Vijesti ROMI.HR

Način na koji su SAD uspostavile svoje međunarodne odnose sa drugim američkim državama temelji se na Monroevoj doktrini. Suštinu doktrine definira fraza ''Amerika Amerikancima'' koja se pripisuje Jamesu Monroeu, američkom predsjedniku iz 1823. Zapravo, Monroeva doktrina je značila kako će intervencija Evropljana u zapadnoj hemisferi biti čin agresije koji će zahtijevati reakciju SAD-a. Doktrina je nastala kao stav protiv evropskog kolonijalizma.

U praksi se ova doktrina ipak mijenjala na dosta specifičan način. SAD su podržavale Evropljane prilikom njihovih brojnih intervencija na kontinentu. Kao primjer može se navesti 1833. godinu kada su Britanci zauzeli Malvinske otoke (Falklandske otoke), španjolska dominacija nad Dominikanskom Republikom u razdoblju od 1861. do 1865., opsada argentinskih luka od strane francuskih brodova u periodu od 1838. do 1850., britanski protektorat nad Obalom komaraca (Nikaragva) između 1937. i 1849., invazija francuskih trupa u Meksiku i postavljanje Maksimilijana I za podkralja. I do dan danas u Americi postoje kolonijalna područja kojima dominiraju Europljani. Činilo se da se Monroeva doktrina više primjenjivala sukladno interesima SAD nego kao dio politike protiv kolonijalizma.

Uspjeh  kubanske revolucije 1959. i proglašenje Kube marksističko-lenjinističkom državom i saveznikom Sovjetskog Saveza, a Kuba se nalazi u blizini granica SAD, Amerikanci su shvatili kao prijetnju. Nisu mogli dopustiti proširenje utjecaja Sovjetskog Saveza na tom prostoru jer je Latinska Amerika bila ključna s obzirom na geografske i geopolitičke razloge. Operacija Kondor je bila način zaustavljanja eventualnih socijalističkih revolucija kao i način na koji se moglo izbjeći gubljenje utjecaja na ovom području.

Operacija Kondor je bila plan koji su napravile SAD kako bi koordinirale aktivnosti i uzajamnu podršku između vođa vojnih diktatorskih režima u Južnoj Americi (Čile, Argentina, Brazil, Paragvaj, Urugvaj, Bolivija, Peru, Ekvador, Kolumbija, Venezuela). Plan je pripremilo Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova SAD u vrijeme dok mu je na čelu bio Henry Kissinger. Paradoksalno, Kissinger je dobio Nobelovu nagradu za promoviranje završetka rata u Vijetnamu, iako je ova odluka bila više uzrokovana strateškim nego humanitarnim razlozima.

Operacija Kondor koja je bila pripremljena u okviru hladnoratovske strategije SAD i vođena Strategijom nacionalne sigurnosti i rezultirala je promoviranjem diktatura i državnog terorizma u svrhu suzbijanja demokratskih procesa, gerilskog ratovanja i narodnih protesta. Latinska Amerika je bio strateški prostor u kontekstu hladnog rata, jer su Sjedinjene Američke Države pokušavale na bilo koji način spriječiti da se dogodi druga Kuba. Bilo koja revolucija koja se mogla dogoditi u Latinskoj Americi, približavala je ovaj prostor Sovjetskom Savezu, i  SAD su to smatrale prijetnjom.

Provedba Operacije Kondor je podrazumevala službeno i izravno, nadzor, izviđanje, zadržavanja, ispitivanja ljudi i njihovo mučenje, premještaje zatvorenika između zemalja, silovanja, nestanke i ubojstva ljudi za koje su diktature sumnjale da potkopavaju postojeći poredak ili su smatrale da se protive njihovoj politici ili ideologiji. Nisu imali ograničenja u korišćenju nasilja ako se osoba smatrala potencijalnom prijetnjom, pri tome nije bilo važno radi li se o trudnicama, maloljetnicima ili građanima bez ikakve stvarne veze s tim "podrivačkim" pokretima.

Operacija Kondor je stvorena kao međunarodna tajna organizacija čiji rad je rezultirao državnim terorizmom, ubojstvama i nestancima velikog broja oponenata diktatorskih režima, od kojih je većina pripadala pokretima političke ljevice, peronizmu, sindikalizmu, studentskim skupinama, novinarskim i umjetničkim krugovima, teologiji oslobađanja i pokretima za zaštitu ljudskih prava.

Posebno mesto zauzima državni udar u Čileu 1973. godine. Salvador Allende pobijedio je na izborima 1970. godine kao prvi marksistički političar koji je preuzeo vlast putem demokratskih izbora. SAD su to smatrale prijetnjom, držeći da će Allende dobiti snažnu podršku Sovjetskog Saveza. Oni sebi nisu mogli dopustiti novu Kubu u Latinskoj Americi. Tako je američka vlada, predvođena Nixonom i njegovim državnim tajnikom Henryjem Kissingerom, koordinirala i financirala ovaj državni udar. U akcije koje su koordinirali ubraja se i ubojstvo generala Renéa Schneidera i "el Tanquetazo", vojna pobuna koja je prethodila prevratu izvedenom 29. lipnja 1973. godine.

Teško je odrediti broj žrtava zbog nezakonite i tajne prirode provedbe ovog plana. Međutim, zahvaljujući komisijama za istinu i suđenjima koja su organizirana nakon što su se te države obnovile demokraciju, približne procene mogu biti napravljene. Sljedeći brojke uključuju osobe o kojima postoje potvrđani podaci da su umrle ili da su nestale: Argentina 30.000; Čile 3.227; Urugvaj 174; Brazil 421; Paragvaj 500. Važno je naglasiti da ove brojke predstavljaju potvrđene ubijene žrtve i ne uključuju tisuće ljudi koji su podlegli mučenjima, bili nezakonito zatvarani ili prisiljavani napustiti svoju zemlju.

"Arhive terora" koje su otkrivene u Paragvaju kao zemlji koja je koordinirala komunikacije između policija i oružanih snaga Argentine, Brazila, Urugvaja, Čilea i Paragvaja i koje sadrže ogroman broj informacija, od metoda mučenja do špijunaže izvršene od strane obavještajnih službi, spominju 50 000 ljudi koji su ubijeni, 30 000 ljudi koji su nestali i 400 000 ljudi koji su zatvoreni.

Iz ovog užasnog iskustva možemo izvući pouke. Jedna od njih je važnost organiziranja suđenja za sve one koji su odgovorni za kršenje ljudskih prava kako bi se osigurala pravda za žrtve i njihove obitelje i kako bi se nova demokratska društva izgradila na temeljima pravde, sjećanja i mira. Ovi procesi su izuzetno potrebni da bi se društvo zaliječilo, jer nedostatak "službene" istine i kažnjavanje osoba umješanih u kršenje ljudskih prava mogu ostaviti rane koje bi mogle ponovo dovesti do sukoba.

Još jedna važna lekcija koju bismo mogli naučiti je činjenica da svojevoljno ponašanje velesila poput SAD-a prema drugim regijama svijeta u svrhu zaštite svojeg interesa i podržavanja sustavnih kršenja ljudskih prava, je opasno. Međunarodna zajednica bi trebala kažnjavati takve vrste ponašanja, bez obzira na to koliko je moćna država koja ih promovira, umjesto da dodjeljuje Nobelove nagrade njihovim ideolozima.

Military Dictatorships in Latin America

After the end of World War two, the Cold War started among the two most powerful states in the world at the time: the United States and the Soviet Union. During this conflict, these two powers had a worldwide dispute, and Latin America was no exception. The United States could not afford to have another Revolution such as the Cuban in Latin America, a region which they had historically considered their “backyard.”

The way that the United States has established its international relations with other American states is based on the Monroe Doctrine. This Doctrime could be identified with the phrase “America for the Americans”, and it was attributed to James Monroe, US President in 1823. Basically, it ment that any intervention of Europeans in America would be seen as an aggression act which would require the United States intervention. It started as a claim of the US against European colonialism.

However, in practice this doctrine has been applied in a quite particular way. They have taken the European side in many interventions that European states had over the continent. Just to mention some examples, we could take into consideration in 1833 when the British took the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands), the Spanish domination of Dominican Republic between 1861 and 1865, the blocking of Argentinian ports by French boats between 1838 and 1850, the British protectorate in the Mosquita coast (Nicaragua) between 1837 and 1849, the French troop invasion of Mexico and the imposition of Maximilian I, Viceroy of Mexico, among other. Even nowadays, there are colonial territories in America dominated by Europeans. Doctrine Monroe seems to have been applied more accordingly to United States interests than as an anti-colonialism policy.

With the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and its posterior claims to be Marxist-Leninist State and ally of the Soviet Union, the US considered to be under threat, having Soviet allies so close to its coast. They considered that they could not let Soviet Union to have any more influence in the region, as Latin America was a key region due to geographical and geopolitical reasons. Plan Condor was the way they found to stop any other possible socialist revolution, and to avoid losing influence in the region.

The Plan Condor was the plan created by the United States for coordinating actions and mutual support among the leaders of the military dictatorial regimes of South America (Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela), being the head of it the US State Department with Henry Kissinger as Secretary of State. Paradoxically, Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for promoting an end to the Vietnam war, although he might have done it for strategic reason more than humanitarian ones.

The Condor Plan was prepared within the framework of the United States strategy for the Cold War, guided by the US National Security Doctrine, the result was the promotion of dictatorships and state terrorism, in order to prevent democratic processes, the guerrilla war and citizen protests. Latin America was a strategic region in the context of the Cold War, as the United States needed to prevent another Cuba from happening by any means necessary. Any other revolution happening in Latin America, would turn the region closer to the Soviet Union, which was seen as a threat.

Implementation of the Condor Plan involved, officially and directly, the monitoring, surveillance, detention, interrogations with torture, transfers of prisoners between countries, rape and disappearance and murder of people considered by the dictatorships as subversive of the established order, or contrary to their policy or ideology. They had no limits in the use of violence if the person was considered a possible threat, it did not matter if it was a pregnant woman, a minor of age, or a citizen without any real connection to these “subversive” movements.

The Condor Plan was established as an international clandestine organization of activities which resulted with state terrorism, the murder and disappearance of an incalculable amount of opponents of those dictatorships, most of them belonging to movements of the political left, Peronism, trade unionism, student groups, journalism, the artistic field, liberation theology and human rights movements.

A particular case was the Chile coup d’état of 1973. Salvador Allende won the elections in 1970, being the first Marxist politician to have taken power democratically through elections. This was seen as a threat by the United States, considering that Allende would receive a strong influence from the Soviet Union, and they could not afford to have a new Cuba in America. So the US government, led by Nixon and its State Secretary, Henry Kissinger, coordinated and financed the coup d’état. Among the actions coordinated by them we can mention the murder of the General René Schneider and “el Tanquetazo”, a military uprising previous to the coup done the 29 of june of 1973.

The number of victims is hard to determinate due to the clandestine and illegal nature of the plan implementation. However, by a number of truth commissions and trials that were organized after these states returned to democracy some approximation can be done. The following numbers include people confirmed dead and disappearances: Argentina 30.000; Chile 3.227; Uruguay 174; Brazil 421; Paraguay 500, among others. It is important to take into consideration that these numbers represent confirmed dead victims, it does not include the thousands of people who were submitted to torture, imprisoned illegally or forced to exile.

According to the “Archives of Terror” discovered in Paraguay, which has communications between the police and armed forces of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay which contain lots of information from torture methods to espionage done by the intelligence services, mention 50,000 people that were murdered, 30,000 people disappeared and 400,000 people imprisoned.

From this horrible experience we can learn some lessons. One of them would be the importance of submitting to trial all of those who were responsible for human rights violations in order to provide justice for victims and their families, and to build the new democracies on the bases of justice, memory and peace inside societies. These processes are extremely necessary for a society to heal, as the lack of an “official” truth and of sanctions to the perpetrators of the violation of human rights can leave wounds which might escalate back to conflict.

Another important lesson or conclusion we might end up with is the fact that it is dangerous that superpowers such as the United States treat other regions of the world as they please in order to protect their interest, support systematic human rights violations. International community should punish these kinds of behaviours no matter how powerful the state promoting them is, instead of handling Nobel prizes to their ideologists.