Honest archival work is, I think, the most powerful antidote against complacent and arrogant certainty about the past.  I believe that most of us somehow instinctively feel that  the present is immensely complex and hard to grasp, and yet we often allow ourselves to think about the past as being somehow less complicated.  While...
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Tereixa Constenla has a lengthy piece in today's El Pais on Prof. Paul Preston's new book, The Spanish Holocaust, which tallies, narrates, and explains the tremendous cost in human lives and suffering of the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath:

Lo averiguado hoy nada tiene que ver con la verdad oficial asentada...
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The argument being made by Interights is fascinating and compelling: the violation of Judge Garzón’s rights is being committed in the prosecution itself, undermining judicial independence. This argument seems powerful and coherent, given the lengthy list of bizarre twists and turns that have characterized this case from the start.
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From Colombia Reports:

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon will travel to Colombia to work as an advisor to the Organization of American States (OAS) on human rights issues in the country and to monitor the paramilitary demobilization process, El Tiempo reported Thursday. No date has been set for his arrival though his...
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Images have begun to appear in the media of the set of Philip Kaufman's new film on Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. Rolling Stone published this photo taken earlier this week, showing Nicole Kidman (Gellhorn), Clive Owens (Hem), and Lars Ulrich, the drummer of Metallica, as the Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens.
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The Associated Press covers the story:

In its suit filed with the European court, Interights reiterates the judge’s argument that these were crimes against humanity and that a case body of international law says such crimes have no statute of limitations and cannot be covered by amnesty, according to a spokeswoman for...
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Yesterday the Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón brought a case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg challenging the lawfulness of his criminal prosecution in Spain for having opened an investigation into serious crimes committed during the Franco era, following a request by families and representatives of victims of the regime,. The...
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Today I had the pleasure of introducing the Spanish journalist, Anna Grau, to the treasures of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives.  Together, we went through the scrapbook of Bernard Danchik, a young gymnast from Brooklyn, who lobbied for, and participated in, the Olimpiada Popular, an alternative anti-fascist sports competition organized in Barcelona in 1936,...
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Marjorie Cohn, who gave ALBA's annual Susman lecture last month, calls for the US to stop bombing Libya:

There is no doubt that Muammar Qaddafi has been brutally repressing Libyans in order to maintain his power. But the purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security. The...
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Dear Friends: I wanted to let you know that there will be an Off Broadway production of "Triangle," an historical drama I've co-written with Sarasota based playwright Jack Gilhooley. 59 E. 59 Theaters will present the play as an Equity Showcase from April 14 through May 1. Amidst all the events surrounding the centennial...
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