More WOLA shenanigans

By Adriane Pine

I would really like to broaden my NPIC focus for two reasons: first, despite appearances, I actually don't have a personal vendetta against WOLA; and second, because the problem is structural. If WOLA ceased to exist, Latin American Working Group or the Center for International Policy would take its place. Kind of like a toe fungus. You can scrape the rot off the surface, but it's too deep inside the organism to not grow right back. I don't know where I'm going with that metaphor, exactly, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it: WOLA is like toe rot. But the fungus causing it is the U.S. Non-Profit Industrial Complex.

Two things. I mentioned the other day that WOLA is angling to recuperate its credibility with the left here in Honduras by giving some sort of prize to the Comisión de Verdad, the anti-Llorens/Lobo/Stein commission made up of the members of the Plataforma de Derechos Humanos with actual legitimate human rights credentials. BUT...trick is, at the same time WOLA is also still supporting the other Commission, the one that has shown itself time and time again to be nothing but a whitewashing tool to enable the ongoing Honduran coup government's recognition by the international community (see previous post re: Mario Canahuati's efforts in the OAS) while political disappearances, tortures and assassinations continue unabated. As the graffiti here says, "The blood of [Honduran] martyrs is not negotiable." WOLA, you can't have it both ways. I'll see to that, promise.

Another worrisome new development in Washington lobbying is the increasing consolidation of the WOLA/LAWG/CIP "State Department Lite" triumvirate with WOLA's hiring of director of programs and Latin America specialist at the Center for International Policy Adam Isacson as a senior associate on WOLA's Regional Security Policy Program, or as they call it on the announcement, WOLA's "top-notch security team." These are the people who have supported Plan Columbia and Plan Merida (or modified versions of them) out of one side of their mouth yet claim to defend human rights out of the other. As with supporting both Honduran truth commissions, these visions are incompatible and ultimately only end up legitimating the increased militarization of the hemisphere. Coming soon: Columbia, with U.S. funds, weapons and training, declares war on Venezuela, killing who knows how many civilians to maintain the State Department twisted Cold War vision of Latin America. What will the triumvirate have to say about that?

Fuente: quotha.net/node/981