SOA Watch Prisoners of Conscience Released from Federal Prisons.

Last Chance to add your Member of Congress as an original cosponsor!
Contact Congress Now!

Guilty of Telling the Truth

Over the past few days, 5 of the SOA 6 have been released from prison, after serving 60 day sentences. Father Luis Barrios, Theresa Cusimano, Kristin Holm, Sister Diane Pinchot OSU and Al Simmons were sentenced on January 26, in Columbus, Georgia for their nonviolent act of civil disobedience calling for the closure of the SOA/ WHINSEC. The "SOA 6," ranging in age from 21 to 68, were among the thousands who gathered in November 2008 outside the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia.

Louis Wolf, the last member of the 6, remains under house arrest until July 28th. We ask that you take the following actions to support the witness of the SOA 6:

At the end of this week, Representative Jim McGovern will reintroduce the Latin America Military Training Review Act! In the 110th Congress, this legislation was known as HR 1707 and for more information about the bill and whether your Member of Congress supported it, check out www.SOAW.org/legislative

You have just 4 days to make sure your Representative in the House is added as an original cosponsor to the legislation that would suspend operations at the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, and investigate the history of human rights abuses and failed policies of the institution.

Contact Congress toll free at 1-800-473-6711 (or 202-224-3121), and when you are transferred, ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant and here is a suggested message you can convey:

"As a constituent living in _________, I am calling Congressman/woman ________ to urge him/her to contact Rep. McGovern and ask to be an original cosponsor of the Latin America Military Training Review Act, formerly HR 1707 in the 110th Congress. This legislation will be introduced in early May. The bill is identical to HR 1707 and would suspend operations at the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, and investigate the history of human rights abuses and failed policies of the institution.

New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two more countries that have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Despite demands by Congress to have oversight over the curriculum and promote human rights, the Pentagon is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.

I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that you be added as an original cosponsor of this legislation. I hope you will represent my views and support this bill."

For more information, visit the Legislative Action Index at www.SOAW.org/legislative where SOA Watch will post updates after the bill is introduced that will include the new bill number, cosponsor list, and a variety of resources you can use in your outreach work.