Dan Kovalik (born 1968) is an American human rights, labor rights lawyer and peace activist.[1][2] He has contributed articles to CounterPunch, The Huffington Post and TeleSUR.[3] He teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.[3]
Daniel Kovalik | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 Louisville |
| Alma mater | Columbia Law School |
| Years active | 1987 - present |
| Spouse | Christine Haas |
| Parent(s) | Richard and Bonnie Kovalik |
Education
Kovalik graduated from the Columbia Law School in 1993.[3]
Career work
Kovalik has been involved in international human rights and social justice, mainly in Latin America.[1] He is a critic of United States foreign policy.[4] Kovalik's first book, The Plot to Scapegoat Russia, was published in 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing.[5]
Colombia
He worked on the Alien Tort Claims Act cases against The Coca-Cola Company, Drummond Company and Occidental Petroleum over alleged human rights abuses in Colombia.[3] Kovalik accused the United States of intervention in Colombia saying it has threatened peaceful actors there so it may "make Colombian land secure for massive appropriation and exploitation".[6] He also accused the Colombian and United States governments of overseeing mass killings in Colombia between 2002 and 2009.[7]
Venezuela
Kovalik is a supporter of the Venezuelan government.[8] He has defended the Venezuelan government following both the 2014 Venezuelan protests[9] and the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014 law enacted by the United States allowing the sanctioning of individuals who allegedly violated the human rights of Venezuelans.[10] In a radio interview with Matt Dwyer about Venezuela's 2013 elections, Kovalik called the Bolivarian Revolution "the most benevolent revolution in history".[8][11] On 26 February 2014, he attended the "Chávez Was Here" gathering created by the Embassy of Venezuela, Washington, D.C. to commemorate the presidency of Hugo Chávez and to show support for the Bolivarian Revolution. At the gathering, Kovalik spoke beside the Venezuelan ambassador Julio Escalona and economist Mark Weisbrot.[11][12][13]
United States
Kovalik is the Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers union.[3] He is a critic of US foreign policy[4] and has said that every President of the United States after World War II was a "War Criminal". He said that US citizens accept poor actions by its leaders, and "it is this acceptance, especially by the Liberal establishment, which continues to allow the worst crimes to continue today in the name of democracy, freedom and human rights".[14] He is also critical of the Responsibility to protect (R2P) doctrine, believing that it is "a tool of U.S. intervention".
Recognition
- 3rd Most Significant Censored Story Award by Project Censored (2001)[15]
- David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship by Stanford University School of Law (2002)[15]
References
- ^ a b "Dan Kovalik". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ "Dan Kovalik". People's World. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Daniel Kovalik Adjunct Professor of Law". University of Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ a b Kovalik, Daniel. "Seven Truths Inconvenient to U.S. Foreign Policy". CounterPunch. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ The Plot to Scapegoat Russia
- ^ Kovalik, Daniel (8 May 2012). "Colombia: The Empire Strikes Back". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ Kovalik, Daniel (1 June 2012). "U.S. and Colombia Cover Up Atrocities Through Mass Graves". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ a b "49 – Dan Kovalik Social Critic/Human Rights Lawyer". Feral Audio. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
My take on it is that it is a revolutionary government and that it is the most benevolent revolution in history, and I'm not exaggerating.
- ^ Kovalik, Daniel (20 February 2014). "In Defense of Venezuela". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ Kovalik, Daniel (18 December 2014). "U.S. Is Trying To Sanction Progress in Venezuela/Latin America". Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
- ^ a b "The Legacy of Hugo Chávez One Year After His Death (Audio)". North American Congress on Latin America.
- ^ "Peoples of Latin America continue progressing to reach our destiny: independence". Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Por Aquí Paso Chávez". Flickr. Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ Kovalik, Daniel. "Jimmy Carter & the Myth of the Human Rights President". State of Nature. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Talk by Daniel Kovalik: COKE, COLOMBIA, AND HUMAN RIGHTS (Updated)". Coalition Against Coke Contracts (CACC). Retrieved 19 December 2014.
External links
