I had a flight to Panama in the morning, and was finishing my work in Managua. But there was an opportunity to meet with Ben Lugo in Granada. So I finished my interview with broadcasting icon Carlos Chamorro and boarded a ‘chicken bus’ for my dinner with Benjamin. After a rollicking bus ride, I sat […]
Anaka Allen, Ben Lugo, Brian Gruber, contras, Granada, Managua, Nicaragua, Reagan
We have two brilliant new interns who are furiously working through our backlog of interviews, transcribing, fact checking, looking up historical context. As we get up to date, we will provide deeper backgrounders, and, of course, you’ll get to meet them though their bylines and bios. This interview was transcribed by Kayley Ingalls. Kayley received […]
Allende, Arbenz, Brian Gruber, CIA, Guatemala, Kayley Ingalls, Reagan, War: The AfterpartyI visited leading Guatemalan policy institute ASIES and talked to analyst and scholar Hugo Novales Contreras. We talked about the culpability of the United States, whether democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz would have been overthrown without the CIA-sponsored invasion of 1954, and why modern military leaders and landowners pursue their grievances through democratic means (including the […]
Arbenz, Arevalo, Brian Gruber, Claudia Paz y Paz, Guatemala, Hugo Novales, Reagan, Rios Montt, War: The AfterpartyI met Rod Diaz at a lunch with former Guatemalan President Jorge Serrano at the elegant Edificio Capital Plaza in Panama City. I was fascinated by Rod’s intimate stories of former Panamanian head of state Omar Torrijos. We agreed to meet again, and did, several days later in his office. Rodrigo Díaz Paredes is Panamanian political […]
Brian Gruber, Bush, Diaz, Noriega, Panama, Reagan, Torrijos, War, War: The AfterpartyThe Panama Canal treaty was negotiated by a Frenchman and an American before Panamanian officials could reach Washington. It was one of many, many grand heists of land from people with far fewer gunships. As Jimmy Carter negotiated a treaty with Panamainian General Omar Torrijos, candidate Ronald Reagan campaigned on a platform of, screw those […]
Carter, John Wayne, Panama Canal, Reagan, War
Thirty-six hours after landing in Guatemala City, I find myself at the home of Marco Antonio Senior, son of airbnb host Cesar. All three kids successfully completed the City Marathon–Cesar and wife Carmen take me along–and are now challenging each others’ results. I am invited to join Marco and son Javier in the hot tub […]
Bitter Fruit, genocide, Guate, Guatemala, Kristi VandenBosch, Mayans, Reagan, Stephen Schlesinger, War The Afterparty