CIA Mural

Neither Secretary of State George Shultz nor the rest of us should be insulted by the mural of a CIA death mask that overlooked the inauguration in Ecuador during Shultz’s recent visit (“Shultz Angered by Anti-U.S. Ecuador Mural,” Part I, Aug. 11). The mural depicts the CIA, not Uncle Sam, as a symbol of death and an obstacle to autonomy.

The real insult, or outrage that poisons international good will and our national pride, is that a scurrilous band of egotistical henchmen has come to symbolize our country’s foreign policy in many developing nations, particularly in Latin America. Lessons from Chile, El Salvador, and Honduras are evident to these people who flirt with self-determination. The ghosts of William Casey, Oliver North, and George Bush will haunt our efforts in this region for a long time to come.

JEFF PUTNAM

Big Pine