Region News

Close the SOA!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I invite you to join me at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia this November as we send a message to our government: Close the SOA! For the past four years, I have made this trip, joining over 15,000 others, including a growing number of union activists, raising our voices in solidarity with the people of Latin America. This annual journey has been a profound experience for me and I always return home inspired and committed to increasing our numbers.

As you may know, SOA stands for the School of the Americas. Renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC or WHISC), the SOA, frequently dubbed the “School of Assassins,” has left a trail of blood and suffering in every country where its graduates have returned. Over its 59 years, the SOA has trained over 60,000 Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people.

Union organizers are among the primary targets of SOA violence. SOA graduates have been directly responsible for the killing of striking workers and union organizers throughout Latin America. We all know that an injury to one is an injury to all. In a May 2004 letter to U.S. Congressional Representatives, UAW Legislative Director Alan Reuther wrote, “The UAW believes that WHISC is a relic of the Cold War that serves no meaningful purpose today. … the UAW urges you to cosponsor and support legislation to suspend operations at WHISC.”

The annual vigil at the gates of Ft. Benning is a core element in the SOA Watch movement to close SOA and labor is a key participant. I’ve attached a schedule of this year’s events. The weekend is a model of peaceful nonviolent resistance as we expose the horrors of the SOA/WHINSEC and express our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Latin America. Those of us who have been to the gates, know that it is a life-changing experience.

I urge you to seriously consider making the trip to Georgia this November 18-20. I promise you that you will be strengthened by the experience as we join in solidarity together, confronting injustice and speaking out for peace. As we know from our work in the labor movement, by standing up and standing together, we can change the world. Together we will close the SOA!

In Solidarity,
Bob King, Vice President
& Director UAW National Organizing
and CS/IPS Department