Wushing L.S.

Hunds oI the irty

Wurs: News Coveruge Iruses
Wushington's Role in Stute Terror

By KEVN YOUNG

NORMATON CEARNG HOUSE - z JUY, zo1
RecenLIy LIe uLIn AmerIcun dIrLy wurs oI LIe 1q6os LIrougI 1q8os Iuve resurIuced
In muInsLreum medIu dIscussIon. One reuson Is LIe LrIuIs In ArgenLInu, CIIIe,
GuuLemuIu, HuILI, Peru, und Uruguuy uguInsL some oI LIe IuLe LwenLIeLI cenLury`s mosL
vIcIous crImInuIs, wIo ure coIIecLIveIy responsIbIe Ior LIe murders oI Iundreds oI
LIousunds oI poIILIcuI dIssIdenLs und LIeIr suspecLed sympuLIIzers. Some oI LIe
IIgIesL-proIIIe deIendunLs ure GuuLemuIun dIcLuLor GeneruI EIruin Rios MonLL (1q8z-
8), HuILIun dIcLuLor Jeun-CIuude DuvuIIer (1q;1-86), und vurIous oIIIcIuIs Irom
ArgenLInu`s mIIILury dIcLuLorsIIp (1q;6-8). Dozens oI Iormer ArgenLIne mIIILury
oIIIcIuIs Iuve been convIcLed sInce zoo8, wIIIe prosecuLIons uguInsL Rios MonLL und
oLIer GuuLemuIun oIIIcIuIs und HuILI`s DuvuIIer Iuve been uLLempLed sInce zo11.

DespILe dedIcuLIng subsLunLIuI coveruge Lo LIese evenLs, U.S. news ouLIeLs Iuve usuuIIy
Ignored LIe roIe oI LIe U.S. governmenL In supporLIng LIese murderous rIgIL-wIng
regImes LIrougI mIIILury uId und dIpIomuLIc supporL. TIIs puLLern uIso uppIIes Lo press
coveruge oI currenL U.S.-bucked dIrLy wurs, In Hondurus und eIsewIere.
TIe documenLury record Ieuves no doubL ubouL U.S. supporL Ior sLuLe Lerror In uLIn
AmerIcu`s dIrLy wurs.
1
AILIougI IIsLorIuns debuLe wIeLIer U.S. supporL wus decIsIve In
purLIcuIur cuses, uII serIous scIoIurs ugree LIuL WusIIngLon pIuyed uL IeusL un ImporLunL
enubIIng roIe. ArgenLInu, GuuLemuIu, und HuILI ure good exumpIes.
ArgenLInu`s mIIILury regIme murdered, LorLured, und ruped Lens oI LIousunds oI peopIe,
muInIy IeILIsLs, wIo crILIcIzed governmenL poIIcy. DurIng LIe IeIgIL oI LIe repressIon,
LIe U.S. governmenL guve LIe junLu over $ mIIIIon In mIIILury uId und soId IL unoLIer
$q mIIIIon In mIIILury suppIIes. L wus weII uwure oI LIe sLuLe Lerror IL wus supporLIng.
TIree monLIs uILer LIe 1q;6 coup, U.S. SecreLury oI SLuLe Henry KIssInger prIvuLeIy
LoId ArgenLIne oreIgn MInIsLer Csur GuzzeLLI LIuL, we Iuve IoIIowed evenLs In
ArgenLInu cIoseIy und wIsI LIe new governmenL weII. We wIsI IL wIII succeed . . . I
LIere ure LIIngs LIuL Iuve Lo be done, you sIouId do LIem quIckIy.
z

n GuuLemuIu, uround zoo,ooo peopIe were sIuugILered by LIe U.S.-bucked mIIILury
regImes LIuL IoIIowed LIe 1qq CA-sponsored coup uguInsL eIecLed PresIdenL Jucobo
Arbenz. TIe IeIgIL oI sLuLe vIoIence wus LIe genocIduI scorcIed eurLI cumpuIgn oI LIe
eurIy 1q8os, currIed ouL-IurgeIy wILI U.S. weupons-by GeneruI Rios MonLL und IIs
predecessor Romeo ucus Gurciu. TIe cumpuIgn specIIIcuIIy LurgeLed IndIgenous
Muyuns, wIo were deemed IIkeIy Lo sympuLIIze wILI LIe counLry`s IeILIsL guerrIIIus. n
December 1q8z, despILe IIs udmInIsLruLIon`s prIvuLe recognILIon oI LIe mIIILury`s Iurge-
scuIe kIIIIng oI ndIun men, women, und cIIIdren, Reugun vIsILed GuuLemuIu und
pubIIcIy decIured LIuL Rios MonLL wus geLLIng u bum rup und wus LoLuIIy dedIcuLed Lo
democrucy. TIe nexL duy LIe GuuLemuIun urmy IuuncIed ILs worsL sIngIe mussucre oI
LIe decude, kIIIIng neurIy zoo men, women, und cIIIdren In LIe vIIIuge oI us Dos
Erres. U.S. mIIILury uId conLInued LIereuILer, LIougI oILen secreLIy.

Rios MonLL IImseII

IuLer noLed LIe ImporLunce oI U.S. mIIILury und dIpIomuLIc supporL, LeIIIng u journuIIsL
LIuL, Ie sIouId be LrIed onIy II AmerIcuns, IncIudIng RonuId Reugun, were LrIed Loo.
(On Muy 1o Rios MonLL wus convIcLed oI genocIde und crImes uguInsL IumunILy, buL
LIe convIcLIon wus unnuIIed by LIe counLry`s ConsLILuLIonuI CourL uILer InLense
IobbyIng by busIness und mIIILury eIILes. n AprII, Iormer urmy oIIIcer und currenL
GuuLemuIun PresIdenL OLLo Prez MoIInu Iud LrIed Lo sIuL LIe LrIuI down Ior Ieur LIuL
wILnesses wouId ImpIIcuLe IIm In cIvIIIun mussucres; one Iud uIreudy done so.)
q

TurnIng Lo LIe CurIbbeun, HuILI`s Jeun-CIuude DuvuIIer Is no Iess noLorIous Ior IIs
bruLuIILy. He und IIs IuLIer, runoIs, murdered und LorLured Lens oI LIousunds oI
HuILIuns. YeL Ior LIree decudes LIe DuvuIIer dynusLy enjoyed sLrong U.S. supporL,
IncIudIng mIIILury LruInIng und LIe suIe oI mIIIIons oI doIIurs In weupons und mIIILury
uIrcruIL. TIe dIcLuLorsIIp wus u dependubIe, good IrIend oI LIe U.S. uccordIng Lo u
U.S. Embussy oIIIcIuI In 1q;.

U.S. supporL wus onIy wILIdruwn wIen u popuIur

uprIsIng wus on LIe verge oI ousLIng Jeun-CIuude In 1q86.
ArgenLInu, GuuLemuIu, und HuILI ure jusL LIree exumpIes oI U.S. supporL Ior repressIon.
PoIILIcuI scIenLIsL urs ScIouILz Ius quunLIIIed LIe reIuLIonsIIp beLween U.S. uId und
repressIon by uLIn AmerIcun governmenLs Ior LIe yeurs 1q;-;;, IIndIng u cIeur
puLLern: TIe correIuLIons beLween LIe ubsoIuLe IeveI oI U.S. ussIsLunce Lo uLIn
AmerIcu und Iumun rIgILs vIoIuLIons by recIpIenL governmenLs were unIIormIy
posILIve, IndIcuLIng LIuL uId Ius Lended Lo IIow dIsproporLIonuLeIy Lo uLIn AmerIcun
governmenLs wIIcI LorLure LIeIr cILIzens.
6
TIe IogIc Is noL u mysLery: WusIIngLon Ius
uIwuys preIerred U.S.-IrIendIy oIIgurcIs und murderers wIen Iuced wILI LIe LIreuLs oI
subsLunLIve democrucy, economIc redIsLrIbuLIon, und IndependenL nuLIonuIIsm.
YeL LIe documenLury record und scIoIurIy consensus ure noL reIIecLed In U.S. press
coveruge. As LIe LubIe beIow sIows, even LIe nuLIon`s IeudIng IIberuI medIu uImosL
never ucknowIedge U.S. supporL Ior LIe dIcLuLorsIIps In ArgenLInu, GuuLemuIu, und
HuILI. OnIy 1 LImes over LIe pusL IIve yeurs dId uny uIIusIon Lo LIuL supporL uppeur In
coveruge by The Neu Yorl Times, Wcshinton Post, und NuLIonuI PubIIc RudIo (NPR),
despILe zzz LoLuI news und opInIon pIeces LIuL menLIoned Iormer dIcLuLorsIIp oIIIcIuIs
In LIose counLrIes. n oLIer words, LIese medIu ouLIeLs onIy ucknowIedged U.S. supporL
6% oI LIe LIme.
RecenLIy LIe U.S. press Ius sLrongIy condemned LIe ArgenLIne, GuuLemuIun, und
HuILIun dIcLuLorsIIps, decryIng, Ior InsLunce, DuvuIIer`s squuIId Iegucy oI
dIsuppeurunce, LorLure und murder und InLervIewIng ArgenLIne LorLure vIcLIms und
cIIIdren sLoIen Irom LIeIr purenLs uL bIrLI by LIe mIIILury.
8
TIe probIem Is LIuL LIe
perpeLruLors uppeur sImpIy us bruLuI crImInuIs In Iur-oII Iunds, wILI no connecLIon
wIuLsoever Lo LIe UnILed SLuLes.

Coveruge LIuL does menLIon LIe U.S. roIe oILen cusLs LIe UnILed SLuLes us un udvocuLe
Ior democrucy und Iumun rIgILs. One zo11 reporL on DuvuIIer suys onIy LIuL LIe UnILed
SLuLes IeIped urrunge Ior IIs depurLure Irom HuILI In 1q86. A zo1z reporL on cIurges
uguInsL EIruin Rios MonLL suys LIuL WusIIngLon Ius demunded LIuL GuuLemuIu
prosecuLe Iumun rIgILs vIoIuLIons us u condILIon Ior receIvIng mIIILury uId, wIIIe
suyIng noLIIng oI pusL U.S. supporL Ior LIe mun on LrIuI or LIe IucL LIuL LIe currenL
GuuLemuIun presIdenL, u U.S. uIIy, Ius uIso been ImpIIcuLed In cIvIIIun mussucres durIng
LIe counLry`s cIvII wur.
q

Press coveruge oI currenL U.S.-bucked repressIon IoIIows u sImIIur buL noL IdenLIcuI
Lrend. TIe dIIIerence Is LIuL news ouLIeLs ure Iess crILIcuI oI currenL U.S.-bucked Lerror
LIun LIey ure oI pusL U.S.-bucked Lerror. n LIe rure occusIons wIen LIey do presenL
currenL U.S.-bucked regImes In u neguLIve IIgIL, LIey usuuIIy IoIIow LIe IumIIIur puLLern
oI negIecLIng WusIIngLon`s roIe In enubIIng LIese regImes.
Hondurus Is one exumpIe. SInce LIe June zooq mIIILury coup uguInsL PresIdenL MunueI
ZeIuyu, LIe governmenLs oI RoberLo MIcIeIeLLI und PorIIrIo obo Iuve presIded over u
nIgILmurIsI cycIe oI vIoIence uguInsL workers, peusunLs, GBT peopIe, journuIIsLs, und
Iumun rIgILs deIenders, InvoIvIng Iundreds oI poIILIcuI murders und sysLemuLIc
ImpunILy.
1o
DespILe ILs IuII-IeurLed InILIuI crILIcIsms oI LIe coup (wIIcI LIe U.S.
umbussudor uL LIe LIme prIvuLeIy noLed Lo be u puLenLIy IIIeguI ucL), LIe Obumu
udmInIsLruLIon soon sIgnuIed ILs LucIL supporL Ior LIe MIcIeIeLLI regIme und IeIped
IegILImIze LIe November zooq eIecLIon oI obo umIdsL mussIve governmenL
InLImIduLIon und repressIon.
11
L Ius Increused mIIILury uId Lo Hondurus sInce LIe coup,
gIvIng IL Lens oI mIIIIons oI doIIurs u yeur In mIIILury uId und suIes conLrucLs.
1z
L uIso
uppeurs Lo Iuve IIed ubouL ILs uId Lo LIe Hondurun nuLIonuI poIIce cIIeI Lo cIrcumvenL
resLrIcLIons on uId Lo gross Iumun rIgILs vIoIuLors.
1

U.S. press ouLIeLs Iuve usuuIIy Ignored LIese IucLs. TIey Iuve oILen ImpIIed LIuL LIe
coup wus jusLIIIed becuuse oI ZeIuyu`s uIIeged provocuLIons. TIe vIcLIms oI sLuLe
vIoIence Iuve receIved onIy u smuII IrucLIon oI LIe uLLenLIon gIven Lo LIe vIcLIms oI LIe
runIun governmenL und oLIer regImes LIuL WusIIngLon desIgnuLes us udversurIes.
1q

WIen U.S. medIu do reporL on LIe repressIon In Hondurus, LIey downpIuy LIe Obumu
udmInIsLruLIon`s supporL Ior IL. TIe UnILed SLuLes Is porLruyed us un eurnesL udvocuLe oI
democrucy. Coveruge oILen sLresses LIe wrungIIng beLween LIe UnILed SLuLes und LIe
coup Ieuders und cIurucLerIzes LIe Obumu udmInIsLruLIon us IeudIng LIe supporL Ior
LIe democruLIc opLIon.
1
OnIy LwIce sInce LIe June zooq coup Iuve The Neu Yorl
Times, Wcshinton Post, und NPR menLIoned LIe U.S. roIe In LruInIng GeneruI Romeo
Vusquez und oLIer coup Ieuders uL LIe InIumous ScIooI oI LIe AmerIcus In GeorgIu. (n
LIe IIve-yeur perIod sumpIed ubove, LIe reporLers, edILors, und coIumnIsLs uL LIese
LIree ouLIeLs Iuve never menLIoned LIe U.S. LruInIng oI EIruin Rios MonLL und oLIer
crImInuIs IucIng LrIuI In ArgenLInu und GuuLemuIu.)
Coveruge oI Hondurus IIIusLruLes Iow wIuL Edwurd Hermun und Noum CIomsky cuII
LIe propccndc model: LIe crImes oI U.S. uIIIes ure Ignored, und vIoIence und suIIerIng
merIL uLLenLIon onIy wIen U.S. enemIes cun be bIumed (or wIen LIe crImes ure suIeIy In
LIe pusL und LIe record oI U.S. supporL Ior LIem cun be IorgoLLen). RecenL coveruge oI
CoIombIu, MexIco, und muny oLIer counLrIes conIorms Lo LIIs puLLern.
16
Even wIen LIe
press does ucknowIedge repressIon by U.S. uIIIes, IL usuuIIy omILs LIe U.S. governmenL`s
roIe or presenLs IL us u Iorce Ior democrucy und Iumun rIgILs.
TIe U.S. roIe In LIe worId sIouId be LIe IoremosL Iocus oI U.S. cILIzens In dIscussIons oI
gIobuI uIIuIrs, buL IL Is seIdom descrIbed IonesLIy In LIe press. MosL oI LIe pubIIc Iuvors
u IoreIgn poIIcy bused on InLernuLIonuI Iuw und unIversuI Iumun rIgILs buL Ius IILLIe
knowIedge oI wIuL LIe governmenL und U.S. corporuLIons do overseus. I LIe pubIIc
knew, IL wouId be more dIIIIcuIL Ior U.S. eIILes und LIeIr uIIIes Lo conLInue vIoIuLIng
Iumun rIgILs ubroud. MuInsLreum press coveruge sysLemuLIcuIIy IuIIs Lo provIde LIe
mosL busIc InIormuLIon ubouL IIsLory und currenL poIILIcuI reuIILIes, IIgIIIgILIng LIe
ImporLunce oI uILernuLIve medIu noL reIIunL on corporuLIons or LIe sLuLe.
NOTIS
1. See Ior InsLunce MIcIueI T. KIure und CynLIIu Arnson, Supplin Repression: U.S.
Support jor Authoritcricn Reimes Abrocd, (nsLILuLe Ior PoIIcy SLudIes, 1q81);
MIcIueI McCIInLock, Instruments oj Stctecrcjt: U.S. Guerrillc Wcrjcre,
Counterinsurenc cnd Counter-Terrorism, :p(o-:ppo (PunLIeon, 1qqz); Greg
GrundIn, Empire's Worlshop: Lctin Americc, the United Stctes cnd the Rise oj the
Neu Impericlism (MeLropoIILun, zoo6). or eurIIer precedenLs see DuvId .
ScImILz, Thcnl God The're on Dur Side: The United Stctes cnd Riht-Win
Dictctorships, :pz:-:p (UNC Press, 1qqq).
z. KIure und Arnson, Supplin Repression, : DepurLmenL oI DeIense (DoD), Iorein
Militcr Scles, Iorein Militcr Construction Scles cnd Militcr Assistcnce
Iccts (DSAA, 1q8q) 1z-1, qz; Memo oI ConversuLIon, June 6, 1q;6, pp. ,
q,ILLp:JJwww.gwu.eduJ-nsurcIIvJNSAEBBJNSAEBB1 (uccessed qJJ1).
. AdmInIsLruLIon sources quoLed In GrundIn, Empire's Worlshop 1oq-1o; Reugun
quoLed In SLeven R. WeIsmun, Reugun Denounces TIreuLs Lo Peuce In uLIn
AmerIcu, Neu Yorl Times, December , 1q8z. On mIIILury uIdJsuIes see DepurLmenL oI
DeIense, Iorein Militcr Scles, 1q-1; AIIun NuIrn, TIe GuuLemuIu ConnecLIon, The
Proressite, (Muy 1q86): zo-zz.
q. Rios MonLL purupIrused In AIIun NuIrn, C..A. DeuLI Squud, The Nction (AprII 1;,
1qq): 1. On Prez MoIInu`s InLervenLIon see NuIrn`s InLervIew on Democrcc
Noul AprII 1q, zo1.
. QuoLed In KIm ves, WIkIIeuks ExIumed CubIes ReveuI: How LIe U.S. Resumed
MIIILury AId Lo DuvuIIer, Hciti Liberte (AprII 1o-16, zo1): q.
6. ScIouILz, U.S. oreIgn PoIIcy und Humun RIgILs VIoIuLIons In uLIn AmerIcu: A
CompuruLIve AnuIysIs oI oreIgn AId DIsLrIbuLIons, Compcrctite Politics 1, no. z
(1q81): 1.
;. Bused on exIsNexIs duLubuse seurcIes Ior und urLIcIes (prInL or onIIne) und seurcIes
on www.npr.org Ior rudIo broudcusLs menLIonIng Iormer ArgenLIne oIIIcIuIs Jorge
VIdeIu, EmIIIo Musseru, ReynuIdo BIgnone, AIIredo AsLIz, JuIIo PocI, undJor ucIuno
Menndez; GuuLemuIuns EIruin Rios MonLL, MuurIcIo Rodriguez, Oscur Mejiu, HcLor
pez, Jorge Sosu, Pedro PImenLeI, undJor GIIberLo Jordun; und HuILIun Jeun-CIuude
DuvuIIer. reud eucI pIece LIuL conLuIned one or more oI LIese numes Lo see II IL
menLIoned U.S. supporL; LIe LuIIy oI LIIrLeen Is generous, IncIudIng even ImpIIcIL
uIIusIons Lo U.S. supporL.
8. TIe usL TIIng HuILI Needs, Neu Yorl Times edILorIuI, Junuury zo, zo11; Juun
orero, A CIIId oI LIe 'DIsuppeured` Inds HImseII, Wcshinton Post, ebruury 11,
zo1o.
q. RunduI C. ArcIIboId, Ex-HuILIun DIcLuLor`s ReLurn TIreuLens Lo Add Lo
TurmoII, Neu Yorl Times, Junuury 1;, zo11; EIIsubeLI MuIkIn, Accused oI ALrocILIes,
GuuLemuIu`s Ex-DIcLuLor CIooses SIIence, Neu Yorl Times, Junuury z;, zo1z.
1o. CenLer Ior ConsLILuLIonuI RIgILsJnLernuLIonuI ederuLIon Ior Humun
RIgILs, Impunit in Hondurcs jor Crimes Acinst Humcnit betueen z8 1une zoop
cnd : Dctober zo:z (November zo1z); RIgILs AcLIon, Humcn Rihts Violctions
Attributed to Militcr Iorces in the cjo Aucn Vclle in Hondurcs (ebruury zo,
zo1).
11. Ambussudor Hugo Iorens Lo SLuLe DepurLmenL und oLIer recIpIenLs, JuIy zq,
zooq, ILLp:JJwww.nyLImes.comcubIes-oqTEGUCGAPA6q.
1z. Dunu runk, Hondurus: WIIcI SIde Are We On? The Nction (June 11, zo1z): 11-
1;; Dunu runk, Memo Lo SecreLury Kerry: SLop undIng LIe Bud Guys In
Hondurus, Los Aneles Times, ebruury 1z, zo1. See uIso LIe duLubuse
uL www.jusLI.org.
1. AIberLo Arce und KuLIerIne Corcorun, US AIds Hondurun PoIIce despILe DeuLI
Squud eurs, AP, MurcI z, zo1.
1q. MIcIueI Corcorun, A TuIe oI Two EIecLIons: run und Hondurus, NACLA Report
on the Americcs, q, no. 1 (zo1o): q6-q8; KevIn Young, Hondurus, run, und LIe
Propugundu ModeI, ZNet, JuIy , zo1o; Keune BIuLL, The Neu Yorl Times on
VenezueIu und Hondurus: A Cuse oI JournuIIsLIc MIsconducL, NACLA Report on the
Americcs q6, no. 1 (zo1): 6;-6q.
1. Murk undIer, CIInLon Asks LIe O.A.S. Lo ReudmIL Hondurus, Neu Yorl Times,
June 8, zo1o; Hondurus`s DemocruLIc SoIuLIon, Wcshinton Post edILorIuI,
November z8, zooq.
16. Hermun und CIomsky, Mcnujccturin Consent: The Politiccl Econom oj the
Mcss Medic, second ed. (PunLIeon, zooz); KevIn Young, CoIombIu und VenezueIu:
TesLIng LIe Propugundu ModeI, NACLA Report on the Americcs q1, no. 6 (zoo8): o-
z; Andrew KennIs, TIe MedIu Dependence ModeI: An AnuIysIs oI LIe PerIormunce
und SLrucLure oI U.S. und GIobuI News, (PI.D. dIss., UnIversILy oI IIInoIs, zo1o).
Ketin Youn is c PhD ccndidcte in histor ct SUNY Ston rool. His uritin is
ctcilcble ct loun:p8(.uordpress.com.
Recd the rest oj NACLA's Summer zo: issue: "Chctismo Ajter Chctez: Whct Wcs
Crected? Whct Remcins?"
This crticle ucs oriincll published ct NACLA