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"...the School of the Americas reminds people in a very blunt way
that Americans too can be collectively responsible for torture, for murder, for dictatorship..." Christopher Hitchens |
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| Every November, thousands of people from across North America gather outside Fort Benning, Georgia to form one of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the U.S. since the Vietnam War. The issue is the controversial U.S. Army School of the Americas, where over 60,000 Latin soldiers have been trained, among them dictators like Manuel Noriega of Panama and death squad leaders like Roberto D’Aubuisson of El Salvador. Demonstrators denounce the SOA as a “School of Assassins,” but Army officials argue that the school has played a crucial role in bringing democracy and stability to Latin America. On this issue, the U.S. Congress is sharply divided. Enter noted scholars Noam Chomsky, Eduardo Galeano, Christopher Hitchens, and Michael Parenti, who broaden the debate to include such subjects as militarism, globalization, national security, and international terrorism. Personal accounts from victims of the violence and repression in Latin America raise questions and concerns about the true aims of U.S. foreign policy. Informative and provocative, this documentary presents different points of view which illuminate the turbulent reality of Latin America, demystify the policy-making process, and shed light on some of the most complex and urgent problems facing U.S. citizens today. A short history, a spirited debate, a personal story, and a call for accountability, “Hidden in Plain Sight” is a bold, unflinching look at the nature and consequences of U.S. policy in Latin America. |
