The Miami Herald (Continuación)

MundoOriente Próximo

Readers of this column frequently urge me to write more good stories about Israel, which I’m very happy to do. Israel is a great country indeed, and there is no shortage of success stories to write about, be it high-tech ingenuity, cultural excellence or human endeavor. People who love Israel like these kinds of stories; they strengthen the image of the ideal Israel they want to maintain.

However, when I write something that isn’t so flattering, I get responses like, “Why air our dirty laundry in public?” Why? Because while I love my country with passion, I can’t remain indifferent to its flaws.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAméricaInternacionalIglesia Católica

Without a doubt Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba will focus the world’s eyes on the island. Expectations are greater than when John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998, because now — like then — Cubans, exiles, dissidents, human-rights advocates and governments around the world want to believe that the pontiff’s trip might help end the Cuban government’s repression and intolerance. At the very least, the pontiff’s visit may help the church consolidate the gains it made in establishing a semblance of dialogue with the regime.

But what could Benedict XVI ask General-President Raúl Castro that might differ from John Paul II’s pleas?…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAmérica

The decision by a federal judge in Orlando to deport a former top Salvadoran general accused of overseeing widespread torture and murder during the country’s 12-year civil war is welcome news for many Salvadorans, including those who escaped and came to the U.S. years ago.

During the 1980s, El Salvador’s military leaders — bolstered by extensive U.S. financial support — carried out a campaign of massacres and terror in an effort to stamp out a left-wing revolutionary movement. The conflict left more than 75,000 people dead. More than a quarter of the nation’s population was displaced by the fighting and many chose to resettle in this country.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAmérica

The news a few weeks ago that the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington plans to invite a number of “respectful” Cubans living in the United States to a meeting in late April — together with the upcoming visit to Cuba by Pope Benedict XVI — has ignited the customary round of byzantine discussions and name-calling within our Cuban exile community.

One of those debates — more interesting and entertaining than the ever-ending Republican primary — circles around the idea that whether you are just a regular Joe or the head of the Catholic Church, to meet with the Cuban authorities (even to visit Cuba, in the eyes of the “true believers” in our midst), is to legitimize the Cuban regime.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAmérica,

Earlier this month I was in Miami after my 10th U.N. mission to Haiti. While the catastrophic earthquake two years ago has deeply affected the country, ending more than 300,000 lives and impacting millions of others, I remain hopeful that something positive can come from the tragedy. Haiti is now faced with the opportunity to commit to respect for human rights — civil and political; economic, social, and cultural — and to the rule of law.

The need for reform of the judiciary, police, and penitentiary systems is of utmost importance if Haiti is to proceed on the road to democracy.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoAmérica

As I was lining up in the corrals before our run in the ING Miami Half Marathon for a fundraiser for Roots of Hope, a U.S. college network of students and their supporters who are helping find ways to connect with young Cubans on the communist-controlled island, I felt kind of helpless.

Ironic considering how empowering the many months of planning, training and fundraising felt. As a group, we chose to dedicate our inaugural Run for Roots race to Ladies in White founder Laura Pollán, who died in October in a Cuban hospital. But standing in front of the Freedom Tower, looking down at my bib number and the words “para LAURA” (for Laura) made me wonder if anything that I had done, or could ever do, for a civil society in Cuba would matter.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Egyptians are sweeping up in Tahrir Square after celebrations marking the first anniversary of the Jan. 25 launch of their revolution. In a few days, on Feb. 11, they will mark another milestone, one year since hundreds of thousands of protestors toppled President Hosni Mubarak, who had held power for almost 30 years.

One year ago, amid the euphoric suggestions that democracy and freedom lay just around the corner, the journalist Christopher Hitchens sounded a note of caution. Hitchens, who died last December, had witnessed revolutions succeed in a host of countries. He had identified the ingredients he found necessary for freedom to replace tyranny.…  Seguir leyendo »

MundoOriente PróximoInternacionalTerrorismo Internacional, ,

Quirky though it was, U.S. officials are convinced that the recently exposed plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to Washington was the work of the vaunted Quds Force, the special operations branch of the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC). As policymakers consider how best to respond to Iran’s increasingly dangerous behavior they should look first to our own back yard south of the border.

To be sure, this plot demands a response. Pointing to the 1983 and 1984 Beirut bombings, the CIA reported in 1987 that “many Iranian leaders use this precedent as proof that terrorism can break U.S. resolve” and view “sabotage and terrorism as an important option in its confrontation with the United States in the Persian Gulf.”…  Seguir leyendo »