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No 87, December 2010 Editorial Ecuador and Military Power It is in Europe where War Resisters' International (WRI) was founded. It is also there and in the USA where it has its bigger number of members and supporters. Clearly this is reflected in the way it functions as also in the issues that takes on. For the same reasons the groups that identify most strongly with the international are those in Europe plus War Resisters League in the USA. Through the years WRI has worked to become as its name says truly international, by adding groups and having activities with groups in other regions of the world. The best example of this effort is Latin America, where there have been several initiatives to make WRI more present and for the region to have a stronger presence in the International. In recent years, WRI has added a significant number of groups to Tanks in Quito on September 30th, 2010 the network, has employed staff Many of us have seen or heard about the From that moment on, the government’s in London coming from the events on 30 September in Ecuador, a day rhetoric changed completely. Attempts to region, has had Latin Americans where, quite simply, the world was turned on reach a consensus with the police force were on Council and the Executive, its head. Police officers burning tyres and dropped and the tone became openly and many of WRI's materials throwing stones, taking over the hospital confrontational. Immediately, uninterrupted have been translated into where the President had been allegedly governmental coverage of the situation was Spanish. So why there is still the “sequestered”. established in all media. Through this perception of distance and of not channel, the message that the President had ownership with WRI? This has to What happened that day? been sequestered at the police hospital was do with the continued domination repeated time and again. Furthermore, the of the organisation by Europe On the morning of September 30th, police broadcast openly called people to defend the and the USA, which is reflected officers and a few members of the military “Citizens’ Revolution” by making their way to in its structures and in the way of declared themselves on strike. They claim this the hospital. Evidently, this brought about working on antimilitarism and was a response to a law approved by the clashes between unarmed citizens and armed nonviolence. But in fact the National Assembly which cut a number of police forces who proceeded to attack the doors of WRI are more than their social benefits and service awards population. open for a bigger influence of usually received after a number of years in Latin America in the network. the force. That night, the government went on to The challenge is to build a WRI organize a spectacular “rescue mission” to identity for Latin America, with At this stage of the morning, the President free the president from the police hospital. It the issues that interest us, way decided to head over to the central police did not matter, apparently, that inside there of working and of relating that we headquarters, in an attempt to bring calm and were newborn children and vulnerable elderly feel comfortable with. First of all find a way out of the police and military people: both sides – police and military forces we need to strengthen the work protests. Once there, however, his words – simply proceeded to open fire, until the between antimilitarist groups in were received by protesters as a dressing President had been removed from the the region, where there is not a down and further provocation, rather than a hospital, and approximately five people were real articulation and clarity on negotiation. At its height, the address took on killed. how to work with our own melodramatic overtones, with the President diversity. pulling off his tie, ripping open his shirt and Now, what lies behind these events? In my saying “If you intend to kill the president: do it. view, what happened was another example of This seems to be a slow process I am right here.” the continuous growth of militarization and the and with quite a few holes, this control exerted by the Armed Forces over our Broken Rifle tries to fill some of The speech and its melodrama did little to countries. After all, those who ultimately these holes. This has been a appease the heated mood, adding rather, to decided to support the President and bring common effort of groups and the frustration among the police pickets. the conflict to an end were the military forces. people, to try to build this Soon, teargas bombs were shot into the As a result, only a few days later, a significant identity, by working together. building, which forced the president to take cover in the nearby police hospital. continued on page 2 Javier GÁrate Latin American and Caribbean Antimilitarist Network Antimilitarist Trends in LatinAmerica Within the global antimilitarist movement, unjust distributions of wealth on the communicate or interact with each other in Latin America has had a tradition based planet. The model of development was more or less effective ways according to on its own particular history. During a large almost exclusively based on the export of country. Not all have been present in all part of the 20th century, the region was prime resources and food to the world countries and some don't consider governed by military dictatorships. Some market, while all of this occurred in the antimilitarism to be part of their identity, of those nondemocratic regimes were middle of a very late modernisation but rather to be a strategic response that encouraged or supported by the United process compared to the so called emerges from particular circumstances. States (the majority of cases) or by the 'developed countries'. All have had in common a rejection of Soviet Union during the period known as forced recruitment and the recognition, in the Cold War. Other democratic For all of the aforementioned reasons, the practice or in law, of conscientious governments were headed up by formation of movements of an antimilitarist objection to military service. However, authoritarian leaders, known in the region profile was later and generally more hybrid opinion on the legitimacy of the armed as caudillos, who count on wide popular than in order parts of the planet. While forces is split, as is also the case with support and promote values extracted there are some local initiatives, regard to strategies for promoting social from the armed forces for the antimilitarists in Latin America are unsure change and visions of what democracy – organisations that support them. Other about writing our own history. The creation or revolution – should be. Despite all governments develop a democracy that is of a timeline would permit us to visualize these prerogatives, it seems pertinent to restricted to the oligarchic elites. Many of our evolution as a social movement, try to identify the principal sources from Final act of the World March for Peace and Noviolence the governments dedicate large portions recognising errors, limitations and whence our predecessors came. of their budgets to military expenditure, in contradictions but also successes in order contrast with the meagre investment in to reflect on and face the future. The 1. Religiously inspired antimilitarism social areas such as health and purpose of this text is much more modest. education. May Latin American countries It attempts to categorise the principal Christians, generally those aligned with were also involved in civil wars and tendencies within the Latin Americans liberation theology, evangelical groups, temporary binational confrontations antimilitarist movement. However, let's adventists and other creeds have during these years. The development and start with a warning. Like any promoted different specific initiatives that growth of the socalled 'wars of national rationalisation, this interpretation is partial reject forced recruitment in various liberation' was also important, with guerilla and is a poor reflection of reality. The countries of the region. The main organisations fighting against both proposed categories only attempt to argument against participation in the dictatorships and democratic supply an initial picture of the armed forces has been the biblical governments. From Patagonia to the phenomenon, packaging the available commandment against killing others. To south of the Rio Grande, violence was the information for quick consumption. Some counter the laws which oblige military catalysing instrument of political and initiatives that exist or have existed don't service the religious people invoke the social changes, amid one of the most easily fit within one single category. They only legitimate rule, the 'law of God'. Their Continued from page 1 society at large. It becomes necessary, Seizing this fair wind, the government has therefore, for those of us involved in increase in salaries throughout military begun a “which hunt” of sorts, targeting peace movements and antimilitarism, to personnel was instated, placing them not only police officers, but also a series of take this into account, so as to generate among the State employees with highest members of civil society. A number of strategies in our causes, and effectively income and benefits in Ecuador. After people have been accused of block the advances of militarism in our September 30th, the lowest individual masterminding September 30th, and the countries and regions. income for members of the military forces president has even announced an in Ecuador is US$780, in stark contrast investigation into NGOs and activist Today, more than ever, we must come up with the average teacher, who earns groups considered suspects in the day’s with new strategies to counteract the new roughly US$450.