Redacción
[Nota de El Libertario: lo que sigue es la respuesta que dimos ante una
comunicación pública remitida por “SOA Watch” a través de su lista de correo
electrónico. Este grupo desde hace años se ocupa de denunciar al centro de
formación represiva que mantiene el gobierno norteamericano en Fort Benning,
Georgia, conocido en el pasado como “Escuela de las Américas” (“School of the
Americas” o SOA), hace poco rebautizado “Instituto del Hemisferio Occidental
para la Cooperación en Seguridad” (“Western Hemisphere Institute for Security
Cooperation” o WHINSEC.]
El sábado 28/2/2015 recibimos a través
de la lista de correo electrónico “SOA Watch” un mail referido a la labor de dicha
organización y a las actividades que se proponen en este año (ver texto al
final de este mensaje).
Al respecto, vale decir que compartimos
lo que con toda razón y contundencia se afirma en el primer párrafo de esa misiva,
respecto al tenebroso papel que los egresados de la SOA/WHINSEC han cumplido y
cumplen como sangrientos represores de las protestas sociales en sus
respectivos países, sobre lo cual luego se dan ejemplos resumiendo la
trayectoria de algunos de esos criminales.
Pero hay una ausencia fundamental en la
denuncia y protesta que Ustedes plantean que nos genera inquietud y
desconcierto. Nos referimos al hecho de que ni ahora, ni en años anteriores,
“SOA Watch” se haya ocupado para nada del papel de los militares venezolanos
egresados de la SOA/WHINSEC en los gobiernos de este país en los últimos 16
años, donde han cumplido un rol decisivo en la construcción de una estructura
autoritario-militarista de control social y represión de la protesta que, a
pesar de establecerse en nombre de un gobierno autoproclamado como
revolucionario y socialista, tiene poco o nada de distinto a lo que hacen otros
estados latinoamericanos. En tal sentido, es lamentable ver cómo en los sitios
web ligados a “SOA Watch”, las pocas referencias que se hacen al Estado
venezolano se limitan a reproducir la visión gubernamental, sin el menor comentario crítico y cerrando los ojos ante una realidad de represión desmedida
y criminalización de la protesta, sobre la cual hay abundantísima, documentada
y continuada evidencia en el blog http://periodicoellibertario.blogspot.com.
Nos resulta, por decir lo menos, extraño
y sorprendente que “SOA Watch” al parecer desconozca no solo ese antecedente del
General Padrino López, sino que dicho personaje ha dado suficientes muestras de
aplicar lo que aprendió en la SOA/WHINSEC, siendo el ejemplo más reciente de
ello la Resolución N° 8.610, donde el Ministerio bajo su mando autoriza tanto
la intervención militar contra cualquier protesta civil como el uso de armas de
fuego para tal propósito (Ver artículo "¡Ya es legal en Venezuela que militares
disparen sobre manifestantes!"
Esperamos que “SOA Watch” se ocupe de
revisar con más cuidado lo que ha sido la represión autoritario-militarista en
Venezuela durante los años recientes, particularmente en lo que corresponde a
las responsabilidades de egresados de la SOA/WHINSEC como el General Padrino
López, pues justamente el trabajo que desde hace tanto tiempo viene realizando
“SOA Watch” demuestra la matriz de sádica actuación represora que es
característica de los que pasan por la Escuela de Asesinos, a pesar que luego
pretendan encubrirla con verborrea cristiano-evangélica como el guatemalteco Ríos
Montt o con demagogia bolivariano-socialistoide como el venezolano. Sería bien
penoso si al final hay oídos sordos ante este llamado que hacemos, con lo cual
solo quedaría suponer que existen dos clases de asesinos que pasan por Fort
Benning: los “malos” de la derecha (odiosos y condenables a pleno pulmón), y
los “políticamente correctos” que se proclaman de izquierda (sobre los que no
se habla o se habla bien).
---------------------------- Mensaje original
----------------------------
Asunto: Update! SOA Grads in the News in 2015
Fecha:
Sab, 28 de Febrero de 2015, 3:01 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOA GRADS CONTINUE TO MAKE HEADLINES THROUGHOUT THE AMERICAS
Supporter,
In just the first two months of 2015, we have been horrified, though not
surprised, to learn of the continued repression by SOA/WHINSEC graduates
against their own people. As the US continues to secure economic and political
interests by utilizing military solutions to social and political problems, SOA/WHINSEC
graduates continue to make headlines in countries like Honduras, Guatemala,
Peru and Chile, underscoring the importance of continuing the struggle to close
the SOA/WHINSEC. While some graduates have yet to be held accountable due to
the high levels of impunity in their country or in the US, they are all
directly responsible for committing grave human rights violations, which
include murder, torture and genocide.
As we continue to highlight these atrocities, we invite you to join us
in Washington, DC for our Spring Days of Action this April 22-25, Growing
Stronger Together: Resisting the "War on Drugs" across the
America.
in solidarity,
SOA Watch
For more information:
RSVP for the Spring Days of Action:
_________________________________________
Second Lieutenant Josué Antonio Sierra -
Honduras
In January 2015, 2011 SOA/WHINSEC graduate Second Lieutenant Josué
Antonio Sierra got off scot free for his role in the murder of 15-year-old Ebed
Yanes despite the judges' finding that "it has been proven Josué Antonio Sierra
and Felipe de Jesus also fired their weapons at young Ebed Jassiel, which makes
them participants in his death. Sierra was in charge of the patrol, part of a
US-vetted unit in charge of the US-donated vehicle used to chase down and kill
young Ebed at a military checkpoint. Conveniently, Honduras' Public Ministry
solely accused a low-ranking solidier who was not part of the US-vetted unit of
murder, while accusing Sierra and Rodríguez only of abuse of authority and
cover-up. The judges found that Sierra and Rodríguez were indeed part of the
murder so they had no obligation to present the evidence against themselves and
thus were not guilty of a cover-up, but also could not be sentenced for murder
because there were no murder charges
against them. Human rights organization COFADEH had previously tried to include
murder charges against them but the government Special Prosecutor for Human
Rights decided against it. Now, the US can conveniently report that nobody from
the vetted unit, much less a WHINSEC grad, has been found guilty of murder in
the case.
For further reading:
____________________
Lt. Pedro Barrientos Nuñez - Chile
In 2013, a Chilean Supreme Court formally requested the extradition of
former Lieutenant Pedro Barrientos from the United States to Chile to stand
trial for the 1973 torture and murder of folk singer Víctor Jara. Barrientos
moved to the US after the Pinochet dictatorship ended in 1990. While the US government
has yet to respond to this extradition request, a trial in a Florida court was
set to begin on February 23. Though the trial has been postponed, Barrientos,
who currently resides in Deltona, Florida, could potentially lose his US
citizenship and later extradited to Chile where he would stand trial. In the
US, Barrientos has been accused of immigration fraud, as he concealed his
participation in human rights atrocities during the dictatorship in Chile. Joan
Jara, widow of Víctor Jara, filed the case against Barrientos and has been
seeking truth and justice for over 40 years.
For further reading:
____________________
General José Efraín Ríos Montt -
Guatemala
On January 5, the retrial against SOA grad and former dictator General
José Efraín Ríos Montt and José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez was set to resume
following the annullment of the historic May 10, 2013 sentence condemning Ríos
Montt to 80 years in prison for crimes against humanity and genocide against
1,771 Ixil Mayans. He is the first former head of state to be put on trial for
genocide. On the morning of the retrial, the defense motioned for a
postponement of the trial, using Ríos Montt's deterioating health an excuse for
not being able to present himself to the courtroom. Through stalling tactics by
his defense, including attempts to seek amnesty, the retrial has been postponed
once again despite international criticism. Ríos Montt came to power after a coup
on March 23, 1982 and remained in power until August 1983. He is 88 years old.
For further reading:
____________________
Second Lieutenant Josué Antonio Sierra -
Honduras
In January 2015, 2011 SOA/WHINSEC graduate Second Lieutenant Josué
Antonio Sierra got off scot free for his role in the murder of 15-year-old Ebed
Yanes despite the judges' finding that "it has been proven Josué Antonio
Sierra and Felipe de Jesus also fired their weapons at young Ebed Jassiel,
which makes them participants in his death". Sierra was in charge of the
patrol, part of a US-vetted unit in charge of the US-donated vehicle used to
chase down and kill young Ebed at a military checkpoint. Conveniently,
Honduras' Public Ministry solely accused a low-ranking solidier who was not
part of the US-vetted unit of murder, while accusing Sierra and Rodríguez only
of abuse of authority and cover-up. Human rights organization COFADEH had previously
tried to include murder charges against them but the government Special
Prosecutor for Human Rights decided against it. Now, the US can conveniently
report that nobody from the vetted unit, much less a WHINSEC grad, has been
found guilty of murder in the case.
For further reading:
____________________
Col. Jovel Martínez - Honduras
Meanwhile, in the northern part of the country on the night of January
29, 18-year-old campesino leader Christian Alberto Martínez Pérez was riding
his bike near the entrance to Paso Aguán Plantation, which is controlled by
security guards for Dinant Corportation and soldiers from the Xatruch III Task
Force, commanded by SOA graduate Jovel Martínez. Christian went missing, his
bike found at the entrance to the Paso Aguán Plantation. Campesino and human
rights organizations proceeded to search for him, finding his shirt on the Paso
Aguán Plantation. Over 200 people combed the area for him, until finally on the
third day of searching, he was found, blindfolded, barefoot, hands and feet
tied up, left in a field. Once rescued, he told how a Dinant security guard
approached him with a gun and together with a soldier put him in a vehicle,
blindfolded him, and interrogated him about the leadership of the Gregorio
Chávez campesino movement.
For further reading:
____________________
General Daniel Urresti Elera - Peru
Yesterday in Peru, prosecutors requested 25 years of prison for SOA
gradaute, retired General Daniel Urresti Elera, related to the 1988 murder of
journalist Hugo Bustíos. As head of the Intelligence Section of the
Countersubversive Military High Command Battalion at the time, Urresti is
accused of masterminding the ambush and murder of Bustíos. Up until last week,
Urresti was in charge of Peru's police as Minister of the Interior and also
made headlines as police repression was unleashed on protests against a law
that would eliminate labor benefits and rights for young workers. Twenty
thousand young people took to the streets, protesting neoliberal reform.
On January 15, 2015, police unleashed tear gas and detained protesters,
and violence was reported between infiltrators and police. Soon after, on
January 26, Urresti publicly boasted to the media that the young people would
not be able to reach Congress and sent ten thousand police to block them.
Nevertheless, the Peruvian youth and social movements prevailed and Congress
was forced to repeal the law. Just last week, Urresti apologized for the
February 11, 2015 death of 25-year-old Ever Pérez Huaman during protests
against a petroleum company in Pichanaki, Peru. Amidst mounting criticism,
Urresti admitted political responsibility for the use of firearms by police
during the protest, and stepped down as Minister of the Interior.
For further reading:
______________________________________________________________________
SOA Watch
The movement to close the SOA is a community, and all ideas are welcome.
SOA Watch, 5525 Illinois Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20011
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