Features

In the film The Ambassador, human rights workers and former victims of torture in Central America sometimes look straight into the camera when they talk about former American ambassador to Honduras John Negroponte. 

“I want to use every possible medium to make Negroponte tell hundreds of families of dead and disappeared in Honduras where they are,” says Bertha Olivia, sitting beside pictures of those who were killed or disappeared under Negroponte’s watch. 

This scene and several others are an attempt by Norwegian filmmaker Eriling Borgen to retell the history of what he suggests is Negroponte’s involvement in many of the events that tore Central America apart during the 1980s. 

Using interviews with victims of the violence, community activists and another American ambassador to Honduras, Erling tries to tie Negroponte to events such as the training and harboring of the Contra Army that overthrew the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. In Honduras, he follows many of the people who accuse Negroponte of cracking down on them for speaking out against the Contra war. 

Released last December, the film was meant to coincide with Negroponte’s appointment as ambassador to Iraq. This weekend, the film will be screened in Berkeley to coincide with another move by Negroponte. Nominated by President Bush to be the director of national intelligence, a position that oversees the United State’s 15 security organizations, Negroponte could be confirmed during Senate hearings next week. 

“I’m amazed by the lack of uproar and indignation that his appointment [to director of intelligence] has engendered,” said Bonnie Hughes, the director of the Berkeley Arts Festival, which is organizing the screening.  

“Here is a person who presided over years of nefarious schemes that the government was carrying out in Central America and now he is going to be the head of all our national and international intelligence,” she said. “I don’t think those are particularly good qualifications for that job.” 

There will be a panel discussion following the showing, featuring Iain Boal, a social historian at UC Berkeley’s Institute of International Studies, and Mary Jo McConahay, Latin America editor at Pacific News Service, who has lived in and written about the area for more than 20 years. 

The Ambassador will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at King Middle School, 1781 Rose St. The event is free, but donations are suggested.