When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Profile 360

EL TIEMPO

Profile 360° → Remembering Jaime Garzon, Colombia's Brave Comic

This coming August will mark 20 years since the death of Jaime Garzón, an unlikely martyr in Colombia's long-running battles with organized crime, drug trafficking and government corruption. Despite studying law and working in politics, what eventually turned him into one of the country's most influential figures through the 1990s was his sense of humor. His comedy routines, often critical of corrupt politicians, earned Garzón enemies in the highest of ranks of Colombian public life. At the pinnacle of his fame on August 13, 1999, after getting involved in a hostage exchange and peace negotiations with the guerrillas, he was shot to death by two hit men on a motorcycle in Bogotá. He was 38. The entire country mourned the man who'd given Colombians an outlet for their frustration and hopes of changing a fundamentally violent and corrupt nation. Though progress has been made in Colombia, notably the end to decades of civil war, the case of his murder remains unsolved.

FLASH BIO

Place of Birth: Bogotá, Colombia

Date of Birth: October 24, 1960.

Education: Studied law and political sciences at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Previous Experience: Mayor of Sumapaz, a district in Bogotá.

Breakthrough: In 1987, former director of newscast "Noticiero de las 7" Antonio Morales heard that "some mayor" had become a local sensation as a skilled and talented impressionist. Captivated by the story, Morales invited Garzón to his show for a demonstration, thrusting Garzón into the national spotlight.

Watch VideoShow less

Michel Barnier: Is The EU's Mr Brexit Set To Become Monsieur EU?

PARIS — He looks the part. Michel Barnier, the former French cabinet minister and longtime EU political fixture, could easily be plucked by Hollywood casting agents to play the role of European Commission president.

Whether he gets the job in the coming days is a question too complex for any movie script — or news article. Insiders in Brussels, for example, are now busy debating the risks of abandoning a system that is described only with a virtually untranslatable German word spitzenkandidaten.

Keep reading...Show less

Profile 360° → Sara Gama, A Radical Reset For Italian Soccer

Italian soccer has had its fair share of icons — and prejudices. With the Women's World Cup underway, it's time to rewrite the rules of the beautiful game for the beautiful country.

Black and female, straight-talking and proudly Italian: Sara Gama, the captain of Italy's women soccer team, has become a role model for what the bel paese could become in the 21st century. There's even a Barbie doll dedicated to her. Still, Gama may represent a threat for some, with her personal story and frank words undermining some of the rhetoric coming from the anti-immigrant League party that's become the top political force in Italy after the recent European elections.

As the Women's World Cup gets underway in France, Gama is fighting for more than the international title: She wants everyone to give women as much credit as men. "One day we'll talk about soccer and that's it, without defining the gender," she says. As for being a multiethnic captain for the national team of the national sport in Italy, Gama is clear: "It shows the face of a globalized society. We are mixed, and mixing improves us. The more you see it, the more you get used to it."

Keep reading...Show less
EXPLORE OTHER TOPICS
chinaitalyusafrancegermany