USA School of The Americas

• Origins and Purpose: The USA School of the Americas (SOA) was established in 1946 in Panama, originally to train Latin American military personnel in counterinsurgency, military tactics, and leadership. • Location Change: After the Panama Canal treaties, the SOA relocated in 1984 to Fort Benning, Georgia, United States. • Controversial Alumni: Several SOA graduates have been linked to human rights abuses, including atrocities during civil wars in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia. • Curriculum Expansion: The SOA initially focused on anti-communism and counterinsurgency but later expanded to include courses on human rights and ethics following public scrutiny. • Renaming: In 2001, amid controversy, the school was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), with a renewed emphasis on democracy and human rights. • Notable Graduates: High-profile SOA alumni include Manuel Noriega (Panama), Efraín Ríos Montt (Guatemala), and Roberto D'Aubuisson (El Salvador), all of whom held significant power in their home countries. • Public Protests: The SOA has been the focus of annual protests since 1990, organized by the group SOA Watch, drawing activists, religious leaders, and human rights advocates to Fort Benning. • Declassified Manuals: In the 1990s, declassified training manuals revealed that SOA courses had included instruction on torture, extortion, and assassination, leading to widespread condemnation. • Congressional Scrutiny: The U.S. Congress has debated closing the SOA/WHINSEC several times, but efforts have narrowly failed, keeping the institution open with revised mandates. • Cultural Impact: The legacy of the SOA has inspired books, documentaries, and advocacy campaigns, making it a symbol in debates about U.S. foreign policy and military intervention in Latin America.