Declaration of Commitment of Organizations Opposed

Declaration of Commitment of Organizations Opposed to Militarism | SOA Watch: Close the School of the
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From the III Latin American Consulation of Human Rights Defenders, Sao Paolo, Brazil,
August 2004:
We the undersigned, in the name of our organisations, gathered between 25 and 27 August
2004 in Sao Paolo, Brasil for the 3rd Consultation of Latin American Human Rights Defenders,
have created a space for dialogue and exchange on the subject of militarism in our world and in
our region; which we perceive as a grave threat and a source of violations of human rights and
the rights of nations.
The past and present manifestations of US military presence in our region, and the fatal
consequences of that presence in the lives of our peoples, have been a source of great concern
for all of us. We point to the military bases installed in Comalapa, El Salvador; in Palmerola,
Honduras; in Malta, Ecuador; in Guantanamo, Cuba; in Aruba and in Cura?ao. We point to the
contamination caused by toxic chemicals and unexploded munitions in Vieques, Puerto Rico
and in Panama. We point to military operations disguised as welfare assistance and the
promotion of peace; and to the militarisation of borders in places like Mexico, Argentina and
Colombia. We point to military occupations, exercises and interventions; to the training and
transfer of military and police personnel and techniques to the region?s armies and security
forces via over 200 training centres like the SOA/ WHINSEC (the notorious ?School of
Assassins?) and the ILEA (International Law Enforcement Academy). These are just a few of
the many worldwide manifestations of this US policy.
Faced with such a grave threat, we feel the need to:
- Open a space of ongoing contact between our organisations, seeking to stimulate
dialogue, exchanges and initiatives in order to pursue this issue further.
- Pool the information, analyses and learning gleaned from our peoples? experiences of
struggle against colonial militarism, military intervention and all other manifestations of this
hegemonic policy.
- Invite and urge other national and regional organisations to incorporate this initiative into
their own agendas.
We close by sending our greetings to those behind all similar initiatives in our world, and most
especially in our own region of Latin America; in the hope that we can join forces to confront this
difficult challenge.
Sao Paolo, Brasil; 27 August 2004
List of subscribing delegates by name, organisation and country of origin:
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Declaration of Commitment of Organizations Opposed to Militarism | SOA Watch: Close the School of the
- Adri?n Boutureira, SOA Watch, USA.
- Pablo Mejias, Plenaria Memoria Justicia, Uruguay.
- Javier Garcia Barrera, artista, Mexico.
- Son Angel Mosquera, Proceso de Comunidades Negras, Asociacion Nacional de Mujeres
Campesinas, Ind?genas y Negras de Colombia, OPF, Colombia.
- Oscar Anibal Puerto, OFALAM, Honduras.
- Valeria Pandjiarjian, CLADEM Internacional.
- Fannie Lafontaine, Avocats Sans Frontiere, Canada.
- Ema Graciela Romero, SERPAJ / PIDHDD, Uruguay.
- Andr?s Pav?n Murillo, Comite de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos de Honduras,
CODEH, Honduras.
- Mara Puntano, Piqueteros Salta, Argentina.
- Julio A. Rosales, Guatemala.
- Aline Goncalves, Terra de Direitos. Brasil.
- Luis Gonz?lez Mar?n, Sindicato Unico Nacional de Trabajadores de la Construccion y
Similares, SUNTRACS, Panam?.
- Conrado Sanjur, Coordinadora Popular de Derechos Humanos de Panama,
COPODEHUPA, Panam?.
- Pablo A. De la Vega, Centro de Documentacion en DD.HH. "Segundo Montes Mozo, SJ",
Ecuador.
- Iscra Ch?vez Loaiza, Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos de Peru, Cuzco, Peru.
- Norbel Mondragon, Coordinadora de Derechos Humanos de Cuzco, Per?.
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