Virtual Truth Commission
Telling the Truth for a Better America
Seven Reasons to
Close the SOA


Reason 1: Atrocities. Graduates of the School of the Americas have committed serious atrocities, and they have done so in a pattern which is consistent across geography and persistent over time.

1a. The nature of the atrocities committed by School of the Americas graduates presents a serious and totally unacceptable record.

H. R. 611, introduced by Congressman Kennedy Feb 5, 1997, which calls for the closure of the School of the Americas, cites "some of the worst human rights abusers in our hemisphere, including:
  • El Salvador death squad leader Roberto D'Abuisson
  • Panamanian dictator and drug dealer Manual Noriega
  • Haitian coup leader Raoul Cedras
  • 19 Salvadoran soldiers linked to the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter
  • Col. Julio Roberto Alpirez, Guatemalan officer linked in the death of an American innkeeper
  • Hector Gramajo, former Guatemalan defense minister found liabile in United States court for abduction, rape, and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz, a United States citizen.
  • Argentinian dictator Leopoldo Galtieri, leader of the "dirty little war: responsible for the deaths of 30 civilians
  • Two of the three killers of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador
  • Ten of the twelve officers responsible for the murder of 900 civilians in the El Salvadoran village of El Mozote.
  • Three of the five officers involved in the 1980 rape and murder of four United States churchwomen in El Salvador.
    1b. The extent of the atrocities is consistent over geography, indicating a natural outgrowth of training at the School of the Americas rather than unusual exceptions.
  • The School of the Americas Watch has analyzed the records of SOA graduates and published, by country, the names of "Notorious Graduates" who stand accused of committing atrocities. Graduates have committed these atrocities in virtually every country, and they have done so from years past up through the present day. These atrocities include:
  • The atrocities which are recounted are for the most part the results of graduates acting in an official capacity, not as renegades

    Reason 2: Curriculum. The pattern of atrocities is consistent with the SOA Curriculum.

    2a. While the SOA Torture Manuals have been withdrawn, major elements of their content have not been repudiated by the School of the Americas.
  • Continuing elements of the curriculum, particularly counterinsurgency, with its focus on psychological warfare, terror by paramilitary organizations, and identification of civilians as enemies based on their political views, are consistent with continued atrocities.
  • From 1982 until 1991 when the Pentagon began an internal review, the School of the Americas used 7 U. S. Army intelligence training manuals which advocated executions, torture, blackmail and other forms of coercion, including the kidnaping of a target's family members. Robert Parry, "Lost History: 'Project X' and School of Assassins. The Consortium for Alternative Journalism
  • The School of the Americas and the U. S. Army's Southern Command used instruction materials in training Latin American officers that "appeared to condone practices...such as executions of guerrilas, extortion, physical abuse, coercion, and false imprisonment" (p. 32 of the 67 page IOB Report on human rights cases and the CIA's role in Guatemala, released June 28, 1996. Linda Haugaard, July22, 1996, In These Times Magazine.
  • An analysis and summary by the Latin American Working Group provides extensive detail on the torture manuals
  • Rep. Esteban Torres (D-Cal.) in calling for a shutdown of the SOA stated, "Throughout Latin America, the School of the Americas is seen as a training ground for repressive militaries and dictators, and its record cannot be ignored." "Colombian Human Rights Abuses Tied to School of Americas Graduates, Wednesday, July 29, 1998

    2b. The concept of counterinsurgency itself, which is a core element of the School of the Americas curriculum, intrinsically requires human rights abuses.
  • Counterinsurgency theory contains the elements essential for atrocities: targeting of persons based on ideology rather than membership in an armed force; targeting internal destablization rather than external aggression; terror as a means of social control; total war concept in which lines of civilian and military are blurred; and destruction of property of suspected enemies as a legitimized tactic, which, since days of March on Georgia, troops misunderstand as permitting attacks on persons as well.

    2c. Formal Human Rights Training is a gloss with no impact.

    Reason 3. Faculty and Hall of Fame. Persistent selection of perpetrators of abuse as guest instructors, and honoring known abusers in the Hall of Fame, proves that leadership of the School of the Americas has no comprehension that its values are grossly out of step with America.

    3a. SOA Hall of Fame after Human Rights Violations
  • General Hugo Banzer Suarez (Bolivia). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1956 Became Military dictator 1971-78 in violent coup; silenced outspoken members of the Church, sheltered Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie, the "Butcher of Lyons". School of the Americas Hall of Fame, 1988, Guest Speaker, 1989.
  • GEN Manuel Jaime Guerrero Paz (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Honoree. 1982, soldiers under his command tortured four prisoners, one of whom died of injuries. 1988, personally issued orders for arrest of 10 union leaders, who were released two weeks later without charge. 1988, SOA Hall of Fame.
  • GEN Hernan Jose Guzman Rodriquez (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1969. 1986 commanded the soldiers who detained, tortured, gang raped and executed Yolanda Acevedo Carvajal, then concocted the story that she committed suicide by shooting herself in the nape of the neck. 1987-90 protected and aided paramilitary death squad "MAS"; during this period it was responsible for the deaths of at least 149 people. 1993 SOA Hall of Fame.
  • GEN Luis Eduardo Roca Malchel (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Honoree. 1988 covered for those who tortured 19 people over 3 weeks in June. 1991 SOA Hall of Fame. More recently, with Gen Mejia Henao, diverted $40.3 million from US from anti-narcotics to counter-insurgency.
  • GEN Rafael Samudio Molina (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Honoree, 1970 SOA Guest Instructor at SOA. 1985 oversaw the Army massacre at the Palais of Justice in which many hostages died horrifying deaths and others, including Supreme Court Justices who were not sympathetic to the Army, were arrested on leaving the building. 1988, SOA Hall of Fame.
  • GEN Manuel Antonio Callejas y Callejas (Guatemala). School of the Americas Graduate, 1959. Subsequently, military dictator; tenure noted for corruption and high level of military repression, including the activity attributable to Battalion 3-16. 1988, SOA "Hall of Fame"
  • GEN Humberto Regalado Hernandez (Honduras).
    3b. SOA Guest Speaker after Human Rights Violations
  • GEN Ramon Emilia Gil Bermudez (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1969. 1982, Established, protected, and participated in the activities of the rightist death squad "MAS". Guest Speaker, SOA, 1988. Nov 22, 1994 dismissed from command in an effort by President Semper to root out corruption and drug trafficking among the Colombian Armed forces.
  • GEN Farouk Yanine Diaz (Colombia) School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1969. 1984-1985 Implicated in paramilitary activities associated with the death squad "MAS"; 1987 Implicated in the assassination of the mayor of Sabana de Torres, Alvaro Garces Parra; March 1988 Uraba massacre: Implicated in massacre of 20 banana workers in Antioqua. 1990, 1991 Guest Speaker, SOA.
  • COL Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova (El Salvador). School of the Americas Notorious Honoree. 1980-1991, Architect of genocidal policies which essentialy legalized military atrocity in Guatemala. Found guilty by default of numerous war crimes in a U. S. Court six weeks before speaking at a prestigious SOA graduation. Former SOA Commandant Jose Feliciano claimed Gramajo inspired many SOA policies. 1991, SOA Guest Speaker.
  • COL Juan Lopez Grijalva (Honduras). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate Linked to repressive forces in Brazil, 1960's and 1970's. Instructor, SOA, 1990.
  • LTC German Barriga (Chile). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate In charge of repression of the socialist party by the Chilean DINA. Instructor, SOA, 1986.
  • COL Pablo Belmar (Chile). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1968. Directly implicated in 1976 torture and muder of United Nations official Carmelo Soria, whose neck was broken after he was arrested and tortured by the Chilean DINA. Guest Instructor, SOA, 1987.
  • GEN Harold Bedoya Pizarro (Colombia), School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1965. Implicated in paramilitary death squad activity, 1965 to present; believed to be founder and chief of paramilitary death squad. Fired by President Semper, July 1997 for unwillingness to commit to improving the military's poor human rights record. Guest Instructor, SOA, 1978-79.
  • GEN Marino Gutierrez Isaza (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate. 1973. 1982 Implicated in the disappearance and death of Gustavo Albeiro Munoz Hurtado. Nov 22, 1994 dismissed from command in an effort by President Semper to root out corruption and drug trafficking among the Colombian Armed forces. Guest Instructor, SOA, 1985-96.
  • COL Orlando Elain Tovar Trujillo (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Graduate, 1967. 1988 Implicated in military operation in which 19 individuals were arrested and subsequently tortured. 1979, SOA Guest Instructor.
  • COL Victor Manuel Trujillo Hoyos (Colombia). School of the Americas Notorious Honoree. 1981-1982 Protected and aided the military/paramilitary death squad MAS while assigned to the Fifth Brigade. 1983-1984 Guest Instructor, SOA.

    Reason 4: Alliance with Status Quo and its Idealogies.

    4a. School of the Americas training is oriented to support the military and political status quo in each country, which places the U.S. in opposition to any who seek free speech to discuss problems, alternative means to solve problems, or democratic means to change governments.
  • Counterinsurgency training demonizes elements of a country which seek change, thereby undermining democratic processes. The SOA curriculum has referred to elements who would 'subvert a government through use of the electoral processes.' For most Americans, this is called voting and is considered a good thing.

    4b. School of the Americas training specifically identifies certain idealogies, such as "socialism" or "liberation theology" to be subversive.
  • "Restructuring the Struggle", [undated] an SOA document provided by Mr. Joseph C. Leuer, an SOA official, to a college student, he asserts that socialism is a primary threat to the stability and security of Latin America, that the left is attacking U.S. security assistance programs "because of their role in truncating socialist advancement", and that these "forces of instability and unrest" should not be allowed to "reenter the political scene". Source: Arnold J. Oliver, Ph. D., Vietnam Veteran and Professor of Political Science, Heidelberg College, Tiffin Ohio 44883, An Open Letter to the School of the Americas. Because of the impact of this idealogy in targeting individuals for repression, Dr. Oliver accuses present and former SOA officials as "intellectual authors" of widespread crimes against humanity.

    Reason 5: Identification of the poor, church workers, unions, educators as the "enemy."

    But who is the enemy? The same as always: clergy and other religious workers, labor organizers, health promoters, and educators—the poor and those who work with the poor.Carol Richardson, " What Does God Require? Working to close the 'School of Assassins.', Sojourners, January, 1997. CAROL RICHARDSON, who has pastored United Methodist churches in Ohio and Maryland, directs the SOA Watch Washington, D.C. office. For information, contact SOA Watch, P.O. Box 3330, Columbus, GA 31903; (706) 682-5369.

    Reason 6: The military approaches espoused by the SOA cannot achieve the legitimate American foreign policy objectives in Latin America.
  • Intrinsic American interests can best be supported by a responsive, democratic government enjoying widespread popular support, regardless of its ideological coloration or surface friendliness to the U.S. Support of corrupt, weak military dictatorships is directly counter to such American interests.
  • Closing the SOA would be an imediately realizable and tangible step towards carrying out the official Amnesty International policy of opposing transfers of Military Security or Police personnel and transfers of their equipment if those transfers contribute significantly to human rights abuses. Schools practicing similar methods will receive a clear message that teaching human rights abuses will not be tolerated. Source: Draft Resolution to call for closure of SOA. Amnesty International Group 75, Atlanta, Georgia

    Reason 7: Corruption of Americans. Participation by Americans in the objectives and training of the School of the Americas involves Americans in Human Rights Abuses and Corruption, thereby damaging morale and weakening American defense capability.
  • In Vietnam, by 1971 the United States military was severely weakened by a breakdown of discipline, as reflected in rampant drug abuse, racial tensions, unwillingness to fight, and fragging of unpopular officers. This was a direct result of a leadership which had involved itself in lies and abuses. The motif of "Duty, Honor, and Country" which had previously inspired the military leadership and drawn together the military was substantially weakened.
  • While Timothy McVeigh's assertions are unproven and subject to question, he reports being asked in 1991 while at Fort Bragg to join a military effort engaged in assassination and drug running on American soil. He cites this as a turning point in his disillusionment which led to the Oklahoma City bombing. If true, this is a chilling example of the price to be paid when the American military becomes infected with the idealogies and values exhibited by many SOA graduates.
  • If the United States Government, through the SOA's "Restructuring the Struggle" document " is allowed to assert that socialism or other idealogies are threats to the stability and security of Latin America which need to be countered by military action, then what is to prevent the Government from applying military force against persons with unpopular thoughts within the boundaries of the United States?
  • The notion that anything is acceptable in order to acheive one's objectives led to widespread reports of the Contra effort in Nicaragua being financed by the sale of crack cocaine while the CIA and National Security Council leadership looked the other way or active blocked anti-drug efforts in U. S. courts.




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