Camilo Mejia served as an infantryman from 1995 until 1998 then continued his contract as a reservist in the Florida National Guard. This contract was to end in May 2003. Despite the initial offers made to him by the army recruiting team, Camilo worked from 1998 until 2001 as a Security Guard to pay for the cost of his college studies. In December 2002 Camilo was enrolled in the University of Miami and was one semester away from finishing his BA in Psychology.
While serving in Iraq in mid 2003, Mejia had been assigned to the Al Asad detention center where he witnessed Iraqi detainees being systematically tortured and abused by US troops under the direction of American civilian contract employees. According to the NY Times (March 26, 2005) the Army has decided, despite investigators' recommendations, not to prosecute anyone for the killing of an Iraqi lieutenant colonel who died from "blunt force injuries and asphyxia" at the Al Asad base in January 2004.
A second basis for reversal of Mejia's conviction is the trial judge's refusal to dismiss the prosecution because of an bilateral treaty between the U.S. and Costa Rica which bars either country from forcing the citizens of the other into "involuntary military service." Since Mejia is a citizen of Costa Rica, he could not be kept involuntarily on active duty past his April 2003 discharge date (the "stop loss program") under the terms of this treaty. International law expert professor Jules Lubel testified that GIs protected by these treaties have been set free by court rulings in the past.
Update: Camilo is now the Head of Iraq Veterans Against the War
For more information see
Free Camilo or
Citizen Soldier
Published below is Simon Fitzgerald 's interview with Camilo
Simon: Your decision not to return to Iraq was in some ways very courageous. what motivated or inspired you to make such a strong protest action?
Camilo: In part it was my political opposition to the war, meaning the whole issue with WMD, chemical stockpiles, etc., it seemed the US government was fabricating a war to take Iraq's oil. But it was mostly my firsthand experience in the war, as an infantryman. I saw that wars are fought and won by killing the innocent, the civilians, by destroying the infrastructure in order to break the enemy's morale and take away the support from their people. This isn't exclusive to the war in Iraq, but true of every war, it is the nature of war. Of course the answer could go on and on, but basically those were the two main reasons that made it impossible to participate in this or any other war.
Simon: Have you seen how your actions have been received by the Latino communities in the U.S.? How is their reaction different from other communities?
Camilo: I have mostly spoken to Anglo audiences, and their response has been perhaps too good. My experience with Latino audiences has been limited to radio interviews, and the response has been really good as well, except for a few people who know of my family's background. I come from a family with a very high profile in the Sandinista revolution, both during the insurgency and after the triumph, and some people try to connect the two in order to accuse the Sandinistas of manipulating me (which is absurd), and to dismiss my views as communist, even though the Sandinistas were NOT communists, and neither am I. But the Latin response has mostly been good.
Simon: Do you like to read? If so, what do you read/what inspires you? What is your favorite book, story or song?
Camilo: Right now I'm reading a book named "The Sorrows of Empire" by Chalmers Johnson, and I read the newspapers a lot, so I guess you can say I'm into reading politics (although I seem to have no time to read lately). But I also like to read literature and philosophy. My favorite authors include Sabato, Kundera, and Kafka. I haven't read nearly as much philosophy, but one of my favorites is Sartre, so I guess you may call me an existentialist. I don't have absolute favorites, but some of my favorite musicians include Sarah ?McLachlan, The Cranberries, U2, Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, and others. I also like some Latin musicians, like Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes, Mecano, and Simone, and some songs by my father.
Simon: Is there any other literature, music or other cultural expression that has influenced your thoughts about war and peace
Camilo: Not really. Most of my reading took place before the war, but it wasn't until I experienced combat that I became a conscientious objector.
Simon: How has the life, work and experiences of your father (or your mother) inspired or influenced you?
Camilo: My parents have always supported my decisions, even when they disagreed with them. Having grown up in the heart of a social justice movement, and with two parents who were deeply involved in the entire process, kind of made me reject everything about it. I guess I lived under a pretty heavy shadow for many years, and being the son of two Sandinista revolutionaries created expectations about my future, as a politician, or a left-wing artist, or some other product of my parents and the Nicaraguan revolution. Instead, I turned completely the other way and joined the US army (surprise!). But I guess the rebel in me never left, but was simply asleep and waiting for the right time to wake up and rise. The war in Iraq did that. As far as personal influence is concerned, I say that my mother (without a doubt) was the one who always taught me to question authority and to find within me the answer to every moral question, and to make my own decisions, even if they were unpopular ones.
Simon: Have you ever read any Viet Nam-inspired Chicano or Nuyorican literature (for example "Soldado Razo" by Luis Valdez or "Viet Nam" by Archie Menendez)? More specifically, there is quite a bit in the literature of Chicanos, especially from California, about openly defying the draft during the Vietnam war or criticising the role of military recruiters in the Chicano community. Have you ever been exposed to this literature?
Camilo: No, I can't say that I have.
Simon: How do you feel about military recruiters in the Latino community?
Camilo: I think it's all part of a socioeconomic draft, but it goes beyond race and culture. The main point of recruiting is lack of options, and this is something that opens the door to other communities, like Blacks, Asians, and poor white kids. Recruiters show up at schools with pizza, video games, and invitations to barbecues, in order to lure poor kids into the military, with the promise of a college education, financial stability, adventure, etc., But I will say that the antiwar movement is largely concentrated on the Anglo community, and I think there should be more effort in bringing the message to Latinos, Blacks, and other vulnerable groups. The best way to do this is by showing that there are options to the military, and to create awareness to the fact that we're fighting an imperialist war for oil. Also, I think young people should get a glimpse of what war is like, as many of them are only getting the pretty picture of military life given by military recruiters, one that does not include war. The trick is not to tell kids not join the armed forces, but to present alternative views of military life and war, so that they can make informed, responsible decisions.