Editing School of the Americas (section)

==Connection to the CIA==
The CIA’s involvement with the SOA is well-documented, reflecting its broader Cold War strategy to counter communism in Latin America through training, intelligence, and covert operations.

Training and Curriculum Influence: The SOA’s counterinsurgency manuals, developed under Project X, drew on CIA Phoenix Program tactics, including assassination and torture, as admitted by Major Joseph Blair. A 1976 CIA report notes the agency’s role in shaping SOA curricula, with instructors like Blair citing CIA oversight. The CIA also funded SOA training, as seen in payments to Guatemalan officer Julio Roberto Alpírez ($44,000) despite his role in murders.

Operation Condor Support: The CIA supported Condor’s infrastructure, including the [[Condortel]] network and [[Crypto AG]] devices, and had close ties with Condor agencies like Chile’s DINA. A 1975 FBI search for DINA targets in the U.S. and a 1976 FBI report linking Condor to the [[Orlando Letelier]] assassination show CIA collaboration. SOA graduates, trained in CIA-influenced methods, executed these operations, with figures like DINA’s Manuel Contreras (a CIA contact until 1977) coordinating Condor.

Guatemalan Coup (1954): The CIA’s [[Operation PBSuccess]], which overthrew Guatemala’s Jacobo Arbenz, involved SOA-trained officers, as noted in Nick Cullather’s Secret History. The SOA’s role in training Guatemalan forces post-coup aligned with CIA efforts to suppress reformist movements, setting a precedent for Condor.