Bolivia Opens ‘Anti-Imperialist’ Military Academy to Counter U.S. Influence in Latin America
“If the empire teaches domination of the world from its military schools, we will learn from this school to free ourselves from imperial oppression,” President Evo Morales said at the center's inauguration.
President Evo Morales singing Bolivia’s national anthem. (Juan Karita / AP)
Bolivian President Evo Morales has made the bold move of opening a new “anti-imperialist” military academy where up to 200 cadets will be trained in history, geopolitics and military strategy to counter U.S. policies and military influence in Latin America.
“If the empire teaches domination of the world from its military schools, we will learn from this school to free ourselves from imperial oppression,” Morales said at the inauguration of the Juan Jose Torres Anti-Imperialist Commando School on Wednesday.
“We want to build anti-colonial and anti-capitalist thinking with this school that binds the armed forces to social movements and counteracts the influence of the School of the Americas that always saw the indigenous as internal enemies,” Morales said. His audience included the defense ministers of Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The Juan Jose Torres after whom the school is named was a leftist and Bolivia’s de facto president in 1970-71. He expelled the U.S. Peace Corps for allegedly sterilizing indigenous women. Morales is Bolivia’s first indigenous president.
The Guardian reports:
Some Latin American officers trained at the US-based School of the Americas went on to commit atrocities under 20th century military dictatorships. In 2000, the academy at Fort Benning, Georgia, was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.
Morales, who expelled the US ambassador and counter-narcotics agents in 2008, accused Washington of encouraging “congressional coups” such as the impending impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.
He also said the US promotes global terrorism through military interventions, citing the rise of the Islamic State group as an example. …
A semester-long course required for advancement to captain is being taught by the Argentine Marxist intellectual Atilio Boron, deputy defense minister Reymi Ferreira said.
—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
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