Documentary about Negroponte: "The Ambassador" in Columbia, MD

WHAT: Film "The Ambassador" (58 minutes)

WHEN: Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 7:00-9:00 PM

WHERE: Owen Brown Community Center

                 6800 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045

This feature-length documentary film tells the story about the former ambassador to Iraq and other countries, now Director of National Intelligence (DNI), John Dimitri Negroponte.  In Iraq, he was in control of the largest US embassy in the world.  As the first-ever DNI, a position established after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he holds authority over 15 federal intelligence agencies.

"The Ambassador" tells of Mr. Negroponte's complicity in the brutal wars in Central Americain the l980s.  As ambassador to Honduras from 1981-85, he oversaw support for the contras, who Ronald Reagan called Freedom Fighters, in their war against neighboring Nicaragua

He worked closely with Honduran General Gustavo Alvarez Martinez in the formation of the infamous death squad, Battalion 3-16. Human rights organizations in the U.S.and across Central America have documented his practice of covering up state-sponsored human rights violations.

The film will give its viewers loads of new knowledge and insight, and will draw historical lines from the conflicts in Vietnam and Central America, to post-Saddam Iraq.

Andrés Thomas Conteris who assisted with the production of 'The Ambassador" in Honduras in July 2004, will lead the discussion after the film and speak about 'U.S. Sponsored Terrorism, Central America and Beyond".

Conteris is Co-Producer of 'Hidden in Plain Sight" a documentary about U.S. policy toward Latin America and the School of the Americas (www.hiddeninplainsight.org). He currently works on a film about a world-famous prison break in 1971 by the Tupamaro Movement for National Liberation and supports efforts to form a National Network in Solidarity with Uruguay
He worked as a human rights advocate in Honduras from 1994-99 and currently serves as Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of Nonviolence International (www.nvintl.net). He studies in a doctoral program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (ciis.edu/academics/pcc.html) and works with the Peace and Global Studies Alum Collective (PACE) of Earlham

College

(www.earlham.edu/%7Epags/PACE.html). Since May 2005, he has worked as an outreach organizer with Democracy Now! in Spanish  (www.democracynow.org).

For more information on the film and the producer go to: http://www.erlingborgen.com/theamb.html

Some comments on "The Ambassador":

- "Democrats - and anyone who claims to care about human rights anywhere - ought to see The Ambassador", David Corn, The Nation
- "This film is an excellent example of untraditional journalism on foreign news", The Norwegian Freelance association, giving the "Freelancer of the Year" 2005 award to Director Erling Borgen

The Nobel peace prize laureate from Guatemala, Rigoberta Menchu, says in the documentary that Negroponte should be put up for trial.
- Bishop Medardo Gomez from El Salvador says that the name Negroponte, brings terrible memories to people all over Central-America. "He brought war and terror on us", says the bishop.

This event is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by Howard County Friends of Latin America and the Howard County Coalition for Peace and Justice

For more information call Leslie at: 410-381-4899

Comments

[venkatesh bubberjung]

Mr. Erling Borgen is in india to work on his new documentary on the conditions of the stone quarry workers and gross violations of human rights of workers, their life, culture, livelihood irrevocably destroyed by sub human working conditions they are compelled into to meet the needs of the cost reduction in maintenance of the structures in OECD countries the needs are met by procurement of granite from all the third world countries at great expense of the lives of the people who have been compelled into as the governments in third world countries are supportive of such exploitation in the name of earning foreign exchange. ( which they say they need to service the loans that they have obtained from multilateral international financial isntitutions like, world bank, IFC et al. loans that are raised for 'poverty alleviation'.

i had the opportunity of meeting Mr.Erling Borgen as a resource person on legal issues relating to violations of human rights, ( i am a practicing pro-bono lawyer who works for human rights, workers rights, sexuality rights ( LGBT )more particularly poorer sections of the communities who make their living on sex work and street based ( we provide them with best legal assistance in all the proceedings, protect them from police violence and other services like couinseling without any charging any fee), rights of PLHA ( People Living with HIV/AIDS)

i stumbled upon your website while i was looking for works of Mr.Erling Borgen in google search.

it is heartening to see more people who are concerned about human rights violations.

in solidarity,

venkatesh bubberjung

[thebizofknowledge]

I stumbled across your blog while I was in the process of doing some online research. I'm so happy to hear about this one; this is definitely a story that needs to be told.