[NYTr] Action Alert: Costa Rica Pressured by Pentagon/WHINSEC

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

School of the Americas Watch - Nov 29, 2007
http://www.soaw.org

URGENT ACTION ALERT -  CONTACT PRESIDENT OSCAR ARIAS TODAY!

COSTA RICA WITHDRAWAL FROM SOA/WHINSEC IN QUESTION, 
PENTAGON/WHINSEC STEPS UP THE PRESSURE IN LATIN AMERICA

The campaign spearheaded by social movements in Latin America and SOA
Watch to move countries to withdraw from the SOA/WHINSEC has been
tremendously successful. High-level meetings in Argentina, Costa Rica,
Bolivia, Uruguay and Venezuela resulted in strong denouncements of the
SOA/WHINSEC and the announcements that those countries would cut ties
to the school.

The countries that took a stand for justice and withdrew their troops
have to be applauded as they did it against the explicit wishes of the
Pentagon. Taking a look at history shows that disobeying the U.S.
government had harsh consequences for Latin American countries (at
least 11 SOA graduates have become military dictators). 

The Pentagon and WHINSEC have responded to the developments in Latin
America and are trying to turn the wheel back. Several military
delegations have traveled to Latin America to ensure that the countries
that are still sending soldiers to the school are staying in line and
to put pressure on those who have withdrawn.

In the case of Costa Rica, there's a risk that the Pentagon campaign is
succeeding: 

A few days before the November 16-18 Vigil to Close the SOA, SOA Watch
activists in Costa Rica informed us that, after making a commitment to
international human rights organizations and confirming to the
international press that he would no longer send Costa Rican police for
training at the SOA/WHINSEC, President Oscar Arias has mentioned that
he may resume sending police for training to the SOA/WHINSEC.

What happened? On November 19, the Tico Times reported that the U.S.
ambassador to Costa Rica flew with Costa Ricas Public Security Minister
Fernando Berrocal to the United States where they had a meeting at the
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Upon his return
he recommended to the President that up to 150 Costa Rican police
officers should attend the institute to take classes that would help
them "fight drug trafficking." In public statements to the local press,
Arias has said that he agrees with the minister's recommendation, "If
they are going to get training on how to handle drugs, I would be ok
with it," said the president. 

--> Read more about Oscar Aria's announcement to withdraw from the
SOA/WHINSEC- http://www.soaw.org/article.php?id=1540

--> Read: Arias "Would Agree" to Send Police to Controversial School -
http://www.soaw.org/newswire_detail.php?id=1424

Oscar Arias has not yet confirmed that he will effectively send police
to WHINSEC, this a great opportunity for us to join in solidarity with
the people of Costa Rica and take action by expressing our concerns
with WHINSEC's historical ties to human rights abuses and lack of
transparency. We have put together an action letter that you can email
or fax to President Oscar Arias. 

TAKE ACTION: 

We ask you to take action in solidarity with human rights advocates in
Costa Rica and take few minutes of your time to e-mail/fax President
Oscar Arias expressing your concern about his decision to consider
police training at the SOA/WHINSEC and asking that he stand strong
behind his promise to withdraw Costa Rican police from the institute.

--> You can email/fax President Oscar Arias through an already created
action campaign by clicking here -
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/soaw/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21881

--> You may also e-mail the president at: presidente at casapres.go.cr  or
print the text below and fax it to 011-506-253-9078.

--> Downlad the letter as a Microsoft Word document, sign it and send
it - http://www.soaw.org/docs/LettertoOscarArias.doc

-----------------------------------------

Suggested Message:

Dear Mr. President Oscar Arias,

As a resident of the United States of America and fellow human rights
advocate, I am concerned about your recent declarations to the press in
regards to sending Costa Rican police to receive training at the
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC),
formerly known as the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA).

I am writing to ask that you reconsider your stance and that you stand
strong behind the commitment you made to your people and to
international human rights organizations in regards to withdrawing
Costa Rican police from WHINSEC. Graduates of WHINSEC have consistently
disregarded international human rights law, taken part in criminal
activity, assisted in the overthrowing of democratically elected
governments, and acted in direct violation of their government's
constitutions while prioritizing U.S. foreign policy over the needs of
the people of their home countries.

During the weekend of November 16-18 2007 I joined with over 20,000
people, including torture survivors from Latin America and two U.S.
presidential candidates, in Fort Benning, Georgia to protest the
SOA/WHINSEC and celebrate the announcements made by your administration
and the governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Venezuela in
regards to a withdrawal from the military school knows as the "Escuela
de Asesinos" due to its historical ties to human rights abuses and
repression of the people of Latin America. 

Your role in bringing peace to Central America after decades of civil
war is exemplary and your work saved thousands of lives, meanwhile,
graduates of the SOA/WHINSEC participated directly in atrocities such
as the El Mozote and UCA massacres in El Salvador, the scorched earth
policy of Guatemala and the deaths and disappearances of thousands in
Honduras and Panama. 

As a Nobel peace prize laureate you understand the value of democracy,
transparency, sovereignty and human rights. I believe that the
SOA/WHINSEC as an institution has side stepped every single one of
those virtues and represents an outdated foreign policy which advocates
military solutions for problems which should be resolved through
dialog, diplomacy, cultural and economic incentives, and the
strengthening of civilian institutions. 

As President of Costa Rica you have the unique opportunity to show the
world that a country does not need to resort to military solutions and
the militarization of its police force to live in peace and with
prosperity. 

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Address]