Ecuador Will Cease Participation in School of the Americas

Source: SOA Watch

On Wednesday, June 27, Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa, after hearing from a delegation of SOA Watch, has taken the decision to cease sending Ecuadoran soldiers to the School of the Americas. We wish to express our happiness for this decision by the Ecuadoran government, convinced that the School of the Americas – now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation –indeed trained and trains Latin American soldiers under the doctrine of National Security, based on fighting the internal enemy.

Ecuador joins Venezuela, Uruguay, Argentina and Bolivia, who have pulled out of the SOA. As a result, we call on the other countries of Latin America to stop sending their troops to the School of the Americas as soon as possible.

We congratulate President Rafael Correa for this sovereign decision and to finally protect the Ecuadoran people from being subject to future human rights violations.

(Take the message to President Ortega during the SOA Watch delegation to Nicaragua!)

READ A REPORT BACK FROM LISA SULLIVAN, SOA WATCH LATIN AMERICA LIAISON