All eyes are now fixed on the US-Israeli War on Iran, so there’s been little attention to US moves to undermine socialist Colombian President Gustavo Petro, which could, at worst, see him in prison alongside Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom the US kidnapped on January 3rd. The Drug Enforcement Agency calls him a “priority target,” and the Department of Justice has begun investigating him for alleged narco trafficking. I spoke to attorney and author Dan Kovalik, President Petro’s legal representative in US and international courts, who said that Petro’’s akin to a rock star in Colombia, where huge crowds turn out to meet him in public.
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The explosive revelations about UFW leader Cesar Chavez and his treatment of girls and women raise a deeper question: what within the United Farm Workers allowed this to persist for decades?
We first hear from Paul Ortiz, a professor of labor history at Cornell University and former UFW organizer, who examines the union’s history, including internal purges that may have contributed to this culture. He is followed by Desiree Rojas—daughter of UFW co-founder Al Rojas and organizer Elena Rojas—who reflects on her experience and the broader legacy. Both were interviewed by Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer.
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We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Polina Vasiliev, and Ann Garrison.
You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism race and democracy dot ORG”. Make sure you click the subscribe button. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.
Thanks for listening!
Music:
Carlos Vives – La Tierra del Olvido (Official Video Remastered)
