bartow-Portillo at the gates of Fort Benning with pictures of her daughters Rosaura and Glenda. by Adriana Bartow Portillo I know only too well the grief that the disappearance of several family members brings about. On September 11, 1981, a large contingent of Guatemalan security forces, in two separate but simultaneous military operatives, detained and disappeared my father, step-mother, sister-in-law, my 18-month-old sister, and my two daughters, Rosaura and Glenda, 9 and 10. Not a single one of them has ever been seen or heard from since their disappearance that day. Their names join the list of close to 50,000 men, women, and children disappeared in Guatemala throughout 36 years of war. Disappearances are a double form of suffering – for the victim and for their relatives. Uncertain about the fate of our loved ones, our emotions alternate between hope and despair, wondering Photo by Linda Panetta and waiting...always waiting, for news that may never come. The victims are fully aware that their families don’t know what has happened to them and that the possibility that anyone will come to their rescue is practically nonexistent. If they are not killed and are eventually released, the survivors suffer for the rest of their lives from the Continued on Page 3 Tough, decisive, uncompromising, and ready to fight are among the masculine gender norms that are enforced on men through images in the media and film industry, sports, peer pressure and the "boys don't cry" socialization. Violence is part of being a "real" man, and it is seen as a legitimate way to resolve conflicts. Continued on Page 11 En Español Vigilia y Acción Directa Experiencia Transformadora Masculinidad y Militarismo Imperialismo Adentro Página 7 Página 10 Página 10 Página 12 Para más Presente articulos en español, visite www.soaw.org/presente-esp Page/Página 2 Fall/Otoño 2008 Winds of Change from the South is the newspaper of the movement to close the School of the Americas. It is published three times a year and sent free of charge to 30,000 subscribers. An additional 30,000 copies are being distributed through the ¡Presente! activist distributor network. 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, Roy Bourgeois, Pam Bowman, Eric LeCompte, April Farmer, Ursela Groat, Lisa Sullivan-Rodriguez and Hendrik Voss Contact: SOA Watch, PO Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017, United States Mass movements throughout Latin America make history once again. After decades of enduring brutal military dictatorships and after having been starved by neoliberal policies, the people are taking the power back. Peoples movements have created change that is more than a political campaign slogan. In Bolivia, the social movements have swept Evo Morales, the first indigenous president into power. Morales is defying the pressure from the oligarchy and from the Bush administration and for the first time in 500 years, the wealth of the country will no longer be only distributed among the elites but will benefit all of Bolivia. First Nations people are on the forefront of social change throughout the hemisphere. Preserving Latin America's abusive socioeconomic structure has long been the mission of institutions such as the School of the Americas. These establishments have prolonged the suffering created by the enormous inequality that continues to plague the Hypocrisy In this issue Transforming Experience Fourth Fleet Reactivated SOA Watch at RNC & DNC Masculinity and Militarism Distribute Presente What is the SOA? November Vigil Invitation to Cross the Line Poster by Emily Wilson New SOA Watch DVD Imperialism Within SOA Watch Email Newsletter Father Roy’s Speaking Tour Fundraising Appeal region, and threaten today the improvements that have been achieved. It is time for people in the United States to follow the examples of successful grassroots movement s in the South. We have to organize and work together effectively, not only to close the School of the Americas but to change the entire U.S. foreign policy that the SOA/WHINSEC represents. by Eric J. Garcia Page 1 Page 1 Page 1 Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 Page 13 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Spread the Word! “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela, South African freedom fighter Become a Presente Bulk Distributor We need your help to spread the information about the School of the Americas and about the reality of U.S. foreign policy. To that end, we want to expand the network of activist distributors around the country to get the paper in as many hands as possible. To become a ¡PRESENTE! distributor, please send your address, the number of boxes that you can distribute (one box contains 150 copies of the newspaper) and a check or money order made out to "SOA Watch" to cover the cost of printing and shipping ($25 per box) to: PRESENTE! Activist Distributor Network SOA Watch PO Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017 i Please also include your phone # and email. You will receive your box of the next issue of iPRESENTE! directly from the printer. Excellent bulk distribution points for the newspaper are community centers, coffeehouses, universities, libraries and progressive bookstores. You can also give copies to friends, neighbors and strangers, hand it out at meetings or protests and use it for your general outreach work in your community. The more people know, the more people will speak out. www.SOAW.org Page/Página 3 SOA Graduate Cited in Peru: Indigenous Up- Victory for Colombian Parapolitica Scandal rising Claims Victory Flower Workers The government of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe continues to be plagued by the parapolítica ("parapolitics") scandal, in which some 60 members of Congress have been linked to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia Colombian president (AUC), a rightwing Alvaro Uribe paramilitary group that is now officially demobilized. The majority of these politicians are in Uribe's governing coalition, and some are in the president's extended family. On August 12, 2008, a former paramilitary, Luis Adrián Palacio ("Diomedes"), gave testimony to the Attorney General's Office linking Gen. Mario Montoya, the head of Indigenous groups in Peru ended more than a week of militant protests on Aug. 20 at key energy sites after lawmakers agreed to overturn a new law issued by President García, which sought to ease corporate access to communal territories. García had issued the law by decree under special powers Congress granted him to bring Peruvian law into compliance with a new free-trade deal with the US. A congressional commission voted to revoke the law on August 19. "We have lifted the strike," said Alberto Pizango, head of Amazon indigenous alliance AIDESEP. " (Reuters) Continued on Page 15 Finally, some of the Colombian workers picking and cutting the flowers we buy here in the US have a union contract to protect their rights on the job! Workers at a flower plantation outside the Colombian capital Bogotá won a campaign demanding their company recognize and bargain with the workers' union, Asoflores. This is the first time workers in Colombia's emerging flower sector formed an independent union and successfully forced their employer to come to the table and bargain a contract. Transforming Experience Continued from Page 1 physical and psychological consequences of this form of dehumanization and from the brutality and torture that almost always accompany it. The family of the victim experiences ongoing psychological torture, wondering whether their loved ones are alive and, if they are, where and under what conditions. We are aware, too, that we are also under a great threat and that searching for t h e truth may expose us and other family members to an even greater danger. For the survivors, the acts of physical and psychological torture inflicted upon them are not the worst. The struggle to regain their dignity, the ability to learn to trust again, to be in the company of others without wanting to hide, to be able to sleep an entire night without artificial means, and even to be able to experience joyful, albeit brief, moments without feeling guilty, represents one of the biggest challenges. There are some survivors that are eager to share their story with others in hopes that doing so will contribute to saving others from their same fate. The sharing experience, however, is often excruciatingly painful and stressful. Survivors Graphic by Rini Templeton who choose to tell their story relive these horrors and suffer the aftereffects of having chosen to speak out on behalf of those who no longer have a voice. For many survivors, intense lights, the presence of police or military officers and the sound of police or ambulance sirens often lead to flashbacks. For me, sharing my story is a sacrifice I make to pay tribute to my disappeared father and daughters and to all of those who have perished at the hands of Latin American soldiers and officers trained at the SOA/WHINSEC. It is also an act of defiance, a refusal to remain silent in the face of injustice. As a survivor, I have traveled all over the United States raising awareness of human rights issues – not only in Guatemala and Latin America but also in the United States and in several countries around the world. My audiences have been religious groups, elementary, high school and university Continued on Page 11 The School of the Americas 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 in 2001, the school has been producing assassins, death squad leaders and human rights abusers for dirty work in Latin America 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. Around 800 soldiers receive training at the SOA/WHINSEC each year. As a response to grassroots research by human rights activists who continue to turn up SOA graduate involvement in human rights violations across the Americas, the SOA/WHINSEC is now refusing to release the names of the soldiers it trains. The school id paid for with U.S. taxpayer dollars, money for foreign military training that is authorized by Congress annually. 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, or forced into refuge by those trained at the School of SOA W.o r rg Assassins. g Page/Página 4 the fence. We are all a part of the movement to close the SOA and we all use different forms of direct action. Fall/Otoño 2008 November 21-23, 2008 Vigil and Action to Shut Down the SOA and to Change Oppressive U.S. Foreign Policy Columbus/Fort Benning, Georgia Schedule of Events Thursday, November 20 Nonviolence Trainings, workshops and meetings in Columbus, GA. Protest at Drummond in Alabama and a Benefit Concert in Atlanta. Friday, November 21 Nonviolence Trainings, workshops and a Benefit Concert in Columbus, GA. Saturday, November 22 Massive rally with musicians and speakers from across the Americas at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, followed by a Pupetista Pageant. Sunday, Nov. 23 Commemoration of the victims of the School of the Americas at the gates of Fort Benning. We use direct action to confront the School of the Americas and the policies the SOA represents. Some of us will "cross the line" onto Ft. Benning this November and some of us will march with veterans in the streets. Some of us will "die in" at the main gates and some of us will place symbols of the SOA victims on Peacemakers and Volunteers Hundreds of volunteers are needed to run the vigil. Contact Kathleen at [email protected] to join the Peacemaker Working Group. Photo by Michael Wetterauer This November, thousands will join together to speak out for human rights and to set a powerful agenda for justice and peace. Engage in Direct Action This November we invite you to consider participating in direct action. There are many types of action - most of which are either non-arrestable or lower risk actions than crossing onto the base. If you would like to join in an action like this or bring a creative new action to the vigil, we ask you to join us in the convention center on Friday night, Nov. 21 and Saturday night Nov. 22 for a direct action meeting. Please visit soaw.org for a schedule of direct action meetings. Solidarity actions in the lead-up to the Vigil The School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) is not an aberration of U.S. foreign policy but a clear illustration of it. The SOA/WHINSEC is part of a larger system of violence and domination that seeks to control the economic and political landscape of Latin America in order to secure U.S. hegemony over the region. November 9, 2008 Graphic: Ricardo Levins Morales, www.northlandposter.com November 15 & 16, 2008 March on U.S. SOUTHCOM Doral, Florida On Sunday, November 9, 2008, human rights activists from SOA Watch South Florida will march on the United States Southern Command (U.S. SOUTHCOM) Headquarters of the US military. SOUTHCOM is located in Doral, Florida. It is responsible for all U.S. military activities in South America and Central America (including Guantanamo). Southwest Weekend of Witness Tucson/Fort Huachuca, Arizona For several years, in solidarity with the Vigil and Action at Fort Benning, there has been a growing grassroots demonstration at Fort Huachuca, AZ. Fort Huachuca is the home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School (USAICS), and has a long history of complicity in U.S. crimes of torture. The torture manuals used at the SOA came from Ft. Huachuca. For more information on this action, call Linda at 305-801-0245 or Ray at 754-423-0051 and visit www.soaw.org/southcom On Saturday, November 15, there will be a variety of events in Tucson, AZ, followed on Sunday by a rally in Sierra Vista, ending with a procession to and presence at the gate of Fort Huachuca. For more information visit www.SouthWestWitness.org November 21, 2008 Protest at Drummond Inc. Birmingham, Alabama Drummond is a major supplier of U.S. coal, the majority of which comes from one of the world’s largest mines in Colombia. The corporation has been accused of serious human rights abuses of Colombian workers, including the deaths of three union leaders. Join the protest to hold Drummond accountable for its crimes. Contact Ken at Witness for Peace: 202-547-6112 November 21, 2008 SOA Watch Benefit Concert Atlanta, Georgia Join the Benefit Concert on Thursday evening at the Eyedrum Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit SOAW.org for the line-up or call Elise at 404- 297-8398 Travel to Georgia www.SOAW.org Page/Página 5 Where to stay in Georgia Traveling to Columbus by Car Columbus, Georgia is 100 miles southwest of Atlanta. Take I-185S to Columbus Exit 1N/Victory Drive (last exit before military base - be careful!! -- in past years, people have been arrested by military police for accidentally driving onto the open base). Turn left at the second light onto Fort Benning Road. The main entrance to Ft. Benning is a half mile ahead of you. Parking is very limited. Visit the SOA Watch webpage for a listing of hotels and campgrounds in Columbus, Georgia and in easy to get to areas around Columbus. Contact Ashley Woitena with the Columbus Visitor's Bureau toll free at 1-800-999-1613 for the latest information on hotel availability. Accessibility at the Vigil Sign-language interpretation and Spanish interpretation through headphones, programs in Spanish, Braille and large print and an access area by the stage will be available. Traveling to Columbus by Bus There is a Greyhound/Trailways station in downtown Columbus (6 miles from the vigil site). Traveling to Columbus by Air Most vigilers flying to Georgia fly into the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Aiport. The airport is about a 1.5 hour drive from Columbus (see below for shuttle and bus info). Event Locations The main gates Fort Benning will be the place where thousands will gather for a massive rally with musicians and speakers on Saturday and to commemorate the victims of SOA violence on Sunday. Columbus also has an airport, Columbus Metropolitan. It is located about six miles from the vigil site and is serviced by several airlines. The Groome Transportation Shuttle Van runs from the Atlanta airport to Columbus (about 90 min., $50 roundtrip). Provides service to your motel. Call (800) 584-6735. Workshops, Teach-Ins, Concert A Greyhound roundtrip bus ticket from Atlanta to Columbus costs about $26. Columbus Convention Center 801 Front Ave, Columbus, GA Security Considerations for Immigrants Howard Johnson Inn, 1011 Veterans Parkway, Columbus, GA The vigil at Fort Benning brings together diverse communities, including people who don't have U.S. citizenship and their allies. Through it, we hope to have an impact on our history, to close down the SOA and to change policy. But like other historic events, it is not without risks, especially for people without U.S. citizenship and other particularly vulnerable participants. Days Inn, 3170 Victory Drive, Columbus Southern Columbus United Methodist Church, 1213 Benning Drive Visit www.soaw.org for a document that is intended to make you aware of some of the risks that will be faced by immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, participating in the vigil. Help SOA Watch to pay for the Vigil and Action To organize an event of the magnitude of the November Vigil costs a lot of money. We need to raise $50,000 to pay for high-quality stage and sound equipment, for the rental of the Columbus Convention Center, to set up a media office on site, to pay for the printing of outreach materials and more. The vigil is dependent on people like you to make it happen. Please make the most generous contribution you can to help pay for the upcoming expenses so that we can have the biggest impact possible. Thank you! Action at the Gates d an l gi Vi r be m ve No e th t YES! I suppor the School of the e os Cl to t an w I a. gi or Ge of Fort Benning, S. Foreign Policy! U. ve si es pr Op ge an Ch d Americas an Donation Amount: $15 $25 $50 $100 $500 Other ______ Name: ___________________________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________ State: _____ Zip: ____________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________________ Please charge my contribution to my: MasterCard My check for a tax-deductible gift of $100 or more, made out to the “A.J. Muste Institute / SOA Watch,” is enclosed.* Visa Credit Card No. ____________________________________________________ Expiration Date: ____ / ____ My check or money order, payable to “SOA Watch,” is enclosed. Signature: _____________________________ Clip and mail form to: SOA Watch ~ PO Box 4566 ~ Washington, DC 20017 * SOA Watch is not a 501(c)3 organization and due to restrictions by our fiscal sponsor, donations under $100 are not taxdeductible, and must be made payable to SOA Watch. YES, I commit to cross the line at Fort Benning in November 2008 and want to be in touch with others who are planning the nonviolent action. Name _________________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________________ Telephone _____________________________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________________ Return to SOA Watch, Box 4566, Washington, DC 20017 or contact (202) 234-3440 Page/Página 6 Fall/Otoño 2008 Dear friends in the struggle for a just foreign policy, The movement to close the School of the Americas/Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (SOA/WHINSEC) has grown tremendously since its humble beginnings of ten fasting vigilers at the gates of Ft. Benning in 1990. Last year 20,000 came together to remember, to learn, to honor, to sing, to dance and to act for peace. o t n o i t a t i v n I An Eleven people were able to get onto the base and walk towards the SOA/WHINSEC facility. They were arrested and served one, two and three month sentences. Many served their time in county jails and metropolitan detention centers and three went to federal prisons. This year we seek the commitment of people who will continue the tradition of civil resistance, risking arrest on Nov. 23. E N I L E H T S S O R C Over 289 individuals have been prosecuted and served sentences in an effort to bring attention to the movement to close the school. This has helped in our legislative campaign since its beginning, and this is a key factor in a number of Latin American countries deciding not to send soldiers to the SOA/WHINSEC. As Lisa Sullivan with the Latin American Initiative wrote to the SOAW 11: …I want to let you know how important your witness and your testimony of love is to the people of Latin America. In our visits to fifteen Latin American countries, what has most moved the hearts of people is the witness of our Prisoners of Conscience. Many people are surprised and all are moved by the fact that US citizens would make such a personal sacrifice to stand up for justice for their brothers and sisters in the South. In the face of this training, large social movements throughout Latin America fight for justice and have successfully brought popular change to their countries. Thousands of people in the United States have worked in solidarity to close the SOA/ WHINSEC through a variety of means. Many have served time in federal prison for nonviolent protest. Thousands will gather in front of the gates of Ft Benning over the weekend of November 21-23, 2008. Will you be among those who cross the line onto Ft. Benning this year? Please be advised that the maximum sentence for trespass at Fort Benning is 6 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. Legal information is available at www.soaw.org. We ask that everyone who signs the commitment form on the left to reflect on the risks involved in “crossing the line” and prepare for nonviolent action that will create a world where all live in dignity. Ordinarily, a person leaving a courtroom with a conviction behind him would wear a somber face. But I left with a smile. I knew that I was a convicted criminal, but I was proud of my crime. ~Martin Luther King, Jr., March 22, ‘56 Yours for a world of justice and peace, Roy Bourgeois MM, Columbus GA; Kathleen Desautels SP, Chicago IL; Joel Kilgour, Duluth MN; Judith Kelly, Arlington VA; Gary Ashbeck, Baltimore MD; Charity Ryerson, Chicago IL; Vera Leone, Washington DC; Michael Gayman, Oakland CA; Chuck BookerHirsch, Ann Arbor MI; Moira Kenny, RSM, McAllen TX; Margaret Knapke, Dayton OH; Kathy Long, OP, Cuernavaca, Mexico; Ken Kennon, Tucson AZ; Mike Wisniewski, Los Angeles CA; Nancy Gowen, Richmond VA; Ann Huntwork, Portland OR; Ken Crowley, Washington DC; Lisa Hughes, Portland OR; Ed Kinane, Syracuse NY; Frank Woolever, Syracuse NY; Alice Gerard, Buffalo NY; Sheila Salmon, Sebastian FL; Miriam Spencer, Seattle WA; Ralph Madsen, Newton MA; Betsy Lamb, Bend OR; Rebecca Kanner, Ann Arbor MI; Lee Mickey, North Liberty IA; Katherine Brown, Providence RI; Chris Gaunt, Grinnell IA; Phil Gates, Prescott AZ; Lil Mattingly, MM, Tucson AZ; Rachel Montgomery, McKinleyville CA; Meagan Doty, St. Louis MO; Diane Lopez Hughes, Springfield IL; Philip Gates of Prescott AZ Former SOA Watch Prisoners of Conscience When leaders act contrary to conscience, we must act contrary to leaders. ~Veterans Fast for Life 21-23 de Noviembre 2008 www.SOAW.org Page/Página 7 ¡Cerraremos la Escuela de las Américas y destruiremos el sistema racista de violencia y dom inación! Columbus/Fort Benning, Georgia Manifestación en las puertas del Fuerte Benning • Capacitaciones • Acción Directa No Violenta • Fiesta de Marionetas • Talleres • Conciertos • Sesiones de Estrategia • Comunidad • Cine • Conciertos • Foros Populares • Exhibiciones • Arte • Cultura • Resistencia Únase a miles de activistas por los derechos humanos, estudiantes, sindicalistas, artistas, abuelas profesores, líderes comunitarios, inmigrantes, trabajadores religiosos, indigenistas y activistas por la paz. Levante su voz para el cierre de la Escuela de las Américas y para poner fin a las políticas opresivas que causan muerte y violencia por todo el mundo. ¡Sea parte de una revolución de valores! Movilizaciones masivas han sido un instrumento importante para los movimientos por la justicia social. Cuando nos reunamos en Fuerte Benning este Noviembre lo haremos en la misma tradición de las luchas por la justicia y la dignidad que se han dado en todo el mundo a través de la historia. Haremos un tributo a la memoria de las victimas y sobrevivientes que alzaron su voz en nombre de la justicia y la libertad, celebraremos la resistencia a la violencia y opresión, y exigiremos que los responsables por el terror y la represión enfrenten a la justicia. Moviliza a tu Comunidad! ¡Únete al movimiento, sea parte de la historia! Donde hospedarse: Visite a SOAW.org para ver una lista completa de hoteles, moteles y sitios donde acampar. Llame al Consejo de Visitantes de Columbus al 800-864-7275 Llegar a Columbus Grupos alrededor de los EEUU están coordinando buses y automóviles para viajar a Fort Benning.¡Visite el Ride Board en www.SOAW.org! En Auto: El Fuerte Benning esta ubicado en Columbus, a 100 millares al suroeste de Atlanta. Conduzca por el I-185 South hasta la salida 1B, Victory Dr. Rt, 27 North (¡Esta es la ultima salida antes de la base) Avión: Hay un aeropuerto en Columbus. Groome Shuttle ofrece un servicio de transporte entre el aeropuerto de Atlanta y Columbus (90 minutos, 800-584-6735, $60) Autobús: Hay una estación de Greyhound en el centro de Columbus. Actua Ahora: ¡Organiza a tu Comunidad! Moviliza a tus amigos, familias y comunidad Acceso Habrá traducción simultanea en español. También habrán folletos en español y en braille, y se dispone de un área de acceso al escenario. Page/Página 8 Fall/Otoño 2008 www.SOAW.org Page/Página 9 Page/Página 10 Fall/Otoño 2008 Experiencia Transformadora Construyendo relaciones de apoyo, respeto y colaboración con los sobrevivientes de violaciones de los derechos humanos. Por Adriana Bartow-Portillo Conozco demasiado bien la tristeza que causa la desaparición de varios miembros de una familia. El 11 de septiembre de 1981, un contingente de fuerzas de seguridad de Guatemala, en dos operativos separados aunque simultaneos, detuvieron y “desaparecieron” a mi padre, mi madrastra, mi cuñada, mi hermanita de 18 meses y mis dos hijas, Rosaura y Glenda, de 10 y 9 años respectivamente. Nunca volvimos a saber de ellos. Sus nombres forman parte de la larga lista de casi 50.000 hombres, mujeres y niños desaparecidos en Guatemala durante los 36 años que duró la guerra. La desaparición representa una doble forma de sufrimiento – para la víctima como para los familiares. Inciertos sobre el paradero de nuestros seres queridos, nuestras vidas alternan entre la esperanza y la desesperación, preguntándonos y esperando…siempre esperando noticias que probablemente nunca vendrán. Las víctimas saben perfectamente que sus familias ignoran lo que les ha sucedido, y que la posibilidad de que alguien los rescate es prácticamente inexistente. Masculinidad y Militarismo Duro, decisivo, inflexible y listo para pelear son algunas de las normas inculcadas en los hombres a través de imágenes en los medios de comunicación y las películas, deportes, presión de sus compañeros y la idea que reza “los hombres no lloran”. La violencia es parte de lo que se considera ser un hombre verdadero y parece la forma legitima de resolver los conflictos. La idea básica del entrenamiento militar es cultivar el ejemplo primario de masculinidad en la forma más extrema de violencia. En La Escuela de las Américas (ahora conocida como Instituto de Cooperación para La Seguridad Hemisférica) los soldados aprenden a usar su fuerza para dominar a la gente. Es necesario que todos los participantes, hombres o mujeres, están conformes con todas las normas masculinas. Se considera una debilidad de la SOA y no tiene cabida en esta institución una resolución no Si no son asesinados y se les libera, los sobrevivientes sufren las secuelas fisicas y pscológicas de esta forma de deshumanización, y la brutalidad y tortura que suele acompañarla, por el resto de sus dias. La familia de la víctima sufre una tortura permanente, preguntandose si sus seres queridos están todavía vivos y si lo estan, en donde y en que condiciones. Sabemos también que corremos un gran peligro y que al investigar la verdad nos violenta de conflictos y la autorización mutua. La filosofía de la SOA/ WHINSEC, centrada en la fuerza bruta como única respuesta viable para resolver conflictos, esta conforme con las políticas externas de EEUU sobre el uso de la violencia y el dominio. La milicia es el instrumento del gobierno de EEUU para proteger los intereses de los ricos mientras los pobres van a la guerra, por eso son los militares de América Latina quienes se fortalecen en vez de la sociedad civil. La oposición en contra de las políticas económicas injustas se trata con la milicia, y no con el dialogo político. La razón detrás de toda la violencia y el sufrimiento es proteger el estatus quo de cualquier manera. Para las mujeres, esto significa encargarse del 60% del trabajo mundial pero recibir sólo el 10% del sueldo mundial y poseer el 1% de la tierra. Es obvio que las mujeres se encuentran en una posición económica vulnerable. exponemos a nosotros mismos y a otros familiares a un peligro todavía mayor. Para los sobrevivientes, los actos de tortura fisica y psicológica sufridos no son lo peor. La lucha por recuperar la dignidad, el aprender a poder confiar de nuevo, el estar en compañía de otros sin desear esconderse, ser capaz de dormir la noche entera sin medios artificiales e incluso el ser capaz de disfrutar, aunque sea brevemente, sin sentirse culpable, representan retos muy difíciles. Algunos sobrevivientes están dispuestos a contar su historia con la esperanza de que de esta manera contribuirán a evitar que otros corran la misma suerte. Sin embargo, el compartir su experiencia es muy doloroso y estresante. Los sobrevivientes que optan por contar su historia reviven todo el horror sufrido, y sufren las consecuencias de haber elegido alzar su voz en nombre de los que ya no tienen voz. Para muchos sobrevivientes, las luces intensas, la presencia de la policia ó militares y el sonido de sirenas de policia ó ambulancias les provoca destellos del pasado. Para mí, compartir mi historia es un sacrificio para rendir tributo a mi padre, a mis hijas y a mis otros familiares desaparecidos, y a todos aquellos que han perecido a manos de soldados y oficiales latinoamericanos entrenados en la SOA. Es tambien un acto de rebeldia, un rechazo a permanecer silenciosa frente a la injusticia. Como sobreviviente, he viajado por todos los Estados Unidos creando conciencia sobre los Derechos Humanos, no solo en Guatemala y America Latina sino tambien en los Estados Unidos y en muchos otros paises alrededor del mundo. Mis audiencias han sido grupos religiosos, estudiantes y profesores de primaria, secundaria y universidad, mujeres, sindicalistas, sobrevivientes de violencia y Continuado en Página 12 Cuando resisten y piden cambios terminan recibiendo muy a menudo la violencia de la SOA/ WHINSEC. Ya sabemos luego de leer los manuales de tortura que los que promueven el cambio social son señalados como blancos enemigos. No es posible declarar a que nivel se ven afectadas las mujeres en América Latina a causa de la promoción del SOA en relación a la violencia como estándar de masculinidad. Una vez que violencia y represión son la respuesta a los problemas, el resultado son familias desechas y sociedades devastadas. En cuál sociedad devastada no son las mujeres (y los niños) los que reciben principalmente los impactos negativos? A causa del hambre, la pobreza, la falta de hogar, los traumas y la viudez las mujeres sufren las consecuencias de acciones planificadas y ejecutadas en su mayoría por hombres. La cultura en América es mayoritariamente patriarcal y coloca a las mujeres en una posición de inferioridad ante los hombres. Esto se manifiesta a causa de la identidad genética entre hombres y mujeres. Mujeres y hombres aprenden a cumplir con ciertos papeles en la familia y en la sociedad desde su nacimiento, lo que afecta a las mujeres pues las coloca en una posición que algunos llaman “el sexo débil” porque no es normal que las mujeres luchen por sus derechos, tengan sus propias opiniones, sean lideres en su comunidad, o hagan algo aparte de cuidar a sus hijos y obedecer a los hombres. Físicamente, resulta peligroso para las mujeres establecer esta clase de relaciones entre ellas y el resto de la sociedad, más aun cuando hay instituciones como la SOA/ WHINSEC que promueve una doctrina de control y conquista que ofrece Continuado en Página 12 Transforming Experience www.SOAW.org Page/Página 11 Continued from Page 3 I believe it is of critical importance when planning public speaking events, national tours, media interviews and other SOA Watch events to always take into consideration the needs of survivors of violence and repression. Education about cultural I have had many positive experiences, but several issues and language needs must be incorporated times the experience has not been so positive and into every planning process. Involving survivors in some cases, frankly, quite traumatizing. We in decision-making processes will only contribute survivors do not like the “exoticization” of our to their empowerment. In addition, the creation experience. I remember one occasion when I was of safe spaces for when survivors are stressed asked to share my story only, leaving an “expert” and an environment where the survivor feels to provide the supported and context in which respected will I believe that the movement to close the disappearance contribute to restoring the School of the Americas represents of my family took a survivor’s trust in the greatest opportunity to organize place. others, and his/her people of conscience not only to shut sense of control over down the school but also to create Survivors don’t what impacts him/her like to be treated directly. change in the foreign policy of the like celebrities. United States towards Latin America. Several years ago I It is essential to the - Adriana Bartow-Portillo was asked for my development of autograph. I felt as collaborative longif I had been pushed into a deep well of shame lasting relationships between survivors and the and embarrassment. Most of us consider our movement to make these efforts. social justice and human rights advocacy work to be a responsibility rather than a choice. I have been at the gates of the SOA several times to denounce the atrocities committed by graduates How I wish that in those particular cases, event of the school throughout 36 years of war in organizers had asked me about what would have Guatemala and the uncountable number of made the experience more comfortable. Things victims of U.S. domination, exploitation and like pacing the number of presentations to my military intervention in Latin America. I have also level of comfort while doing a tour, providing a come to the SOA to strengthen my spirit and to safe space where I could have had some privacy, renew my commitment to social justice and peace. involving me in the event’s planning process, providing all the necessary information and After the historical Sanctuary movement of the preparing the audience would have made a 1980s, which I was part of for many years, I difference. believe that the movement to close the School of students and professors, women, trade unionists, refugees, trauma survivors, and members of human rights and humanitarian organizations. the Americas represents the greatest opportunity to organize people of conscience not only to shut down the school but also to create change in the foreign policy of the United States towards Latin America. This movement is not a purely intellectual exercise. It offers people the opportunity to get involved in concrete action and, most importantly, the opportunity to work hand in hand with those who have directly experienced the devastating impact of the foreign policies of the United States. I also think, however, that being sensitive to the physical, emotional, spiritual and political needs of survivors who collaborate with the movement presents a serious challenge. We must work together to balance the relationship between those most affected by the interventionist, immoral foreign policies of the US and others in the movement who are working as allies to change those policies. Masculinity and Militarism Continued from Page 1 The basic idea behind military training is to cultivate the prime example of masculinity in its most extreme form of violence. At the School of the Americas (renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), soldiers learn how to use their force to dominate over others. It requires conformity to masculine norms by all those participating, whether male or female. Nonviolent conflict resolution and mutual empowerment are seen as weakness and have no place at the SOA/ WHINSEC. With its single focus on brute force as the only viable response to conflict, the SOA/ WHINSEC philosophy is in line with US foreign policy in its use of violence and domination. The U.S. government strengthens Latin America militaries rather than civil society because the military is their instrument to protect the interests of the rich while waging war on the poor. Opposition to unjust economic policies is not dealt with politically through dialogue, but militarily. The reason behind all of this violence and suffering is to protect the status quo by any means necessary. For women this means doing 60% of the Continued on Page 14 Page/Página 12 Fall/Otoño 2008 Masculinidad y Militarismo Cont. del Página 10 a la sociedad (como su contribución) la más agresiva y destructiva forma de masculinidad que pueda existir- la glorificación de la violencia y el uso de las armas con la finalidad de destruir y dominar. Donde el poder, el control y la violencia hacen cumplir la division social de género, las mujeres siempre encuentraran opresión de género. En mas peligro de la violencia de genero, en todas las americas,son gente transgénero y inconformitistas de género quienes se articulan un género diferente o niegan participar en el binario de género. Aquellas que ceden ante las normas del genero cumplirán su papel de cuidadoras y seguidoras. Entonces, esta perdida la oportunidad de utilizar toda la energía que existe en la sociedad para promover el desarrollo humano y el progreso basados en los diferentes valores. Estamos trabajando para cerrar la SOA/ WHINSEC y exigir una alternativa al modelo de poder / dominación / control, estamos trabajando para lograr un mundo sin violencia. Si logramos la igualdad de los géneros, llegaremos mas cerca de esta meta. Graphic by Rini Templeton Experiencia Transformadora Cont. del Página 10 represion, y miembros de organizaciones humanitarias y de Derechos Humanos. He tenido muchas experiencias positivas, pero muchas veces tambien la experiencia no ha sido tan positiva y, en algunos casos, francamente, ha sido traumatizante. A nosotros los sobrevivientes no nos gusta la “exotización” de nuestra experiencia. Recuerdo una ocasión en que me pidieron que compartiera mi experiencia “solamente”, dejandole a un “experto” el que suministrara el contexto en el que ocurrió la desaparición de mi familia. A los sobrevivientes no nos gusta que se nos trate como si fueramos famosos. Hace algunos años me pidieron mi autógrafo. Sentí como si se me hubiera arrojado a un profundo pozo de vergüenza y bochorno. La mayoria de nosotros consideramos nuestro trabajo por la justicia social y los derechos humanos como un deber mas que una opción. Como hubiera deseado que en esos casos particulares los organizadores del evento me hubiesen preguntado como hacer la experiencia mas cómoda para mí. Cosas como adecuar el número de presentaciones a mi nivel de confort durante una gira, disponer de un lugar privado a donde retirarme si lo hubiese necesitado, invitarme a participar en la planificación del evento, darme suficiente información, y preparar a la audiencia hubiera hecho toda una diferencia. Imperialismo Adentro ¿Pueden las Herramientas del Amo Derribar el Imperio? El imperialismo afecta tanto el ‘aquí’ como el ‘allá’. Mujeres de clase media y blancas han históricamente salido de su hogar y logrado ser más un ‘Sujeto’ siendo buenas ayudantes, típicamente como maestras y misionarias. En este papel han consolidado el poder del imperio, a veces sin intención. Hoy en día el papel de buen ayudante se usa ampliamente, no solamente por mujeres blancas, para trabajar en contra del imperio. Pero estas herramientas del amo son tóxicas. Puede parecer que estamos quitando tejas de la casa del amo, pero en realidad reforzamos así los sistemas de dominación que son los pilares del imperio. debemos también luchar contra el imperialismo dentro de nosotros mismos. Este análisis de maneras en que se podría descolonizar el trabajo de solidaridad tiene raíces en el movimiento para cerrar la Escuela de las Américas (un campo de entrenamiento del ejército Estadounidense) y en un proceso de teorización en colaboración con prisioneras de consciencia blancas y de clase media. Este trabajo hace ‘altergeopolítica’, trabajando para construir otro mundo. Visite: www.soaw.org/imperialismo Nosotros que combatimos el imperio apoyado y respetado contribuirá a la recuperación de la confianza en los demás, y a su sensación de control sobre lo que le afecta a él ó ella directamente. Es esencial para el desarrollo de relaciones duraderas entre los sobrevivientes y SOA Watch el hacer este esfuerzo. Después del histórico movimiento Santuario de los años ochentas, del que fui parte parte por muchos años, creo que el movimiento para cerrar la Escuela de las Américas representa la mayor oportunidad para organizar a la gente de conciencia, no solo para cerrar esta escuela sino también para crear un cambio en la política exterior de los Estados Unidos hacia America Latina. Creo que es de importancia crítica Creo que el movimiento para cerrar la Escuela Este movimiento no es un cuando se planifica de las Américas representa la mayor ejercicio puramente intelectual. un evento público, Ofrece a la gente la oportunidad una gira nacional, oportunidad para organizar a la gente de de participar en acciones ruedas de prensa u conciencia, no solo para cerrar esta escuela concretas y, lo que es mas otros eventos de sino también para crear un cambio en la importante, la oportunidad de SOA Watch, el trabajar mano a mano con tomar en política exterior de los Estados Unidos hacia aquellos que han sufrido el consideración las America Latina. devastador impacto de la política necesidades de los - Adriana Bartow-Portillo exterior de los Estados Unidos. sobrevivientes de violencia y represión. En la planificación de estos Yo he estado a las puertas de la SOA Tambien pienso que ser sensible a las eventos se tiene que tomar en muchas veces para denunciar las necesidades físicas, emocionales, consideración factores culturales y de atrocidades cometidas por graduados de espirituales y políticas de los sobrevivientes lenguaje. El involucramiento de los esta escuela durante los 36 años de guerra que colaboran en el movimiento representa sobrevivientes en el proceso de toma de en Guatemala, y el número incontable de un serio reto. Debemos trabajar juntos decisiones contribuirá a su víctimas de la dominación, explotación e para equilibrar las relaciones entre los mas empoderamiento. Ademas, el disponer de intervención de USA en America Latina. afectados por la política inmoral e espacios seguros y privados para los También vengo a la SOA para fortalecer intervencionista de USA y todos aquellos sobrevivientes si lo necesitan ó de un mi espíritu y renovar mi compromiso por en el movimiento que trabajan como aliados para cambiar esa política. ambiente donde el sobreviviente se sienta la Justicia social y la Paz. Order SOA Watch's new compilation DVD www.SOAW.org Order SOA Watch's newest and most comprehensive resource. Now for the price of one DVD, $25 (including shipping and handling), you will receive 12 different SOA Watch and Latin American films on one compilation DVD. When you order "Shut Down The School of the Americas; A Compilation of Films" you will receive the following: · Guns and Greed · Nightwind · The New Patriots · The School of Assassins ·Journey to Awareness · An Insider Speaks Out · Prisoners of Conscience · Protesta En Colombia · Armas y Avaricia · Un Instructo Denuncia · Escuela De Asesinos. Page/Página 13 Online Resource: Imperialism Within Can the Master’s Tools Bring Down Empire? Acme: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 7:2, 283-307. available at www.soaw.org/imperialism Imperialism affects “here” as well as “there”. White middle class women have historically gotten out of the home and gained more of a Self by being good helpers, classically as teachers and missionaries. In this role they consolidated empire’s power, often unintentionally. Today the good helper role is being widely used, not only by white women, to work against empire. Yet this master’s tool is toxic. It may appear to take tiles off the house, but it reinforces the systems of domination that prop up empire. Those of us who struggle against empire must also struggle against the imperialism within ourselves. This analysis of ways to decolonize solidarity work is grounded in the movement to close the School of the Americas [a U.S. army training camp] and a collaborative theorizing process with white middle class women prisoners of conscience. This work engages in altergeopolitics, working to build another world. Please use this resource to host showings and spread the word! To order, send a $25 check or cash to SOA Watch PO Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017 Order Outreach Palmcards for the November Vigil Order a stack of palmcards to advertise the November 21-23 Vigil in your church, school, union local or meeting with the new SOA Watch Bilingual Palm Card. This colorful, glossy, save-thedate card can be ordered in packs of 120 for $6 including shipping and handling. To order, send a $6 check or cash to SOA Watch PO Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017 Resources for your Outreach and Organizing Work DVD: On the Line An inside look at the people behind one of the largest nonviolent movements in America today: the movement to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC, a U.S. Army school that trains Latin American soldiers. In a world where politics, passion, and Constitutional rights collide, protesters discuss their activism, the dark side of U.S. foreign policy, and the challenges of protesting since 9/11. DVD (55 min.) Order it now for only $20 Book: Disturbing the Peace The Story of Father Roy Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the SOA In this book, authors Linda Cooper and James Hodge chronicle Father Roy's story and the stories of the many activists that built the SOA Watch movement. 240 pages, $20 Book: The School of the Americas Military Training and Political Violence in the Americas In this monumental work, American University anthropology professor Lesley Gill, granted an unprecedented level of access to the School of the Americas, presents a comprehensive portrait of the notorious institution. 296 pages, $20 Fall/Otoño 2008 Masculinity and Militarism Continued from Page 11 world's work, yet only getting 10% of the world's income and owning 1% of the world's property. This clearly puts women in a vulnerable position economically. When they resist and demand change, more often than not they end up on the receiving end of SOA/WHINSEC violence. We know from reading the SOA torture manuals that those who promote social change get singled out as enemy targets. There is no way to overstate how deeply Latin American women are affected by the SOA/ WHINSEC promotion of violence as the masculine standard. When violence and repression are the answer to problems, the result is going to be families torn apart and devastated societies. In what devastated society are women (and children) not the primary recipients of the negative impacts? Hungry, poverty-stricken, homeless, traumatized and widowed women suffer the consequences of the actions that were planned and executed mostly by men. The culture in the Americas is overwhelmingly patriarchal and puts women in a position of inferiority to men. This occurs through the genderization of men and women. Men and women are taught from birth to fulfill certain roles in the family and throughout society that put women in a place of what some people refer to as "the weaker sex" because it is seen as abnormal for women to stand up for their rights, have their own opinions, be leaders in the community, or do anything but take care of children and follow men. Graphic by Rini Templeton Setting up this kind of relationship between women and the rest of society is physically dangerous for them, especially when you have institutions like the SOA/ WHINSEC promoting a doctrine of control and conquer that gives as its contribution to society the most aggressive and destructive form of masculinity that could possibly exist- the glorification of violence and the use of weapons for the purpose of destruction and domination. Where there is no gender equity and where power, control and violence enforce the gender divide, women will always face gender oppression. In even more danger from gender violence, throughout the Americas, are transgender and genderqueer people who express a different gender or otherwise refuse to participate in the gender binary. Those who give in to the gender norms will carry out their role as caregivers and followers. The opportunity to utilize all the energy in society to promote human development and progress based on different values is lost. We are working to close the SOA/ WHINSEC and demand an alternative to the power/ domination/ control model, to come closer to achieving a world without violence. If we seek to achieve gender equity, we come closer to that goal. Article by Gail Taylor and Hendrik Voss Graphics by Rini Templeton Graphic by Rini Templeton Page/Página 14 Father Roy’s Speaking Tour Hear Purple Heart Vietnam Veteran, Maryknoll Missionary Priest, Torture Survivor and SOA Watch Founder, Father Roy Bourgeois, speak powerfully and from personal experience about why the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC) must be closed. Photo by Linda Panetta September 23 - 24: Austin, TX Contact: 512-419-7501 September 30 - October 2: Raleigh & Chapel Hill, NC Contact: 919-929-3316 October 7 - 8: Wichita, KS Contact: 316-263-5886 October 9, Atlanta, Georgia Contact: 770-938-1160 October 17 - 18: Memphis, TN Contact: 901-725-4990 November 1 - 8: Paraguay and Chile To schedule Father Roy to speak to your organization or group, contact the SOA Watch Office in Georgia at 706-682-5369. www.SOAW.org Page/Página 15 SOA Graduate Cited in Parapolitica Scandal Continued from Page 3 the Colombian military and a graduate and former instructor at the School of the Americas, to the AUC. Diomedes said that in April 2002 Montoya, who then commanded the Army's Fourth Brigade, personally delivered a "present" of six AK-47 rifles and an M-16 rifle to the AUC's Bloque Mineros. Montoya denies the charge. An agreement between Uribe and the administration of US president George Bush has helped diffuse the scandal. Some paramilitary SOA graduate Montoya pays money to a masked informant leaders are now being extradited to the US to stand trial for drug trafficking, and many analysts think this ernments to deny justice to the victims of crimes in will keep Colombian investigators from getting valuable in- Colombia.The US-based Colombia Support Network (CSN) formation about paramilitary links to politicians. Ever Veloza is asking for letters to US attorney general Mukasey ("H.H."), former leader of the Bloques Calima and Bananero ([email protected]) and Colombian attorney general Dr. paramilitary units, has begun to talk about these ties, and Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana ([email protected]) Senator Gustavo Petro (himself threatened with investiga- "urging them to place a hold on extradition until the human tion in the farcpolítica scandal) is urging Uribe to hold up rights violation stories can be told." Veloza's extradition until he has told his story. SOA Watch Source: Weekly News Update on the Americas, (212)674-9499, along with 25 other international organizations denounced [email protected]. the extraditions as a ploy by the US and Colombian gov- Change Needs You! Your contribution to SOA Watch today will support the work for justice and human rights in the Americas. So take the plunge and become an SOA Watch Pledge! SOA Watch counts on you. You can either make a one-time gift, or better yet, join the Pledge program. By becoming a Pledge, you help create a dependable source of income on which SOA Watch can build its work for justice all year round. I’ll send you my pledge of $_____ every month / quarter / six months / year (please circle one). Enclosed is an initial pledge contribution of $______. Please automatically deduct my pledge from my credit card (below). Here is a one-time contribution of $______ to support the work. Clip and return to: SOA Watch • PO Box 4566 • Washington • DC • 20017. Donations of $100 or more are tax-deductible if your check is made payable to our 501 (c) 3 fiscal sponsor, the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute. Due to restrictions by our fiscal sponsor, donations under $100 are *not* tax deductible, and must be made payable directly to SOA Watch. Name ______________________________________________________________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone number ________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________ Visa/Master Card # __________________________________________ Expiration date ___ / ___ School of the Americas Watch PO Box 4566 Washington, DC 20017 Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Madison, WI Permit No. 168 Phone: 202.234.3440 www.SOAW.org Photo by Ashleigh Nushawg Page/Página 16 Fall/Otoño 2008