Colombian SOA Watch Speaker Assassinated - Lobby Day Report - US-trained Zetas in the News

[Guest guest]

SOA Watch UpdateFebruary 25, 20051. Colombian human rights activist – and SOA

Watch speaker – assassinatedin San Jose de Apartado Peace Community2. DC Lobby

Day Reportback3. SOA-trained Zetas working as drug-related mercenaries in US- -

- - - - - - - -1. LUIS EDUARDO GUERRA, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND SPEAKER AT 2002

SOAWATCH VIGIL, ASSASSINATED WITH SIX OTHERS IN COLOMBIASOA Watch received the

terrible news this week from the Colombia SupportNetwork of the murder of Luis

Eduardo, one of the leaders of the San Josede Apartado Peace Community in Uraba,

Colombia. Luis died with seven othercivilians, including three children, at the

hands of the 11th Brigade ofthe Colombian Army.Luis Eduardo was a founding

member of the San Jose de Apartado PeaceCommunity, a nonviolent community that

has stood up to incredibleparamilitary and military repression and to targeting

by all armed actorsin the region since its inception in 1997. Click here to read

more aboutthe community:

http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1025In November of 2002, Luis was a

featured speaker at the Fort Benning Vigilto Close the SOA/ WHINSEC. Click here

to read more about Luis, and to findout what actions you can take TODAY to

demand accountability for thesebrutal murders:

http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=1024.- - - - - - - - - -2. DC LOBBY DAY

AND ACTIONS A SUCCESSSOA Watch activists from around the country gathered here

in DC this week-- and phoned in from their communities -- to counter the

Pentagon'spublic relations attempts with grassroots power! Together they flooded

thehalls of Congress, the Pentagon and beyond with the message: Close theSOA/

WHINSEC!SOA Watchers gathered in Washington, DC this week for several days

ofstrategizing, regional networking, lobbying and action. Tuesday's LobbyDay

began with a vigil at the main entrance to the Pentagon calling forthe closure

of the SOA/ WHINSEC. Three former SOA Watch prisoners/probationers of conscience

were arrested

when they nonviolently knelt downin the entranceway and blocked access to the

building. They will appear incourt on May 20. The Lobby Day ended with a

powerful vigil at the JusticeDepartment calling for the resigantion of Alberto

Gonzalez,newly-confirmed Attorney General and author of the " torture memos "

thatled to the abuses at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, and an end to

torturepolicies.Hundreds more SOA Watch activists joined the efforts of those

here onCapitol Hill by calling their Members of Congress on Tuesday and

askingthem to sign on as introductory co-sponsors of Rep.

McGovern'ssoon-to-be-introduced bill to close and investigate the SOA/

WHINSEC.After less than a week of lobbying, we already have more than

35introductory co-sponsors!KEEP UP THE CONSTITUENT PRESSURE: Continue to

contact your Members ofCongress!* For Representatives: Co-sponsor new, upcoming

legislation that calls forthe suspension and investigation of the SOA/WHINSEC.

Have them Call Rep.McGovern’s office

for more information.* For Senators: Introduce companion legislation in the

Senate that wouldcall for the suspension and investigation of the

SOA/WHINSEC.VISIT the Legislative Action Index for updates and tips on

contacting yourCongressional reps: http://www.soaw.org/new/article.php?id=96.- -

- - - - - - - -3. SOA-TRAINED ZETAS WORKING AS DRUG-RELATED MERCENARIES IN THE

U.S.Yesterday the “Washington Times” reported that former Mexican

soldiers,police and federal agents, originally trained as an elite force

ofanti-drug commandos, are working as mercenaries for Mexican

narcoticstraffickers, bringing a new wave of drug-related killings into the

UnitedStates. At least one-third of this “well-armed gang,” known as the

Zetas,was trained at the School of the Americas, according to the

MexicanSecretary of Defense.This isn’t the first time that the Zetas have been

in the news. In 2003,the “Brownsville Herald” reported that the US-trained Zetas

were the GulfCartel’s new “rare weapon” in the

war for drug-trafficking supremacy. Thearticle continues:“The Zetas, hired

assassins for the Gulf Cartel, feature 31 ex-soldiersonce part of an elite

division of the Mexican army — the Special AirMobile Force Group. At least

one-third of this battalion’s deserters wastrained at the School of the Americas

in Fort Benning, Ga., according todocuments from the Mexican secretary of

defense.”Law-enforcement and intelligence officials said the Zetas are linked

tohundreds of killings and dozens of kidnappings on both sides of theU.S.-Mexico

border, particularly over a wide area of southeastern Texasfrom Laredo to

Brownsville and in cities throughout Mexico.Read the whole article:

http://www.soaw.org/new/newswire_detail.php?id=708._____________________________\

___________If you have received this email by mistake or if you don't wish to

receive updates from SOA Watch, send a blank email to

soaw-. To , send a blank email to

soaw-. To read more about this list visit

http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/soawSOA Watch ~ PO Box 4566 ~

Washington DC 20017 ~ (202)234-3440 ~ www.soaw.org ~ info

 

 

 

http://www.blueaction.org

" Better to have one freedom too many than to have one freedom too few. "

http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican/