SOAW of the Southern Tier
Welcome to the home page of the Southern Tier's branch of the School of the Americas Watch, based in the area surrounding Binghamton, NY.
Crosses representing the victims of SOA graduates throughout Latin America ... how many thousands of victims in over fifty years?
The US Army School of Americas (SOA), based in Fort Benning, Georgia, trains Latin American soldiers in combat, counter-insurgency, and counter-narcotics. Graduates of the SOA are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. Among the SOA's nearly 60,000 graduates are notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtieri and Roberto Viola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador, and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia. Lower-level SOA graduates have participated in human rights abuses that include the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the El Mozote Massacre of 900 civilians.
In November 1990, Salvadoran death squads murdered six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. A year later Fr. Roy Bourgeois, a Maryknoll priest and former missionary in Bolivia, founded the School of the Americas Watch and led the first vigil to shut down the SOA.
The Southern Tier branch of the SOAW has grown increasingly active over the the last few years as people from New York State stand in solidarity with their brethren in Latin America.
NOVEMBER 20: WELCOME HOME, PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
JACK GILROY!
CLICK THE PICTURE LINK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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Fast facts about the SOA
- 1946--SOA founded in Panama
- 1982--SOA moved to Ft. Benning
- 1991--SOAW founded by Fr. Roy Bourgeois
- 2000--SOA officially closed
- 2001--SOA clone, WHISC opened at Ft. Benning
CLICK THE PICTURE LINK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHISC.
Important Links:
Email: BDHceltic@aol.com
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