Latin America Solidarity Coalition

Read the draft Call to Action below and sign on your organization below to become an initial sponsor of the Day of Action to Confront U.S. Militarism in the Americas on Monday, October 11, 2010. The call to action with the signatures of the initial sponsors will be released on August 1. Continue Reading »

from the Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC)

We have seen US policy tilt more and more toward military options in its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean and the world. Support for the Honduras coup, the military response to Haiti’s earthquake, seven new bases in Colombia and four in Panama, continued restoration of the mothballed Fourth Fleet, all provide support for statements heard at the SOA Watch vigil in November 2009 that “Obama’s policies are more dangerous for Latin America than were Bush’s.” At the same time, the US government continues to prefer military solutions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and continues to escalate tensions with Iran, Venezuela and other countries which assert independence from US hegemony.

In the United States we are witnessing the militarization of our borders and law enforcement in our cities — aimed at immigrants, Muslims, and, as always, African-descended people. Desperately needed social programs such as health care and education are being short-changed while the Pentagon budget continues to grow beyond any rational need for defense. Continue Reading »

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition’s Peoples Movement Assembly! More info here

Event Date: Wed, 06/23/2010 – 1:00pm – 5:30pm

Event Location: Cobo Hall: D3-19

The greatest threat to world peace in the 21st century is US militarism. Wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan. Threats of war from Asia, Africa to Latin America. Increased military build-up in Latin America with 7 new bases in Colombia and the recommisioned Fourth Fleet patrolling the Caribbean and South America. Training foreign soldiers in schools such as the School of the Americas. The Pentagon consumes half of the US discretionary budget and equals the military spending of the rest of the world combined. The Pentagon is now one of the top polluters in the world.

Discuss building an unstoppable US movement against militarism and militarization at home and interference abroad. Bring your strategy and campaign ideas to this open discussion about how to build a permanent anti-militarism movement that transcends “specific war” anti-war movements. Discuss the military, political, and cultural changes that need to take place to end the dominance of the military-industrial complex in the United States.

submittted by Latin America Solidarity Coalition www.lasolidarity.org

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition would like to invite you to participate in the US Social Forum scheduled for June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit. We also invite you to collaborate with the LASC and other solidarity and Latin America focused organizations at the Social Forum.

General Space

The Latin America Solidarity Coalition is grateful to the 1^st Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit for providing us with a center for LASC organizing at the US Social Forum, June 22-26, 2010. The church is at 4605 Cass Avenue, a 13 min. bus ride or 45 min. walk from Cobo Hall where the main social forum activities will take place.

The church is available to LASC member groups for basic housing, storage of materials, meetings, and social activities. The Alliance for Global Justice will coordinate space usage. Send inquiries to Chuck@AFGJ.org.

Housing

Housing is limited and will be awarded first come first served to members of LASC affiliated groups. The cost will be $5/person/night and will include coffee in the morning and perhaps simple fare such as donuts and bagels although we encourage people to spend their money while in Detroit in support of local businesses. Where possible we will carpool from the church to Cobo Hall. Send your reservation now to Chuck@AFGJ.org including what nights you wish sleeping bag style accommodations and which LASC group you are affiliated with. (The LASC has a voluntary, dues structure: $50 if budget under $200K, $100 between $200-$500K, $150 over $500K)

Networking

Rooms of varying size are available at the church for LASC member groups to have internal or networking meetings. Large rooms are also available for public events. Continue Reading »

The last joined other organizations in signing onto this letter to Members of Congress:

During her trip to Latin America earlier this month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that she had sent members of Congress a letter informing them that the administration would be restoring aid to Honduras.   “The Honduras crisis has been managed to a successful conclusion” and “without violence”, she told reporters accompanying her on her trip.

Secretary Clinton also stated that the government of Porfirio Lobo had “moved quickly to implement many of the recommendations that (…) were incorporated into the [Oct. 30] Tegucigalpa accord”, including “a truth commission that will be set up.”

In order to put these statements into perspective, we would like to share with you a few short but important recent documents published by respected international and Honduran human rights organizations.  They present a picture of recent developments in Honduras that contrasts sharply with Secretary Clinton’s characterizations, and also raise important issues surrounding the current proposal for a “truth commission”.

·        Although Secretary Clinton declared that the Honduras crisis has been “without violence”, the unfortunate reality is that violent attacks directed at groups and individuals opposed to the coup d’état have been a regular occurrence since the June 28th coup and continue to this day. Continue Reading »