Carranza Medina was a 42-year-old fisherman killed when the U.S. military bombed his small boat in the Caribbean off Colombia’s coast on September 15, 2025, in a strike the Trump administration described as targeting drug traffickers. In this podcast, we have a conversation with human rights lawyer and author Dan Kovalik, who represents the Carranza family and has filed a petition before the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights arguing that the United States carried out an extrajudicial killing and violated both his right to life and Colombia’s sovereignty.

Kovalik discusses the escalating U.S. military intervention in the Caribbean, analyzing the blockade of Venezuela, deadly strikes on suspected drug boats, and the return of "gunboat diplomacy" under the Trump administration's new "Monroe Doctrine."

The conversation broadens to include the political struggle across Latin America, speculating why the progressive "Pink Tide" has receded and how right-wing forces have become ascendant. From the coups in Bolivia to the resilience of Cuba and Nicaragua, Kovalik draws crucial lessons for the left. Finally, the hosts confront the parallel erosion of democratic norms at home, the weaponization of the law, the dismantling of the administrative state, and the silent crisis in due process. This is a sobering yet essential analysis of modern imperialism and the urgent fight to inform and mobilize public resistance.

Dan Kovalik has taught International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he has shared his experience with students and broader audiences on labor struggles, Colombia, and international law. He has lectured internationally on human rights and U.S. foreign policy and has been active in public forums, media appearances, and conferences, including talks on Venezuela and other conflict zones.

He is the author of several books, including:

• • The Plot to Scapegoat Russia (2017), on efforts in U.S. politics to vilify Russia.
  • The Plot to Attack Iran and The Plot to Control the World, extending his critique of U.S. foreign policy and election interference abroad.
  • The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela: How the US Is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil, with a foreword by filmmaker Oliver Stone.
  • No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using “Humanitarian” Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests (co-authored, 2020).
  • The Case for Palestine: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care (2024), with a foreword by George Galloway.

Dan Kovalik’s Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Kovalik

Dan Kovalik’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dan-Kovalik/author/B06XZ9ZRSD

Greg’s Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/

Pat’s Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/

DanKovalik#Venezuelablockade#USinterventionVenezuela#MonroeDoctrine#extrajudicialkillings#Colombiafishermanlawsuit#Inter-AmericanCommissionHumanRights#regimechange#gunboatdiplomacy#LatinAmericapolitics#PinkTide#USLatinAmericapolicy#Trumpforeignpolicy#oilwars#politicalassassination#dueprocess#humanrightslaw#NicaraguaCuba#socialisminLatinAmerica#USimperialism##PatCummings#GregGodels#ZZsBlog#ComingFromLeftField#Podcast#zzblog#mltoday

In this deep-dive episode, we sit down with legendary investigative journalist and author John Dinges to discuss his acclaimed book, “Chile in Their Hearts: The Untold Story of Two Americans Who Went Missing After the Coup.”

Journey back to the early 1970s, when Chile became the global epicenter for progressive hope, attracting thousands of idealistic foreigners, including young Americans, to witness Salvador Allende's democratic "revolution with red wine and empanadas." Dinges, who was there, sets the scene of this vibrant, politically charged moment.

The heart of the conversation is Dinges's decades-long investigation into the fates of two such Americans—Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi—who were killed after Pinochet's brutal 1973 coup. We tackle difficult truths and enduring myths, including the 1982 Academy Award-winning film, “Missing.” Dinges reveals his startling conclusion: while the U.S. government did not directly order their deaths, it was utterly complicit in the regime's terror and the ensuing cover-up.

We also explore Operation Condor, the sinister international assassination network Dinges helped expose, detailing the intimate and damning role of U.S. intelligence. This is a masterclass in investigative journalism, as Dinges explains why following the evidence—even when it contradicts your beliefs—is paramount.

John Dinges is an American investigative journalist, author, and longtime chronicler of U.S. involvement in Latin America, especially during the era of military dictatorships. He began his career at the Des Moines Register & Tribune and later worked as a freelance correspondent in Latin America, serving as a special correspondent for Time, The Washington Post, and ABC Radio. Dinges worked on the foreign desk of The Washington Post and then at NPR, where he became managing editor and helped shape the network’s foreign coverage.

Get the Book: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/chile-in-their-hearts/paper

John Dinges’s Homepage: https://johndinges.com/

Greg’s Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/

Pat’s Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/

JohnDinges#Chile#ChileInTheirHearts#1973#Chilemilitarycoup#SalvadorAllende#Pinochetdictatorship#OperationCondor#CharlesHorman#FrankTeruggi#Missingmovie1982#USinterventionChile#CIALatinAmerica#HenryKissingerChile#Investigativejournalism#LatinAmericanhistory#ColdWarChile#PatCummings#GregGodels#ZZsBlog#ComingFromLeftField#Podcast#zzblog#mltoday

In this podcast is an interview with Dr. Carla Kaplan, author of the biography "Troublemaker: The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford." The conversation centers on the extraordinary life of Jessica "Decca" Mitford, one of the famous (and famously eccentric) Mitford sisters.

Jessica "Decca" Mitford was an aristocratic British rebel who became a formidable American left-wing activist and muckraking journalist. Born into the famously eccentric Mitford family—where her sisters included a Nazi sympathizer and a fascist—Decca rejected her life of privilege to join the Communist Party in the United States. As the author explains, Decca was a "biographer's gift": fiercely principled, incredibly hard-working, and gifted with a brilliant sense of humor that she used as a powerful tool for activism. Her training in the Communist Party, particularly on the West Coast, taught her to listen to marginalized communities, shaping her into a highly effective and empathetic ally in the civil rights movement.

Dr. Carla Kaplan is a distinguished scholar in American literature, women’s writing, African American literature, and feminist theory. She holds the Davis Distinguished Professorship in American Literature at Northeastern University and founded the Humanities Center to encourage diversity and interdisciplinary dialogue. Her academic career includes roles at Yale University, the University of Southern California, Wellesley College, and the University of Illinois. Dr. Kaplan also teaches writing through various arts councils and writers’ centers. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University.

Get the Book: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/troublemaker-carla-kaplan

Dr. Kaplan’s Homepage: https://carlakaplan.com/

Greg’s Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/

Pat’s Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/about

JessicaMitford#Troublemakerbiography#CarlaKaplaninterview#Mitfordsisters#DeccaMitford#AmericanWayofDeath#CommunistPartyUSA#muckrakingjournalism#leftwingactivism#biographypodcast#Britisharistocracy#fascistMitfordsisters#DianaMitford#UnityMitford#civilrightsmovement#investigativejournalism#funeralindustryexpose#famouswritersschool#historicalbiography#PatCummings#GregGodels#ZZBlog#ComingFromLeftField#ComingFromLeftFieldPodcast#zzblog#mltoday