Poblete Dispatches

Jason Poblete is joined by our friend in Central America, businesswoman, former vice presidential candidate, and fellow liberty warrior Betty Marroquin to discuss a wide range of issues, including Communist China meddling in the region, the upcoming Guatemala elections and the sanctioning of the Guatemala Attorney General by the Biden administration (GLA interviewed Guatemala Attorney Porras on a prior podcast that you can listen to by following this link).

Nicaragua remains under the control and authoritarian rule of Daniel Ortega and his party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front. The government has a long and well-documented record of violating fundamental human rights, censoring free speech, and suppressing political opposition. A staunch ally of Russia and Communist China, Nicaragua, with Cuba's assistance, continues to undermine U.S. national and security interests in the region quietly. Religious freedom is an essential indicator of democracy because it reflects the principles of individual liberty and equality before the law, which are fundamental to democratic societies. When individuals are free to practice their religion or belief system without fear of persecution or discrimination, it is a sign that the government is respecting their fundamental human rights and upholding the rule of law. In August 2020, we ⁠recorded a podcast⁠ with a Nicaragua priest about religious persecution in Nicaragua, especially toward Catholics and other Christians. Close to three years later, the situation is not surprisingly any better; it's worse. Biden administration officials recently announced the release of over 200 political prisoners in Nicaragua. A well-known Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop was also released, but he decided to stay in jail. Why? This podcast explores and discusses these issues with Roberto Bendaña from Texas. A Nicaraguan American, Roberto is persona non grata in Nicaragua and is not allowed to visit his ancestral homeland because of his staunch defense of liberty and fundamental rights. Roberto, a businessman and political activist, seeks solutions to help both nations chart a new way forward without Sandinista rule. Further Reading 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nicaragua Nicaragua in Political Limbo, America Can Help, Jason Poblete's substack (Apr. 2, 2022) "Inestabilidad democrática en Nicaragua no ayuda a nadie en el hemisferio," La Prensa newspaper (Dec. 21, 2017).

In a November 15, 2022, podcast with the Fakhoury Foundation, the Fakhoury family from New Hampshire shared how they set out over two years ago to find out what happened to Amer Fakhoury, who died as a result of injuries that he sustained while in the custody of Lebanon's corrupt security services or Lebanon's equivalent of our CIA and FBI wrapped up in one. Be sure to listen to that show! In this episode, two of Amer's daughters, Guila and Zoya, provide an update and discuss current events with GLA's Jason Poblete beyond the story and how events in Lebanon may be impacting their accountability efforts.  Further Reading House Foreign Affairs Committee Charman Mike McCaul (R-Tex.) Demands Answers From USAID on Alarming Failure to Address $110K Grant to Terrorist-Linked Nonprofit (Jan. 27, 2023). Amid standoff in Beirut blast probe, US national released, The Washington Post (Jan. 26, 2023). Amid Historic Crisis, Has a New Hope Emerged in Lebanon?, US Institute for Peace (Jun. 23, 2022). Go Deeper Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God (Amazon). Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah's War Against America (Amazon).

A retired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent, Mr. Pete Lapp served over two decades in the FBI and is highly experienced in counterintelligence, espionage, economic espionage, and trade secret theft. In this podcast, GLA's Jason Poblete talks with Mr. Lapp about one of his more high-profile cases,  the espionage investigation of Ana Belen Montes, who was arrested ten days after 9/11/2001.  Montes was sentenced to 25 years for spying for the Cuban Intelligence Service while she worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency. On January 6, 2023, Montes was in the headlines again because she had been released and had reportedly returned to Puerto Rico to live with her sister.  Mr. Lapp has worked on many other national security cases.  In October 2021, Pete founded PJ Lapp Consulting, LLC, where he now focuses his vast knowledge and experience in counterintelligence and insider risk (IR); He is a widely recognized expert and thought leader in the area of IR. You can learn more about his practice by visiting his website.  Further Reading Pre-Order Pete's book, "Queen of Cuba: An FBI Agent's Insider Account of the Spy Who Evaded Detection for 17 Years" (Oct. 2023). "Just 10 days after the attacks of 9/11, the FBI arrested a 44-year-old woman named Ana Belen Montes," (FBI). Review of the Actions Taken to Deter, Detect and Investigate the Espionage Activities of Ana Belen Montes (U) Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense (Jun. 16, 2005).

The Biden administration and Congress have discussed accountability efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But is the international system ready to hold all parties accountable, or will the process set back the course of international justice efforts? In this episode, Jason Poblete talks with Michela Wrong, an award-winning British journalist and author who has had a rich career that has taken her from the fashion runways of Paris and later as a foreign correspondent in Africa for Reuters, the BBC, and the Financial Times. She was awarded the 2010 James Cameron prize for journalism “that combined moral vision and professional integrity.” As she details on her website, her fifth book, “Do Not Disturb,” published in 2021, is a damning portrait of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, from its days as a united band of rebel fighters to today’s era, in which killer squads are dispatched across the world to silence exiled former insiders. The book has prompted a vitriolic backlash on Rwanda’s government-controlled social media, and President Paul Kagame has denounced the author on national television as a foreign agent. Jason and Michela talk about several aspects of international justice. They also discuss the case of eight Rwandan men tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; 4 were acquitted, while the other 4 served their sentences. They are now in legal limbo as they seek to be reunited with loved ones.  In addition, they also talk about unfinished accountability efforts related to the Rwandan genocide.  Be sure to check out her latest book on the Rwanda genocide, link below, Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad." “A withering assault on the murderous Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame, and a melancholy love song to the lost dreams of the nations of Africa’s Great Lakes. Michela Wrong proves once again that she is an intrepid and highly professional researcher of the subject she knows best. It’s a major accomplishment, very driven, very impassioned.” ―JOHN LE CARRÉ, best-selling author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Further Reading "Where the international justice system fails; As war crimes investigators gather evidence in Ukraine, Michela Wrong looks at how the uncertain fate of eight Rwandan men reveals failures in the international justice system," Prospect (Dec. 8. 2022). "Do Not Disturb: The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad," Michela Wrong (March 30, 2021). "I Didn't Do It for You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation," Michela Wrong (June 6, 2006). 

Virginia mom and liberty warrior Xi Van Fleet grew up in Mao Zedong's Communist China. Raised during the Cultural Revolution, after high school, Xi, along with all the urban youths, was forced to work in the fields for three years to be re-educated by the peasants. She was able to go to college only after Mao’s death. In 1986 she came to America as a student to pursue her graduate studies. For the past 30 years, she has worked in the field of Information Management and stayed out of politics or any civic activity; however, starting in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, she decided she had to speak up. Compelled by her personal experience during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the realization that what she has experienced is taking place here in America, she has committed herself to warn the American people and help them see what is happening now in America.  Further Reading Xi Van Fleet, Education Freedom Ambassador, profile International Women's Forum.

In this podcast, GLA's Jason Poblete speaks with former Ambassador Martin Palouš.  Martin is currently a Senior Fellow at Florida International University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Director of the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy. Palouš was part of the movement that helped end the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe during the Cold War.  The defense of fundamental individual and human rights has been at the core of his playbook ever since.  Born in Prague on October 14, 1950, Palouš studied Natural Science, Philosophy, and International Law, and he has engaged in rich academic praxis for more than 25 years.  He was one of the first signatories of Charter 77 in defense of human rights and served as spokesman for the dissident human rights group.  Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members included a wide range of civil society leaders at the time, including Martin and the future President of the Czech Republic, Václav Havel. Their work and that of other civil society leaders supported by the U.S. laid a foundation for President Ronald Reagan's push to end the Cold War.  Palouš went on to have a rewarding career in international law and foreign affairs, including being elected to the Czechoslovakian Federal Assembly and a member of its Foreign Affairs Committee. Later he served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in the newly formed Czech Republic and was then asked by President Václav Havel to travel to Washington, D.C. as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the United States from September 2002 to November 2005. Dr. Palouš was designated as Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, where he served in New York from 2006 through 2010. On November 19, 2022, Palouš said in an op-ed that ran in the Miami Herald that he disagreed with the view held by many in the Cuban diaspora that there "cannot be any dialogue with the current Cuban government as long as it pursues policies of systematic violations of human rights and imprisons and persecutes the members of Cuban democratic opposition." He also said, "I’ve always defended human rights and the bravery of those who oppose the Cuban regime, and I’ve had the mettle to act on my convictions as a dissident." What keeps these two communities apart? And why should the American taxpayer care about this? Further Reading Publications and other resources for Martin Palouš "The Road to Freedom Grounded in the Rule of Law," a paper published by the FIU School of International and Public Affairs, Václav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy, prepared in collaboration with the Global Liberty Alliance (2022). La Patria es de Todos - The Nation Belongs to All of Us (1997). Jason Poblete and Jamie Suchlicki, “When Should the U.S. Change Policy Toward Cuba,” Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami, Cuba Brief, August 13, 2007

At times, we are called to do the most extraordinary things at the most challenging moments in life. That is the story of one American family in New Hampshire, the Fakhoury family. In August 2020, the Fakhoury family said goodbye to their beloved, Amer, who died as a result of injuries that he sustained while in the custody of Lebanon's corrupt security services or Lebanon's equivalent of our CIA and FBI wrapped up in one. During the course of the last two years, the family has set out to find out what happened to Amer, and start their justice journey to ensure that this never happens again to Americans or US nationals who travel abroad to Lebanon or to other nations. The Fakhoury family started a foundation, filed a lawsuit in the District Court of the District of Columbia, and has engaged in other advocacy efforts including with Congress. Last week the Global Liberty Alliance co-signed an open letter with the Fakhoury Foundation urging U.S. officials to fully enforce the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act in the matter of Amer Fakhoury.  Further Reading The Fakhoury Foundation Link to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act  GLA statement; GLA co-signed a letter with the Fakhoury Foundation (Nov. 10, 2022) US Treasury, Guidance on Hostages and Wrongfully Detained U.S. Nationals Sanctions  ---- If you want to help defend the fundamental rights of Americans, free enterprise, and the rule of law, consider donating to the Global Liberty Alliance. GLA is also accepting Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Follow this link to learn more! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 

A nation of about seven million people, Paraguay is slightly smaller than California and an important U.S. ally in South America for trade and national security issues, including terrorism, transnational crime, and related matters. Since 2019 American taxpayers have sent close to $85 million in foreign assistance to Paraguay. It may seem like a nominal amount, at least when compared to the total U.S. federal budget. And perhaps to folks in Washington, DC, it may seem like nothing when it comes to our money, but these foreign aid programs add up in tough economic times. Some of that money is invested in worthwhile programs in the US national interest, but some are not. Who is minding the store and doing oversight? It is supposed to be the Congress, yet as we learn on this podcast with a leading lawyer and civil society leader in Paraguay, Valeria Insfran, some of our tax dollars are being used in ways that she thinks to undermine the rule of law, Paraguayan sovereignty, and US interests too. Valeria has been on the front lines of a fundamental rights battle involving children and families in her country. Jason and Valeria touch on a wide range of issues, including the Sao Paolo Forum, the Inter-American Dialogue, the Princeton Pact (see link below), and more recent events, including sanctioning by the Biden administration of a former Paraguay President and his family (calling into question again, the politicization of U.S. sanctions programs in Latin America – Guatemala was the other). At the request of listeners, this particular podcast was recorded in Spanish as part of a series to reach liberty warriors in the Americas. We will record an English version of this podcast, hopefully soon. There was a lot to unpack in this program, and we have asked Valeria to return, and she has agreed. Further Reading US foreign assistance to Paraguay (link) Paraguay country information (State Department) Red Ciudadana por la Niñez y la Adolescencia (foundation link) "El pacto de Princeton, una alianza para la miseria y el sometimiento," Valeria Insfran, El Instituto de Investigación Social Solidaridad GLA Podcast with Guatemala Attorney General GLA Podcast with the President of Guatemala   Designation of Former Paraguayan President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara for Involvement in Significant Corruption, State Department (Jul. 22, 2022)

Rebecca Schönenbach is an economist who works as an independent consultant in the field of counter-terrorism.  As a specialist in Sharia, Islamic extremism, and counter-terrorism financing, she gave lectures at universities in Istanbul, Sarajevo, and Budapest, among others, and advises authorities, NGOs, and companies. Schönenbach also writes papers on the topics of Islamism, Islamic finance, and the connection between radicalization and misogyny.  Schönenbach is the chairwoman of two non-profit associations: Veto! For the rule of law e. V. www.veto-rechtsstaat.de and Women for Freedom e. V.  www.frauenfuerfreiheit.de and is a columnist for the German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Read her bio on LinkedIn. In addition to the recent uprising in Iran, Jason and Rebecca discuss how the Iranian regime's long-term game plan of religious extremism impacts in the greater Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.  With the support of autocratic states such as China and Russia, Iran seeks to destabilize democracies including the United States and Europe in order to create a new global order.

The Global Liberty Alliance has been advocating to secure the release of Mr. Jamshid "Jimmy" Sharmahd, a human rights activist and journalist from California held hostage in Iran for nearly two years. In this podcast, GLA President Jason Poblete talks with his daughter Gazelle Sharmahd, a registered nurse in California, about the latest developments in Mr. Sharmahd's case.  Last week Gazelle told The Jerusalem Post and other international news outlets that the Iranian regime's lawyer said a "death sentence is certain" in her dad's case. The upcoming session before the regime's kangaroo court system, the Revolutionary Court, makes it the sixth hearing of Jimmy's "sham trial." The death sentence will be announced soon and could be carried out immediately. There is no rule of law in Iran. Iran tried to assassinate Jimmy in California in 2009 in a plot that the FBI foiled.  The Biden administration recently announced an international emergency concerning Iran and hostage-taking; however, no other information was released about the status of efforts to bring US nationals home from Iran. The Biden administration is also seeking to reverse the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Iran deal, a deal that condoned hostage-taking. The GLA and other NGOs, including hostage advocacy groups and former hostages, have recommended that all US nationals be freed before sitting down for any talks with Iran.  Unfortunately US, German, and other stakeholders continue to negotiate with the state sponsors of terrorism in Iran, and there has been no progress on hostages. GLA believes the Iranian regime targeted Mr. Sharmahd in retribution for US policy against Iran. Under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, the US must help secure the release of Jimmy and other US nationals held hostage in Iran. ---- If you want to do more to support efforts to defend the fundamental rights of Americans, free enterprise, and the rule of law, consider donating to the Global Liberty Alliance. GLA is also accepting Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Follow this link to learn more.  Further Reading August 2021 Podcast with Gazelle Sharmahd "California man faces execution in Iran for being a journalist," Fox News (July 19, 2022). For more details on Jimmy's case, visit the Global Liberty Alliance Jimmy Sharmahd page. 'Death sentence certain,' for German-Iranian journalist," Jerusalem Post (July 23, 2022). "Iran regime hostage survivor urges ‘do not travel’ to Iran," Jerusalem Post (July 11, 2022).

In March, we spoke with Ms. Katherine Swidan, mother of Mr. Mark Swidan, an American unlawfully imprisoned in Communist China for nearly ten years. A lot has happened in Mark's matter since Global Liberty Alliance President Jason Poblete spoke with Ms. Swidan. Katherine lives in Luling, Texas, a town of about 6,000 people along the San Marcos River. Katherine talks about the latest in her son's case and how recent policy updates may or may not impact efforts to bring Mark home. Jason also talks about recent developments related to the Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act of 2020 and the Executive Order released this week. Further Reading GLA Letter to the City of Riverside, California, to sever its Sister City relationships with China (April 28, 2002) Text of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act of 2020  March Podcast with Katherine Swidan (Mar. 29, 2022)

Guatemala’s President Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei skipped the Summit of the Americas this week, and we wanted to know why. The conversation did not disappoint. Jason and President Giammattei talked about transnational crime, human trafficking, and fending off foreign meddlers such as Communist China. Despite these regional challenges, President Giammattei's bigger problem these days, or nuisance, seems to be our own country and an army of NGOs, many funded by US taxpayers and Europeans, hell-bent on making trouble for the President and his allies in Guatemala. Why? For starters, President Giammattei is staunchly pro-life and a law-and-order leader. He defends Guatemala's sovereignty fiercely and is not afraid to poke Uncle Sam if necessary. Yet it's clear President Giammattei wants to be a partner, not an adversary, and he continues to work with the US despite the unfounded political attacks by certain Biden administration officials.  In March, in another exclusive GLA podcast, Jason spoke with Guatemala Attorney General Porras about alleged corruption allegations against her by the US government that led to her being sanctioned. If someone was trying to destroy her re-appointment chances, the joke is on them. She was re-appointed by the President. President Giammattei has a clear vision of where he wants to take his nation and, perhaps, become a thoughtful and focused voice for the region. The US and Guatemala need to work closely, not at odds, and it appears certain Biden administration officials are allowing ideological disagreements to get in the way of good policy for America and the Americas. On this podcast, GLA President and Counsel Jason Poblete continue to unmask the many issues stewing in this important Central American nation. President Giammattei stressed the importance of working with American partners, building markets, defending property rights, and the right to life, combating transnational crime, pushing back on China meddling in the Americas, and even reforming the inter-American system (he's making news on this last point, be sure to listen!).  Further Reading US Relations With Guatemala, Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet, US Department of State President Alejandro Giammattei, Presidency of Guatemala website (foreign government website).

American citizen Mark Swidan has been unlawfully imprisoned in Communist China for close to ten years.  What started out as a business trip in late 2012, turned into a nightmare for the Swidan family when he was unlawfully detained by police on November 12, 2012. On this podcast, GLA President Jason Poblete speaks with Mr. Swidan's mom, Mr. Katherine Swidan. Without probable cause, the Chinese police stormed Mark's hotel room in Dongguan Municipality, Guangdong Province. The police claimed that they had found drugs on his driver and translator.  All were taken into custody.  No drugs were found on Mr. Swidan or in his room, but the driver and translator blamed Mark.  The Chinese police also took him into custody on suspicion of trafficking and manufacturing methamphetamine.  You can learn more about the case at the California-based Dui Hua foundation website.  Sentenced to death by the Chinese kangaroo court system, on February 5, 2020, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) has concluded that Mr. Swidan has been arbitrarily detained by the Chinese authorities in violation of international law. WGAD has urged his immediate release with compensation and other reparations.  Inexplicably, the U.S. government has failed to raise the profile of this case with Chinese officials. There was a unique opportunity to do so before the Beijing Olympics, yet nothing happened.  Mark is not the only American unlawfully detained in the Chinese gulag prison system.  Further Reading Mark Swidan's Go Fund Me page Texas businessman in slave labor in China's 'black box' jail system for past nine years, The Washington Examiner (Feb. 17, 2022). Please consider donating and supporting matters such as these. The Global Liberty Alliance (GLA) is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are fully deductible as charitable contributions for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Your monetary gift is an investment in the cause of liberty. With your investment, you can help support GLA’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the importance of fundamental individual rights, free markets, and the rule of law. You can also support human rights advocates defend victims and advance the cause of justice.  LEARN MORE.

Last week in an exclusive interview with Guatemala Attorney General María Consuelo Porras, Jason Poblete and the Attorney General discussed why she thought the United States had imposed sanctions earlier this on her and other Guatemalans.  You can listen to that podcast by following this link.  The first podcast was recorded in Spanish with Attorney General Porras, so we decided to record another podcast with colleagues in Guatemala who are on the frontlines of freedom battles.  On this podcast, we dig deeper and speak with two leading conservative thought leaders in Guatemala, Dr. José Luis González Dubón, a constitutional lawyer and practitioner, and former Vice Presidential candidate and business, Ms. Betty Marroquin.  Editor at Large Steve Hecht is a businessman, writer, and film producer, born and raised in New York. Further Reading "Derecho, justicia y libertad," a talk by Dr. José Luis González Dubón at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Jan. 26, 2010).  Impunity Observer (discussed in the podcast) "International Anti-Impunity Missions in Guatemala and Honduras: What Lessons for El Salvador?," Open Society Foundation-sponsored paper (June 2019). (discussed in the podcast) UN Agenda 2030.