Tag Archives: Americas

The new U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has released a video introducing himself to the Russian people.  Interesting use of direct diplomacy.   Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

In case you haven’t been following the news, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has cancer.  After several surgeries and chemotherapy treatments in Cuba, Chavez has returned to a very tense political situation (even by Venezuelan standards), as he has moved forward the upcoming elections from December to October 2012.  In an interview with Mexico’s Milenio Semenal, [...]

The Miami New Times has published a spectacular profile of Eligio Cedeño, a Venezuelan banker, former political prisoner, and past client of Amsterdam & Peroff. For the first time, the full story of his dramatic exit from unlawful imprisonment at the headquarters of the secret police, as well as the horrific imprisonment of the judge who issued the order setting him against the wishes of the president, is available to the public.

I was very pleased to hear the news that my former client and friend, the Venezuelan businessman and former political prisoner Eligio Cedeño, was granted the status of political asylum by a U.S. Immigration Court

The following is an excerpt from a new article I contributed to the U.K. magazine Prospect.  Since the time of writing, several important events have taken place in Venezuela.  Chávez has used his decree powers to pass new internet regulations, allowing the government of a degree of control and censorship online similar to China or [...]

Oh boy.  You’d think this reporter worked for RT rather that ITAR-Tass – usually they’re the ones who specialize in that whole political-sadism-at-moments-of-national-tragedy shtick.  That said, this is totally being blown out of proportion.  From Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post: Adjectives sharpen their elbows as they vie to properly describe the Cold War-ish moment [...]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez maintains in detention varying numbers of political prisoners at any given time, but the case which has stood out the most over the past year has been that of Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni.  Imprisoned for no reason and no crime beyond the personal recrimination and vengeance of the president, Judge Afiuni [...]