Lesley Gill promotes new book
AU professor Lesley Gill has written a book about the controversial Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly the School of the Americas. Gill's book, "School of the Americas: Military and Political Violence in the Americas," speaks about the school, the primary purpose of which is to train Latin American soldiers in American techniques. According to Deborah Horwitz, Gill's publicist, some of the practices of the school include lessons in torture and murder.
When doing research for her book, Gill, who is a professor of anthropology, spent time interviewing officers and directors as well as soldiers, said Horwitz.
"Professor Gill also attended classes and had access to the school's curriculum," she said.
Citizens of Colombia, Honduras, and Bolivia who were affected by the school were also interviewed.
The school has been known to be active in the war on drugs, according to Horwitz. Past graduates have also included dictators. Every year, thousands of people protest the school's practices.
The school's Web site defines the WHINSEC as "the U.S. Army's principal Spanish-language training facility for Latin American military personnel. It is the successor to the School of the Americas (SOA), a facility established in 1946 and legally closed in 2001. The WHINSEC is located in the same building, and offers many of the same courses, as the school it replaces."
Gill will be hosting a book launch open to the public on Sept. 27.
