Quito: Saying no to foreign military bases

Longtime peace activist Al Marder of New Haven, Conn., attended the “Quito No Bases” conference. In this World interview, Marder reviews the origins of the movement and weighs in on some of the issues that engaged conference participants. In addition, he reflects on the U.S. peace movement, especially as to future directions and how it might relate to the no bases movement.

In what capacity were you attending the Quito No Bases conference?

I participated on the organizing committee as president of the U.S. Peace Council. I am a member of the secretariat of the World Peace Council, and I represented that voice also.

How did this seed grow?

The struggle against bases has been going on for quite some time. In the Philippines, they were able to get rid of U.S. bases — Clark Air Force Base and the Navy’s base at Subic Bay — in the early 1990s. Okinawa, Japan, has been a scene of constant struggles, as have other parts of Japan, where both U.S. imperatives and Japanese government complicity are factors. This is also true of South Korea.

The tempo has picked up with the realization that many bases are being used in the war against Iraq and Afghanistan.

The conference was a significant advance in global peace activities against foreign military bases, primarily U.S. bases, and against the complicity of some national governments who let them in.

The task facing the organizing committee was to put together as many of the activists from as many countries as possible to deal with each movement’s problems and attempt to bring them together. As it happened, the YMCA in Quito, Ecuador, volunteered to host the meeting and organized a coalition there to work on the project.


What sort of problems did you encounter as you organized for the conference?

When we began, we realized the possible danger of having an excess of U. S. delegates. That was because some organizations, especially in the United States, could afford to send delegates, while others, particularly those in the global South, in Africa and in other areas, could not.

The governing rule had to be solidarity on the part of the U.S. peace movement. We tried to limit the number of U.S. delegates. We have about 3,000 U.S. bases on our own soil, but no foreign bases, so we had to show our solidarity with this movement.


What happened in Quito?

The decision was made to divide the conference into two parts: the first session in Quito and the second in Manta, the site of the largest U.S. base in Latin America. After the Quito session, the delegates traveled by bus to Manta. There were demonstrations in three cities along the way. There were protests in Manta and a march to the base.

How did things turn out?

What was exciting and fortuitous is that just before the conference, the Ecuadorians elected a new president, Rafael Correa. His administration has pledged to close the Manta base. Correa said he would renew the lease on Manta only if the U.S. allowed an Ecuadorian base to be established in Miami!

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