1 The School of the Americas
“Chartered by the U.S. Congress, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC – former: the School of the Americas) provides professional education and training for civilian, military and law enforcement students from nations throughout the Western Hemisphere” . The Institute's Mission according to the self-projection on the website of the WHINSEC is the following:
“Our mission comes directly from the Congressionally approved legislation that authorizes and directs WHINSEC's existence (10 U.S.C. § 2166).
The purpose of the Institute is to provide professional education and training to eligible personnel of nations of the Western Hemisphere within the context of the democratic principles set forth in the Charter of the Organization of American States (such charter being a treaty to which the United States is a party), while fostering mutual knowledge, transparency, confidence, and cooperation among the participating nations and promoting democratic values, respect for human rights, and knowledge and understanding of United States customs and traditions.”
The WHINSEC is an U.S. Army facility at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. A precursor – the Latin American Ground School – was established in 1946 in the Panama Canal Zone. After some changes this U.S. Army facility, training especially Latin American military personnel, became the School of the Americas (SOA) in 1963. In 1984 it was relocated to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. As Lesley Gill points out “the establishment of the Ground School coincided with renewed U.S. expansionist ambitions in the Americas and partially filled a power vacuum created by World War II, which ruptured long-standing military ties between European imperial powers – particularly France, Italy, and Germany – and Latin American.” Further she argues that, “the Ground School, however, did much more than train students in the tactics of warfare. It initiated their incorporation into the ideology of the “American way of life” by steeping them into a vision of empire that identified their aspirations with those of the United States, a process that, […] continues today.”
Table of Contents
1 The School of the Americas
2 Latin America
Nicaragua
Honduras
El Salvador
Argentine
Chile
3 Review
4 U.S. self-conception - Liberal Imperialism
Research Goals and Main Topics
This work examines the historical and contemporary role of the School of the Americas (now WHINSEC) in shaping Latin American military actions, focusing on the link between U.S.-provided training and human rights atrocities. It critiques the institution's impact on regional political violence and evaluates the U.S. foreign policy concept of "liberal imperialism" as a justification for interventionism and hegemony.
- Historical evolution of the School of the Americas into WHINSEC
- Case studies of U.S.-backed military operations in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, and Chile
- The role of "silencing" and "impunity" in post-conflict societies
- Critical analysis of U.S. self-conception and "liberal imperialism"
Excerpt from the Book
El Salvador
The Reagan-Bush administration supported the Salvadoran armed forces. One of the large-scale massacres that took place in El Salvador was at El Mozote 1981 were nearly one thousand Salvadoran became victims of internecine violence and ten graduates of the SOA participated in the killing. This was just one massacre that was directly attributed to the US military taken place during the 1980s. In the killing at El Mozote like in many other killings there was made no difference between women, children, innocent citizens or guerrillas. Nobody wanted to make a difference.
As Mark Danner points out throughout those massacres obedience was a main concern for the soldiers. To flout an order could mean a death sentence for the soldiers themselves. In an interview with a woman who survived the massacre she repeated what one of the soldiers said to another as he claimed that he don’t want to kill all the children: “If we don’t kill them now,” he said angrily, “they’ll just grow up to be guerrillas. We have to take care of the job now.” In another interview a captain talked to his subordinates after the massacre and justifies what they have done and reminds the soldiers of the importance of obedience. Danner writes: “Senores! the Captain said angrily. What we did yesterday and the day before, this is called war. War is hell. And, goddammit, if I order you to kill your mother, that is just what you’re going to do. […] This is what war is.”
“Obedience is the psychological mechanism that links individual action to political purpose. It is the dispositional cement that binds men to system of authority.”
Summary of Chapters
1 The School of the Americas: Introduces the institution, its mission, its transition into WHINSEC, and the controversy regarding its graduates' involvement in human rights abuses.
2 Latin America: Analyzes the U.S.-influenced counterinsurgency strategies in various Latin American nations, detailing the brutal tactics employed by trained military forces.
3 Review: Evaluates the school's legacy, the influence of public protest groups on its funding, and the persistent issue of impunity for past atrocities.
4 U.S. self-conception - Liberal Imperialism: Discusses the ideological framework of U.S. foreign policy, comparing modern interventions to historical colonial structures of control.
Keywords
School of the Americas, WHINSEC, Latin America, human rights, impunity, military training, counterinsurgency, liberal imperialism, U.S. foreign policy, Cold War, state violence, El Mozote, Operation Condor, obedience, political violence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work focuses on the history and impact of the School of the Americas (WHINSEC) and its connection to military-led human rights abuses in Latin America.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include military education, state-sponsored violence, impunity, human rights violations, and the ideological justifications for U.S. foreign interventions.
What is the author's research question or aim?
The aim is to expose the link between U.S. military training in the region and the atrocities committed during the Cold War, and to question the validity of current U.S. "liberal imperialism."
Which methodology is used?
The text employs a historical-critical analysis, drawing on ethnographic research, truth commission reports, and academic literature on violence and military structures.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the history of the SOA/WHINSEC, specific case studies in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, and Chile, and a critique of U.S. imperial ideology.
What are the key terms associated with this text?
Key terms include the School of the Americas, human rights, impunity, liberal imperialism, and Cold War geopolitics.
How does the author characterize the shift from SOA to WHINSEC?
The author views the renaming as an attempt to establish the illusion of change while maintaining existing power structures and military practices.
What is the role of the "culture of silence" described in the text?
Silence is described as a survival strategy for victims and a mechanism used by repressive regimes and perpetrators to disguise past crimes and avoid accountability.
- Citar trabajo
- Anke Seltmann (Autor), 2006, The School of the Americas , Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/131325
