The Poblete Dispatches

Cuba is back in the news, and not by accident. On May 29, 2026, I joined Tracy Sabol on Newsmax for a wide-ranging conversation on Cuba, U.S. sanctions enforcement, and the broader hemispheric picture. The visible story is the departure of foreign operators like Sherritt Mining and the Spanish hotel groups; the deeper story, and the one Washington still does not answer well, is what to do with the...

In this episode of The Poblete Dispatches , host Jason Poblete sits down with Betty Marroquín—former Guatemalan diplomat, political leader, and recent vice presidential candidate—for a candid and timely discussion on one of Latin America's most critical political and security frontlines. They explore the escalating challenges of transnational organized crime, the implications for regional and U.S....

Yesterday, I joined Tracy Sabol on EWTN News Nightly to discuss an issue that has been long overdue for serious policy action—the designation of Latin American drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the Trump administration. For years, policymakers have treated these cartels as if they were just criminal syndicates engaged in narco-trafficking. That view was always narrow and ou...

In February, we spoke with Ms. Gazelle Sharmahd , the daughter of Mr. Jamshid Sharmahd. As his friends and family call him, Jimmy is a U.S. Legal Permanent resident based with his family in California. A year ago this month, Jimmy was on his way back home to the United States from a business trip when he was kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates and taken hostage by the Iranian regime. A registere...

Last week the center-right President of Guatemala had to contend with what was supposed to have been massive streets protests from opponents on the left. Well, it fizzled, and nothing of any political consequence materialized on the streets of Guatemala. In this podcast, we talk again with businesswoman and fellow liberty warrior Betty Marroquin about this and other issues in the headlines in Guat...

The road to justice is usually a very long one. Accountability for gross violations of human rights, such as crimes against humanity, can elude victims or family members, sometimes for a lifetime. This podcast is the first of several planned podcasts that will discuss how former Iranian regime officials have been offered lucrative posts at several American universities. In this episode, Jason talk...

In this episode, Jason Poblete talks with Dr. Danielle Gilbert, Ph. D., an Assistant Professor of  Military & Strategic Studies  at the  U.S. Air Force Academy . Dr. Gilbert received her Ph. D. in Political Science from the  George Washington University  in Washington, DC, where she also served as a Ph. D. candidate-in-residence with the Institute of Security and Conflict Studies .  Her resear...

Dr. J Michael Waller is Senior Analyst for Strategy at the Center for Security Policy . His areas of concentration include propaganda, political warfare, psychological warfare, and subversion. He is the former Walter and Leonore Annenberg Professor of International Communication at the Institute of World Politics, a graduate school in Washington, DC. A former instructor with the Naval Postgraduate...

In February U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), joined by 25 of their Senate colleagues from both political parties, strongly urged President Joe Biden to reverse the Trump administration's decision to officially recognize the Kingdom of Morocco’s illegitimate claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara. In the letter that was released to the public , the Senators asked the Biden...

Diane Foley is the Founder and President of the James W. Foley Foundation (JWFLF). She founded the JWFLF in September 2014, less than a month after the public execution by ISIS terrorists of her son, James Foley. Since 2014, she has led JWFLF efforts to fund the start of Hostage US and the international A Culture Of Safety Alliance, ACOS.  In 2015, she actively participated in the National Counter...

The persecution of Christians worldwide is at an all-time high. In this podcast episode, Jason Poblete addresses the crisis with Faith McDonnell, who has been on the frontlines of religious freedom advocacy since the 1970s. Faith is currently the Director of Advocacy at Katartismos Global , a 501(c)(3) organization that equips the Church for mission and ministry. From 1993 until 2021, Faith served...

Retired Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.) has dedicated his life to public service, particularly in defense of fundamental human rights and religious freedom. In this podcast, GLA President Jason Poblete talks with Mr. Wolf on a variety of religious freedom issues such as the persecuted churches in Nigeria, China, and the Middle East.  Working across party lines Congressman Wolf helped lead the effor...

In this podcast, Jason speaks with Ms. Hollie McKay, journalist, foreign policy expert, and war crimes investigator. Formerly with Fox News , Hollie is currently a national bureau correspondent covering national and international news from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, and Myanmar. Her most recent book, Only Cry for the Living: Memos From Inside the ISIS Battlefi...

In this episode, former Guatemalan Vice Presidential candidate, diplomat, and conservative liberty warrior Betty Marroquin joins Jason Poblete again to discuss the recent appointments to Guatemala’s constitutional court - the five permanent and five alternative judges that will take office on April 14, 2021 - as well as why the U.S. and Guatemala should be concerned about working with corrupt offi...

Almost 30 years since the end of the Cold War, former Eastern Bloc nations such as Bulgaria are still struggling with Soviet ghosts, including the corruption of the legal system. That is exactly what is going on in Bulgaria, a NATO partner and strong U.S. ally. Rocked by street protests during much of last year, Bulgarians are tired of the corruption and are demanding reform of the legal system.  ...

In this podcast, Jason Poblete speaks with international lawyer Ms. Emma Reilly, a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Human Rights Officer and whistleblower. Since 2013, Emma has been calling attention to a troubling practice at the UNHRC that has endangered the lives of dissidents and other human rights abuse victims who visit or testify at the UN. Despite well-documented evidence of wro...

On this podcast, Jason speaks with Juan Carlos Gomez, Associate Clinical Professor at the Florida International University College of Law and Director of the Carlos A. Costa Immigration Human Rights Clinic. They discuss the law as an instrument for good, especially when used to help those at the margins of society, such as the mentally ill.  Prof. Gomez has been defending the rights of individuals...

This week on the GLA podcast, GLA President Jason Poblete speaks with Ms. Gazelle Sharmahd, the daughter of Mr. Jamshid Sharmahd.  A U.S. Legal Permanent resident based with his family in California, Jamshid was kidnapped and taken hostage by the regime on or about August 1, 2020. A registered nurse working on the pandemic's frontlines, Gazelle is one of her father's strongest advocates for his re...

On Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration's "Cuba policy is governed by two principles. First, support for democracy and human rights - that will be at the core of our efforts. Second is Americans, especially Cuban-Americans, are the best ambassadors for freedom in Cuba. So we’ll review the Trump administration policies." Dr. Andy Gomez, former...

In this episode, Jason Poblete talks with South Florida attorney (and former GLA law clerk) Ms. Laura Jiménez about her journey to human rights and international law, especially through advocating for immigrants.  Born in Havana, Cuba, Laura started her legal profession in Mexico, where she obtained her Law Degree. After several years of practice, she moved with her family to Miami, where she stud...

A Mom's Peace is a mission for m others o f m iscarried and s tillborn souls. Headquartered in Virginia and run by volunteers, it supports moms, and dads, of all faith and non-faith backgrounds during a very difficult time - the loss of a child. A Mom's Peace also helps provide dignity and respect in death for miscarried or stillborn babies, the youngest of our clients.  This podcast is the first...

A 29-year United Nations (UN)-brokered ceasefire in the ongoing conflict for Western Sahara came to an end last week in the Sahara Desert when Moroccan forces clashed with the nationalist Polisario Front.  On today's show, Jason talks with Ms. Katlyn Thomas, a New York-based and practicing international attorney who served as the first legal advisor to the U N Mission for the Referendum in Western...

There has been a political reawakening in the United States of a new generation of voters and freedom advocates that has also been happening in other parts of the world, including Latin America and Europe. In this podcast, GLA President Jason Poblete talks with fellow attorney, María Herrera Mellado, about this liberty movement in Latin America and Spain.  Licensed to practice law in several U.S....

During this podcast, Jason talks with a fellow international lawyer and human rights advocate, Mr. Hillel C. Neuer. Hillel is the executive director of UN Watch. UN Watch is a human rights NGO and UN watchdog group based in Geneva, Switzerland. Neuer is the founding chairman of the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, a coalition of 25 NGOs from around the world.  Neuer is from Montreal,...

In this interview, renowned international litigator Robert Amsterdam and Jason Poblete discuss topics related to Mr. Amsterdam's sensational international legal experience, including a near-death in a 2010 Bangkok massacre, U.S. foreign policy pitfalls in Africa, views on U.S. sanctions, the challenges of attorney-client confidentiality over Zoom, and the importance of international know-how in an...