Southern Command

The unified command of U.S. armed forces that operate in Latin America and the Caribbean, one of the nine commands that are directly linked to the top leadership of the U.S. Defense Department. Its field of operations includes 32 countries, 19 of them in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Since 1997 its general headquarters has been based in Florida. Previously, it had been based in Panama, since 1947. The landing of U.S. marines in Panama at the beginning of the 20th century is regarded as a “glorious” moment in the history of the command. The Southern Command, also known as the USSOUTHCOM, has become an emblem of American interventionism in the region and was a known ally of the military and paramilitary forces whose murders, acts of torture and disappearances over a decade have left a deep scar on Latin American peoples. In recent years, the USSOUTHCOM has been arming, training and indoctrinating national armies so that they will serve the interests of and answer to the United States. These efforts aim at minimizing the use of U.S. troops and, as such, minimizing political protest at home. Washington commands and trains Latin American armies via extensive and intensive “joint programs” and subcontracts private mercenary companies that supply specialized military personnel, all of whom are “ex”-U.S. Army officers.

Sources: www.rebelion.org www.visionesalternativas.com