There are times when you can’t hesitate to act. Nicaragua is going through one of those times, having arrived at a turning point that could change everything. And at the center of it all is a young man of 20.
Nicaragua: Time’s Up
Nicaragua Awakens
There are two things I don’t understand about Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua’s president. The first is why he so wants to be like Anastasio Somoza Debayle, the tyrant he tirelessly fought to overthrow decades ago during the country’s civil war; the second is why he lives in a house that isn’t his.
The Wizards of Fake News
After almost six decades covering Latin American politicians, I am well acquainted with wizards of fake news and their tactics. I was reporting on them long before Donald Trump became a politician. Still, Trump lies a lot. But questioning almost everything that the president of the United States says comes pretty naturally to me.
The Trouble With Exes
Our exes can be a headache. They wield a lot of power over us; some just can’t get used to taking a backseat to our current relationships, and do everything they can to grab our attention. I’m talking, specifically, about the most troublesome of exes: ex-presidents.
Juan Pablo’s Venezuela
Have you ever seen a tear gas canister? Some resemble large bullets, about 2 centimeters in diameter, metallic, with a sharp point. Authorities shoot them toward empty spots in a crowd; the canisters then explode and spew a cloud of noxious gas.
Two Nations Close to War — With Themselves
It pains me deeply to watch the turmoil afflicting Mexico and Venezuela, two countries I love. Both are suffering so much internal strife that they seem on the brink of war — not with each other, or with other nations, but with themselves.
Outlasting a Dictator
MIAMI — Many times during the 30 years that I’ve lived in Miami, I’ve heard that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro was dead. In fact, Castro died two or three times a year, on average. Rumors would spread; I would get calls and texts about his death. These reports, of course, always turned out to be false.
Leopoldo Lopez: Imprisoned, But Not Silent
Some books are written with ink on paper; others, on laptops. But a new book by the Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López was partly written on skin.
War Is Easy
“In this war, there were neither winners nor losers,” said Timochenko, one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, after a peace deal was announced this summer between FARC and the Colombian government.
Venezuela’s Petty Dictator
Dictators — and their imitators, petty dictators — never yield power in an orderly fashion. They have to be forcibly removed.