Honduras RPCV Loren Hintz writes: During the 1970s and '80s, Helms supported right-wing dictators and leaders such as Pinochet in Chile, D'Aubuisson in El Salvador, the contras in Nicaragua, the generals in Argentina, Rios Montt in Guatemala and Alvarez in Honduras



Honduras was lucky in that the number of victims was "only" in the scores. Helms praised right-wing leaders for "fighting communism" but so many of the victims were students, union or church leaders and farmers just trying to make their countries a better place to live. How many lives would have been saved if Helms would have supported other members in Congress who were trying to protect human rights in Latin America?

Honduras RPCV Loren Hintz writes: During the 1970s and '80s, Helms supported right-wing dictators and leaders such as Pinochet in Chile, D'Aubuisson in El Salvador, the contras in Nicaragua, the generals in Argentina, Rios Montt in Guatemala and Alvarez in Honduras

Victims of the right

A July 5 article on former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms showed him in 1981 with a Honduran newspaper published while I was there as a Peace Corps volunteer. During the 1970s and '80s, Helms supported right-wing dictators and leaders such as Pinochet in Chile, D'Aubuisson in El Salvador, the contras in Nicaragua, the generals in Argentina, Rios Montt in Guatemala and Alvarez in Honduras. Few seem to remember the innocent civilians killed by right-wing death squads in these nations.

Honduras was lucky in that the number of victims was "only" in the scores. Helms praised right-wing leaders for "fighting communism" but so many of the victims were students, union or church leaders and farmers just trying to make their countries a better place to live. How many lives would have been saved if Helms would have supported other members in Congress who were trying to protect human rights in Latin America?

Since my Peace Corps days I've returned to Central America. So much of their suffering today is due to our foreign policies of the past. Numerous post-conflict Truth and Reconciliation Commissions have documented the atrocities committed by right-wing governments and groups supported by "conservative" U.S. leaders. We must not forget.

Loren Hintz

Chapel Hill

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