Is «School of the Americas» back?

November 12, 2006

Panama. Former "School of the Americas".

J. Bush administration declared that in the nearest future they were going to «resume training of the military from Latin America in the training centres of the United States».

Sensational turn in the Washington military politics! - that was how many experts at the continent interpreted the news. And to much extent they were right, as the military cooperation of the USA with many Latin American countries was cut down not long ago and it was Washington that initiated it. The reason is refusal of Latin American countries to recognise the military personnel immunity before international court at the Hague.

So such countries like Brasil, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Costa-Rica and Uruguay, if their governments consider the Washington proposal attractive, will be «favoured» by it.

The previous experience of such a cooperation in training and retraining of the military personnel for Latin American armed forces and police was realized in the notorious «training centre» that in the period from 1946 to 1984 was located in the Panama Canal zone. «School of the Americas»(«Escuela de las Americas») (that was the name of that centre) «became especially famous» as the «source of specialists» for dictator regimes that needed «specialists» to fight the guerilla movement, left-marxist, students, progressive trade union organisations. The skills of «torture specialists» were beyond doubts and they were needed by military dictatorships of Argentine, Paraguay, Chile, Brasil and other countries. The brainchild of these specialists - «Operation Condor» - took away the lives of thousands of people in different countries. Only in Argentine in the years of dictatorship 30 thousand people were killed!

It was the «School of the Americas» from which the most «effective» butchers of Pinochet graduated. One of them was very notorious Miguel Krassnoff, who distinguished himself by extreme brutality and persecution of the prisoners.

At present, the «School of the Americas» is located at Fort Benning (Georgia, USA). Its curriculum has not changed very much since 70-s and beginning of 80-s if not considering the fact that they were supplemented by «useful» Afgan and Iraqi experience, practice of secret jails and legalised tortures justified by the highest interests of the USA security.

From time to time there appear the rumors that Pentagon looks a suitable place for the «School» «south to Rio Grande». Such countries like Dominican Republic, Honduras and Panama again were mentioned. So far there are no Latin American countries that desire to accept the «School of the Americas». Nevertheless, the treat of its nomination to the «front» positions exists. The United States are concerned by appearance of new left-nationalist governments in the region, gradual refusal of Latin American armed forces from geopolitical doctrine of Pentagon and also by the fact that Latin American military more and more often prefer the military equipment that was made not in the USA but in other countries, which do not put forward political conditions for its procurement.

The example of Venezuela that reinforces its defensive potential by the weapon made in Russia, China, India and a number of other countries is rather alarming.

In Panama they do not like to recollect that the «School of the Americas» used to be situated on its territory. It is not mentioned in any tourist guides and, probably, few people know that casinos and a five-star hotel function in the complex of the «school» buildings. I wonder if the customers of this hotel experience nightmares?