From the Field to the Page: Why I Write
Reflections on why I enjoy writing.
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When the Votes Are Counted, What Remains?
Reflections after the elections in Portugal and Poland.
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Newsletter to friends
Reposting the newsletter to friends in English, Spanish and Polish languages. Originally sent by email.
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From the Tatras to the Tropics: A Journey of Heart, Heritage, and Horizons
Back to Caracas after 1 month travel across Europe and Central Asia.
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New photo gallery: Leo's visit to Poland and Slovakia
Leo's visit to Poland and Slovakia: wondering around southern Poland and northern Slovakia with my Venezuelan friend.
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Flash news/Press review:
02.06.2025: Euronews: Karol Nawrocki is set to become Poland's next president after a tense race in the election runoff against liberal candidate RafaΕ Trzaskowski on Sunday.
The conservative politician has pledged to hinder Prime Minister Donald Tusk government's centrist, pro-EU ambitions for the remainder of its term.
These are the most essential facts to know about Poland’s newly elected conservative president.
14.05.2025: Sudan’s civil war has escalated into a drone conflict, with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launching unprecedented suicide drone attacks on Port Sudan, prompting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to accuse the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supplying Chinese-made drones to the RSF—a claim the UAE denies.
03.05.2025: At least seven people were killed and 20 injured when helicopter gunships bombed the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Old Fangak, South Sudan, destroying the pharmacy and damaging the facility, which served over 110,000 people in the Greater Upper Nile region. MSF condemned the attack as a clear violation of international law, noting that the hospital was the only functional medical centre in the area, and the assault caused widespread panic and displacement among civilians.
29.04.2025: A massive blackout affected large parts of Spain and Portugal, leaving millions without electricity for several hours. Power has now been largely restored, but authorities are continuing to investigate the cause, which is thought to be related to a disruption in the European transmission network. The outage severely impacted transportation, businesses, and daily life across the Iberian Peninsula. Efforts are underway to stabilise the grid fully and prevent future incidents of this scale.
12.04.2025: New Humanitarian: The UN’s humanitarian coordination arm, OCHA, is planning to cut its workforce by 20%, in the latest sign of turbulence to strike a sector in crisis. Local NGOs cut staff nearly overnight after Trump and advisor Elon Musk abruptly axed foreign aid payments in January. International NGOs soon followed suit; more UN agencies, while slower to act, have told staff of cuts in recent weeks.
01.04.2025: Euronews: A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025, resulting in over 2,700 deaths and more than 4,500 injuries, with the death toll expected to rise. The disaster severely damaged infrastructure, including hospitals and roads, complicating rescue and relief efforts. The ongoing civil conflict in Myanmar further hampers aid distribution, as the military regime continues operations against rebel-held areas and obstructs humanitarian assistance.
07.03.2025: Humanitarian organisations are increasingly framing their work within donor governments’ strategic interests, such as countering rival powers or curbing migration, to secure funding in an era of budget cuts. This alignment risks compromising core humanitarian principles of neutrality and independence, ultimately weakening the credibility of aid efforts.
04.03.2005: "A staggering 895 cases of rape were reported to humanitarian actors in the last two weeks of February alone, the UN refugee agency official continued - an average of more than 60 a day.