DOC 100D University of California San Diego US School of the Americas Discussion

For this Discussion Thread, I want you to do the following:

• 
  Watch this film clip, about the U.S. School of the Americas (TW: Blood. Violence. Talk of Sexual Assault) [watch first 10 min] (Links to an external site.)
  
• Answer the following questions:
  1. Did you know of this school, in Georgia? If so, or if not, what is your impression? Explain in at least 6 sentences.
  2. Complete profiles on 1 of the Latin American dictators that were mentioned in the clip
     • List their name
     • List 3 things that are relevant to their rise to power, or that they did while in office
     • List their direct connection to the United States
  3. From the dictator listed above, explain in at least 4 sentences what some of the current issues are in that country
  4. Is there a path for legal immigration from that country to the U.S.? ?If so, explain what that process is and link your source of information

1. hi, can you please reply to this postBefore watching this video, I was not aware of the US Army School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Georgia. My impression of the school is that it’s a factory that pumps out dictators and human rights abusers who move on to terrorize Latin America. The school claims that its goal is “to provide doctrinally sound military training to the nations of Latin America while promoting democratization and human rights…” In reality, all of the most high-profile assassinations and massacres in El Salvador were linked to SOA graduates. In the massacre of El Mozote, U.S. backed death squads tortured, raped, and murdered 800 innocent civilians, a whopping 10 out of the of 12 officers of which were SOA graduates. Father Roy Bourgeois explains how these horrifying crimes are being funded by U.S. tax dollars. I am ashamed to live in a nation associated with this school that has led to the suffering of so many people. It’s especially upsetting to know how our taxes are being spent in the military, rather than going towards free healthcare, education, and other programs that would alleviate human suffering. It’s clear that the school itself is also ashamed, since the school has been renamed to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in order to distance itself from its terrifying reputation. On the school’s website, perhaps unsurprisingly, nowhere does it mention or apologize for its history and involvement with Latin American dictators. In addition, the school’s website is quite ugly and could benefit from hiring a new web designer.One of the Latin American dictators highlighted in the clip was Army Major Roberto D’Aubuisson Arrieta. He was trained in communications at the School of the Americas in 1972, moving on to become a member of the Salvadoran military intelligence. Arrieta ruled over El Salvador from 1980 to 1985. He oversaw death squads which massacred a horrifying 30,000 innocent civilians during the Salvadoran Civil War, justifying their crimes in the name of defeating communism. During his rule, Arrieta praised Hitler, believing Jewish people to be spreaders of communism and thus deserving of death. Arrieta was given the infamous alias “Blowtorch Bob” for using a blue-hot blowtorch to disfigure his victim’s limbs and genitalia while performing interrogations. Furthermore, he was the primary mastermind responsible for the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero. Despite the Reagan and Bush administrations knowing of the assassinations Arrieta conducted, they still worked with him, allowing him to enter the United States, and claiming that “the allegations [against Arrieta for the assassination of Archbishop Romero] have not been substantiated.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1992/02/23/daubuisson-death-comes-to-the-executioner/df5839ff-fe39-4a51-ac3c-7f4e38e0d5f2/ (Links to an external site.)Even after Arrieta’s death in 1992, his legacy left a lasting mark on El Salvador. According to the Human Rights Watch, today, El Salvador has among the world’s highest homicide rates. Gangs are pervasive throughout the country, raping and torturing children and women of vulnerable neighborhoods, and murdering LGBT individuals and anyone who dares resist their control. The country is home to more than 60,000 gang members who terrorize residents, especially near schools, marketplaces, and bus stops. Police and security forces are ineffective at stopping this violence; in fact, they are often the perpetrators of sexual assault, torture, and executions, and face no consequences for such human rights violations. Journalists attempting to expose these human rights violations are killed, and fake stories circulate which attempt to mask the corruption within the country. In 2019, El Salvador’s prisons held 45,439 people in custody, exceeding more than twice the official jail capacity.https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/el-salvador (Links to an external site.)For a citizen or resident of El Salvador to immigrate to the U.S., they must apply at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador for an immigrant visa. They must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative, or prospective U.S. employer. They must obtain an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The foreigner’s sponsor has to file a petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Once obtaining an immigrant visa, one can apply for a green card with the USCIS. Green card holders must pay their taxes, not commit any crimes, men between 18-26 must apply for the Selective Service, and a variety of other requirements must be made, and only after 5 years (or 3 years if married to a U.S. spouse) of continuous living in the U.S. can one apply for citizenship. So yes, there exists a path for legal immigration for El Salvador to the U.S., but that path is very convoluted and inaccessible for most people.https://sv.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visas/ (Links to an external site.)https://www.boundless.com/immigration-resources/apply-citizenship-after-marriage-green-card/