National and International Outrage Against the Sentencing of Leopoldo Lopez

On Saturday Venezuelans, Colombians,. andDemocratic people across the globe united against last week’s conviction of political leader Leopoldo Lopez for 14 years in prison by the Maduro regime. 

The regime’s sentencing is a clear sign of it’s fear for the political outcome due to the hyperinflation, corruption, delinquency, and the extreme lack of products that the country is experiencing today. The sentencing has

re-enforced Lopez’s position as a united leader of the opposition.

 In New York City, Colombian and Venezuelans were united in an echo of the same sentiment of anger and repudiation against the Lopez conviction, and against the brutal human rights violations to poor Colombians living at the Venezuelan-Colombian borders.

Over 600 people were victims of deportations, and their homes, and properties were destroyed. In many instances, the Venezuelan Militia raped women, and girls. With the upcoming December 6 Parliamentary elections, this border incident was provoked by the Venezuelan regime to distract the Venezuelan people and to cause discord with the neighboring country. In addition, the United Nations reports that thousands of  Colombian have left Venezuela in outrage against this savage regime.

Venezuela, a country that was once considered a Democratic model of for Latin America now has the second highest homicide rate in the world.  The United States warns US citizens there about the out-of-control crime.  According to the report, heavily armed criminals have used grenades and assault rifles to commit crimes at banks, shopping malls, public transportation stations, and Universities.  The situation in Venezuela today is not sustainable and the Maduto regime is fully aware that its time is up.

Venezuelans Need a Visa to Visit Cuba

 On July 24, 2015 Conviasa, one of the airlines that provides service from Venezuela to Cuba, announced that Venezuelans will be required to obtain a visa to travel to Island. What has changed?  Did the love affair created by Hugo Chavez with the dictatorial Castro regime ended with the United States decision to lift the Cuban embargo?

Ever since Hugo Chavez started his relations with Cuba, Venezuelans enjoyed visiting the poor, oppressed and dilapidated country of Cuba without the inconvenience of getting a visa.  The new relation between the United States or the “Imperio” as the late Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro calls it, has awaken Cuba to a new reality. Venezuela is a broken country, with no money, damage infrastructure and an out of control delinquency.

 The biggest danger to the rest of the free world is terrorism. Venezuela has opened its door to Hamas, Hezbollah and it is currently the biggest bridge for drug trafficking coming from Colombia to Europe and the United States.

Cuba was removed from the list of countries that sponsored terrorism by the Obama administration, even though many in Congress disagreed with this move. Cuba was placed on this list in 1982, a year after Ronald Reagan was elected president and the discussion over the El Salvador’s civil was on the table. President Reagan’s decision was to stop the Soviet Union from influencing Latin America with the help of  Fidel Castro.

On August 2014 The Congressional Research Service release a study done by Mark P Sullivan Specialist in Latin American Affairs and June S. Beittel, Analyst in Latin American Affairs about "the United States concerns on Venezuela’s lack of cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, its relations with Iran, and the involvement of senior Venezuelan officials in supporting the drug and weapons trafficking activities of the FARC.”


Cuba is now under the watch of the United States and the Castro dictators know well that there is a big discontent among Cuban Americans with the Obama’s decision. The “Imperio” is watching them, and any terroristic activity is bound to jeopardize their future economic success. 

Jerry Brewer’s article entitled Cuba, FARC and their Sinister Presence in Venezuela presents the sad truth about the role of Cuba in Latin America, that the Obama administration is ignoring.

55 years of killings, tortures and oppression caused by the Castro regime in Cuba has been disregarded. 

Removing Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism is a big mistake. The Castro regime has spread death and destruction throughout Latin America, and its tentacles are now in Venezuela. I am hoping that the plan to restore relations with Cuba goes beyond the economics. Human rights in Cuba and in Venezuela must continue to be the priority for this administration. 

Latin America POV: Alejandro Toledo's Exposé on Latin America

A few days ago, I had the pleasure to meet Alejandro Toledo, the former President of Peru, during his great exposé on his vision for Latin America.  There Toledo  introduced his new book The Shared Society.
Before becoming President, and throughout his years in office, Toledo showed himself to be a man with great democratic convictions.

Toledo, who is now a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, and a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Stanford University, sees the future of Latin America as bright. New statistics about poverty in Latin America indicate that it is declining, and Latin American societies are becoming more equitable.

Latin America. In his view, Latin America is going through a renaissance, with the exception of countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, and Nicaragua. Those countries are still dealing with undemocratic populist leaders who are trying to remain in power indefinitely. Toledo predicts that, by the year 2050, Latin America could be at the center stage of the world’s economic growth and development.

Toledo's strong belief in democracy and his respect for human rights have been present throughout his career. He was a vocal critic of the oppressive rule that began in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez and the closing of RCTV, Radio Caracas TV in 2007. That year, one of his many articles for the New York Times was entitled “Silence = Despotism.” In it, he condemned the closing of RCTV and urged Latin American leaders to take a stand against Chavez’s rule by oppression.

Hugo Chavez closed the RCTV and appropriated most of the media outlets in Venezuela, yet Latin American leaders remained quiet. The result was an oppressed Venezuela; the country plunged in economic and social chaos that continues today under the Nicolas Maduro regime.

“History will judge those leaders who opted to be quiet as accomplices of the situation," Toledo said.

Celebrating Life in Union: A Cuban Story

Celebrating Life in Union is a story of human resilience, community, and brotherhood.  It follows a group of former Cuban political prisoners through their memory of imprisonment and their half century fight with the aging Castro regime.  Having developed a strong community for themselves that now crosses three generations in Union City, NJ they struggle with the realization that their own mortality may come before they can return to their homeland.  The movie is currently under distribution.

View the Trailer:

Purchase it here.

Why Cuban Americans are Angry Right Now

I've had multiple conversations recently about Cuban American reaction to all the news about Cuba. There is a lot of anger among folks in Miami and in cities like Union City, New Jersey, where the Cuban-American population is extremely high.

I understand why they are mad.

In my work interviewing Cuban former political prisoners, I've heard nightmarish stories, horrible stories of killing and torture and where people lost their families and everything that was important to them. They are angry because they are afraid that there will be no accountability for the atrocities committed by the Castro regime against the Cuban people.

Now, more than ever, as we try to understand the Cuban American tragedy, it important to hear what people went through in a communist Cuba.

In Celebrating Life in Union, narrated by Andy Garcia, we follow a group of former Cuban political prisoners through their memory of imprisonment and their half century fight with the aging Castro regime. See trailer and information below:



Celebrating Life in Union - narrated  by actor Andy Garcia - is about the resilience and brotherhood of a group of former Cuban political prisoners from the Escambray Movement in the 1960's. They were 17, 18 and 19 year old boys who fought with Fidel Castro against the dictator Fulgencio Batista in Cuba .  Later, they fought against Fidel Castro after the resignation of Huber Matos, the third highest-ranking officer of the Fidel Castro revolution. These men received 20 and in some cases 30 years in jail. They are now in their 70's and 80's having kept their brotherhood alive in Union City , New Jersey The documentary premiered at the New York City International Film Festival, and was nominated as "Most Inspirational" by Doc Miami International Film. 

Purchase the full documentary here: http://tinyurl.com/pt5uqro 

Repost: "Facts and Subterfuge regarding the U.S. and Cuba Proposals"

My friend Jerry Brewer has an excellent site about Mexican and Latin American politics. He was nice enough to mention me and my work in a recent post about Cuba: "Facts and Subterfuge regarding the U.S. and Cuba Proposal."

"Communist ideology by the Castro regime has graphically meant death, destruction and misery to the island. Ask the Cubans who have lived it, and those now residing in the U.S."

Read the entire post here.

New relations with Cuba, but what about human rights?

Everyone brace yourself for a new era in Cuban-American relations. Obama’s action, to lift the embargo, has shocked his critics and his followers, but things in Cuba will not change as drastically as we may think.

President Obama, who has been openly against this American policy since he was a Senator, had promised to eliminate the embargo. Perhaps because nothing has changed since sanctions on Cuba,  or perhaps because the Obama administration realizes that the only way to get a handle on Cuba is through business and trading.

"These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It's time for a new approach." - President Obama

While people often talk about the embargo, they don't always know all the facts. Despite the embargo, the United States is currently the fifth largest exporter to Cuba (6.6% of Cuba's imports are from the US). However, unlike democratic countries, Cuba must pay cash for all imports as credit is not allowed. 

A big question we should consider right now, will lift the embargo help alleviate human rights violations in Cuba? Violations are still happening in Cuba and will not disappear in the near future - embargo or not. Steps need to be taken by the Cuban government to change its abusive policies towards its people, and the U.S. should make sure that we're not supporting oppressive policies and behavior. 

The end of the Cuban’s falling socialist system might mean the end of the infiltration and manipulation in Latin America. But there is a lot of work to do to get there. 

Introduction: About 'Latin America Point of View'

The reason I started this blog is because I find there is a lot of misconception in the U.S. about Latin American politics, economics, and social issues. I am a Latin-American documentary filmmaker residing in the U.S. with my last two features focused on these issues.

My work on Latin issues started in 2007. It was a time when people here in the U.S. were blatantly glorifying Chavez, a dictator from Venezuela with a long list of human rights violations and who took over a beautiful country and destroyed its economy, social structure, and even its documented history.

This blog is an extension of the passion I use to fuel my filmmaking. A place where I can (and contributors can) openly talk about our point of views on all things Latin Americana.

My latest documentary:
Celebrating Life in Union, Narrated by Andy Garcia