Hidden in Plain Sight

In 1946, the School of the Americas (SOA) was founded in Panama. Here, South American soldiers are trained according to the principles of the United States. Officially, the institute is set up to put a stop to dictatorships and coups and to prevent that countries would turn communist. Supporters claim it as a feat that today, with the exception of Cuba, all countries have actually become democratic. In Latin America, however, the school is called ‘the school for dictators and murderers’. The school so far produced twelve dictators, including Panama’s Manuel Noriega. Among notorious violators of human rights, there are many former SOA students. Resistance forces the school to move to the US state of Georgia. But the opposition does not end here. America does not act out of humanistic, but out of economic considerations, various speakers make clear. The filmmakers not only introduce the critics and fierce opponents of SOA – whose conviction they clearly share -, but also speak with the leading advocates and representatives of the institute. Confrontational images of dead and wounded people support the indictment and contradict the champions’ statements. Once again, it is demonstrated that the country that declared war on terrorism is not really unblemished itself.