| SOA Watch Joins Colombian Human Rights Groups in their Denouncement of Government Actions.
by Elizabeth Deligio, SOA Watch Council Representative
SOA Watch signed onto a statement from our Colombian partner organizations Justicia y Paz and Movement of Victims of Crimes of the State regarding the extradition of 14 paramilitary chiefs on drug charges to the United States. This extradition ignores the human rights violations that the paramilitary chiefs are responsible for within Colombia, leaving victims of these violations with no legal pathway forward.
The statement calls both countries to recognize to the rights of victims to be able to redress human rights crimes and stop the cycles of impunity that exist in Colombia. Both the United Nations and Inter-American Commission have observed that this extradition affects the Colombian state's ability and obligation to guarantee victim's rights to truth, justice, and reparations for the crimes committed by the paramilitary.
As the Colectivo de Abogados writes,"How do the United States and Colombia become 'better countries' as US Ambassador, William Brownfield states, when by selectively applying the concept of extradition they enforce a clear detriment to the inalienable right to truth of victims?"
SOA Watch stands with our partner organizations and the people of Colombia in demanding that the United States and Colombia do not abuse the practice of extradition in attempt to deny the victims of human rights violations within Colombia a pathway to justice. There is ample evidence for the close collaboration between the Colombian paramilitaries and SOA/WHINSEC graduates in the Colombian military.
In-depth Report about the SOA/WHINSEC Vote in Congress
by COHA Research Associates Michael Katz and Elizabeth Reavey
Michael Katz and Elizabeth Reavey, two research associates from the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, have prepared an in-depth report about the approval the McGovern/Sestak/Bishop (GA) amendment, which will require the Pentagon to release the names, ranks, and countries of origin of all graduates of and instructors at the SOA/WHINSEC upon request. Their article provides a lot of great background information on the school and the legislation.
Read the report here: Transparency Debated in Congress; WHINSEC (Ex-School of the Americas) Continues to Spark Criticism
U.S. Pushes to further Militarize the Region.
by Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC)
The Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC), of which SOA Watch is a part, has released a statement against the Merida Initiative, an aid package to Mexico and Central America that seeks to further militarize the region under the guise of the U.S.'s "war on drugs/war on terror."
We need to educate ourselves and engage in strategic grassroots organizing in order to really change the culture in the U.S. society, to roll-back the climate of violence and fear.
To read the LASC statement on the Merida Initiative, click here.
For Tips, Ideas and Suggestions for your Local Organizing Work, click here.
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Work at SOA Watch in Washington, DC!
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Check out the job openings at the SOA Watch office in Washington, DC. We are hiring a Development & Operations Coordinator and a Communications Coordinator. For more information and to apply, contact Eric.
Keep up the pressure on the Senate
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Last month, we came one step closer towards closing down the SOA/WHINSEC when the House of Representatives passed an amendment to require the release of the names of the SOA/WHINSEC graduates.
Please take the time to contact your Senators NOW so that this victory won't slip away in the Senate. Call the Senate Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and the operator will connect you to your Senators office. For a suggested call script and more information, visit the Legislative Action Index or contact Pam.
Nov. 21-23: Converge on Fort Benning, Georgia!
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From November 21-23, the annual November vigil at the gates of Fort Benning will follow the presidential election by two weeks. It will be an opportunity for the progressive movement to set an agenda against oppressive U.S. policy, whatever the result of that election is.
Click here to download the November Organizing Packet.
¡Presente! Summer '08 Issue Out of Stock!
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The entire print-run of the Summer 2008 issue of Presente, the newspaper of the movement to close the SOA, has been sent off to activists and local organizers across the country.
If you are not yet receiving Presente, click here to sign up now for free and we'll mail you the paper three times a year to your home (starting with the Fall 2008 issue).
Consider joining the Presente Activist Distributor Network and distribute the paper in bulk in your community (next issue out in Sept.'08).
Visit the Presente webpage: http://www.soaw.org/presente
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