This past December 1998, I spent two weeks in El Salvador and Guatemala on a human rights delegation organized by Witness for Peace, EPICA and SOA Watch. Fifteen of us - ages 21 to 82 -journeyed together to learn what the impact of US financial military aid and the training of Latin American soldiers at the US Army School of the Americas has been on the people of these countries.

We traveled to E1 Mozote in E1 Salvador with Rufina Amaya who was the sole survivor of a massacre by the Army in 1981 when 1,000 men, women and children died, victims of the military's "scorched earth policy". This strategy sought to eliminate any potential support for the "enemy" - those who were fighting to change the political and economic systems in those countries in the hope of achieving a decent life for the vast majorities - the indigenous and the poor. And we learned that 10 out of the 12 cited as responsible for this atrocity were graduates of the US Army School of the Americas.

We visited the chapel where Archbishop Romero was assassinated the day after he made an impassioned appeal to the military to stop the violence. And we visited the garden at the University of Central America where 6 Jesuits priests and their women co-workers were pulled from their beds in the middle' of the night and murdered for the crime of speaking for the poor. Incredibly 19 of the 26 cited for the Jesuit massacre and 2 of the 3 cited for the assassination of Archbishop Romero were graduates of the US Army School of the Americas!

We also experienced hope in our visit to Segundo Montes, a Christian base community, where 8,000 Salvadorans who have returned from refugee camps in Honduras are together rebuilding their lives. One of our happiest experiences in E1 Salvador was hearing the music of "E1 Grupo Morazan", a group of young musicians who began to express in music their history and their hopes while they were children in a refugee camp in Honduras. They now support a wonderful music school at Segundo Montes and sing the stories of their lives and their people with music that is full of life and determination for a better world. They will be performing at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on April 24th as part of a national tour initiated by our delegation.

In Guatemala, the Peace Accords were signed in 1996 and the process of uncovering the truth of what happened there during the war years is actively underway. On Thursday, February 25, 1999, the Truth Commission, which under the auspices of the United Nations had been investigating the atrocities committed during 36 years of war, published their report. This report contradicts years of official denial about the torture, kidnapping and execution of thousands of civilians in a war the commission estimated killed more than 200,000 Guatemalans. The commission concluded that over 90% of the human rights violation are attributable to the Guatemalan government and allied paramilitary groups. The report lists the U.S. training of the officer corps in counterinsurgency techniques as a key factor "which had a significant bearing on human rights violation during the armed confrontation."

The REHMI (Recovery of Historic Memory) Report which revealed the findings of an in-depth investigation spearheaded by Monsignor Juan Gerardi, Auxiliary Bishop of Guatemala was published in April 1998. Numerous military officials responsible for the atrocities cited in the REHMI REPORT were SOA graduates. That those who stand for the truth are still in grave danger in Guatemala, is tragically seen in the assassination of Bishop Gerardi two days after the report was presented by the Bishop to the people of Guatemala. Those responsible for his death remain untouched in a traditional justice system that allows those in high places to perpetrate violence with impunity.

In Guatemala City we visited the Foundation for Forensic Anthropology where we learned of the effort, through exhumations of mass graves, to bring the truth of the massacres that occurred to light, providing forensic proof that can be used for prosecution and giving thousands of Guatemalans who lost loved ones through the same "scorched earth" policy used in E1 Salvador, the opportunity to bury their dead with dignity and in their own sacred traditions. We were given a tour of the lab and stood by tables where the skeletons of men and women were laid out, their bones marked to keep them in order, to identify where they once lived, where they were found.

The reality of the lives of the human remains we stood over in silence at the Forensic Lab, was shared with us during our visit to Ximbaxuc, a tiny hamlet nestled in the hills of E1 Quiche Province. At dusk, we walked the gloriously beautiful land with Juan, the only survivor of 5 brothers who were killed during a massacre that destroyed the lives and burnt the homes of many in this village, forcing those who had survived to flee. Now Juan and his parents and other survivors have returned after 10 years in exile to begin again. That evening our group sat in a large, empty room with Juan and others who had come to tell us their stories. It was cold and the only light was one flickering candle. We listened and shared their tears and were once again strengthened in our resolve to continue to work for peace and justice in Latin America when we came home.

On May 1 - 4, 1999, there will be a major action in Washington DC to demand the closing of the School of the Americas, an institution of violence that costs the US taxpayer $20,000,000 a year. Planned are a White House rally, and a concert including Pete Seeger, Odetta, and "El Grupo Morazan", the wonderful group we met in El Salvador. A Pentagon Vigil and opportunity for civil disobedience and lobbying is planned for May 3rd and 4th. Hope to see you there!