Fernando Suarez del Solar
Encyclopedia
Fernando Suarez del Solar is a peace activist based in Escondido, California
.
On March 27, 2003, Fernando lost his son, Jesus Suarez del Solar, when he stepped on a US cluster bomb
while fighting in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Since then, Fernando has been traveling around the country speaking out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. In December he traveled to Iraq with Global Exchange
and a group of military families to listen to the needs and desires of the Iraqi people, and returned home to meet with congress people, UN officials and the media to call for the withdrawal of US troops. Fernando is also an active member of Military Families Speak Out
.
Fernando sees no contradiction between supporting the troops and being against the war. When he visited Iraq with the human rights group Global Exchange in December 2003, he brought thousands of letters of peace and love from US children for both Iraqi children and the soldiers. He set up a group to provide psychological counseling for Hispanic families who have loved ones serving in the military or have suffered the loss of a family member.
Prior to his son's death, Fernando lived a quiet life in Escondido, where he immigrated from Tijuana
with his wife and children in 1997. The 48-year-old father makes a modest living working as a cashier at a 7/11 store and delivering newspapers.
Fernando has received criticism for his outspoken anti-war stance from all corners, from his in-laws to other immigrants who call him an "ingrate" to military families who support the war.
He is deeply troubled by the military's heavy recruitment of Hispanic youth in low-income communities. He has created Proyecto Guerrero Azteca to teach young people about the harsh reality of military service and to provide them with modest scholarships that will help them pursue alternative careers. He works closely with Project YANO, one of the oldest counter-recruitment organizations in the country.
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
.
On March 27, 2003, Fernando lost his son, Jesus Suarez del Solar, when he stepped on a US cluster bomb
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
while fighting in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Since then, Fernando has been traveling around the country speaking out against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. In December he traveled to Iraq with Global Exchange
Global Exchange
Global Exchange is an advocacy group and non-governmental organization , based in San Francisco, California, United States. The group's mission is to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice around the world.-History:...
and a group of military families to listen to the needs and desires of the Iraqi people, and returned home to meet with congress people, UN officials and the media to call for the withdrawal of US troops. Fernando is also an active member of Military Families Speak Out
Military Families Speak Out
Military Families Speak Out is a US based anti-Iraq war group.Military Families Speak Out was founded by two military families in November, 2002 to speak out against the planned US invasion of Iraq to try to prevent the invasion....
.
Fernando sees no contradiction between supporting the troops and being against the war. When he visited Iraq with the human rights group Global Exchange in December 2003, he brought thousands of letters of peace and love from US children for both Iraqi children and the soldiers. He set up a group to provide psychological counseling for Hispanic families who have loved ones serving in the military or have suffered the loss of a family member.
Prior to his son's death, Fernando lived a quiet life in Escondido, where he immigrated from Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
with his wife and children in 1997. The 48-year-old father makes a modest living working as a cashier at a 7/11 store and delivering newspapers.
Fernando has received criticism for his outspoken anti-war stance from all corners, from his in-laws to other immigrants who call him an "ingrate" to military families who support the war.
He is deeply troubled by the military's heavy recruitment of Hispanic youth in low-income communities. He has created Proyecto Guerrero Azteca to teach young people about the harsh reality of military service and to provide them with modest scholarships that will help them pursue alternative careers. He works closely with Project YANO, one of the oldest counter-recruitment organizations in the country.
See also
- Cindy SheehanCindy SheehanCindy Lee Miller Sheehan is an American anti-war activist whose son, U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed by enemy action during the Iraq War. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war protest at a makeshift camp outside President...
- Brian WillsonBrian WillsonS. Brian Willson is an American Vietnam veteran, peace activist, and attorney-at-law.Willson served in the US Air Force from 1966 to 1970, including several months as a combat security officer in Vietnam. He left the Air Force as a Captain...
- Addicted To WarAddicted To WarAddicted to War, subtitled Why The US Can't Kick Militarism, is a 77 letter-sized page "illustrated exposé" by Joel Andreas published by Frank Dorrel with AK Press in 2002...
- Veterans For PeaceVeterans for PeaceVeterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
- Ron KovicRon KovicRonald Lawrence Kovic is an anti-war activist, veteran and writer who was paralyzed in the Vietnam War. He is best known as the author of the memoir Born on the Fourth of July, which was made into an Academy Award–winning movie directed by Oliver Stone, with Tom Cruise playing Kovic...
- Documentary Film by Peter Lilienthal
External links
- http://www.latinola.com/story.php?story=1242
- http://www.hispanicvista.com/HVC/Opinion/Guest_Columns/022805mariscal.htm
- http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/37487/