David E. Hoffman
@davidehoffman.bsky.social
davidehoffman.com — The Oligarchs, The Dead Hand, The Billion Dollar Spy, and Give Me Liberty. Washington Post 2023 editorial series “Annals of Autocracy”: https://wapo.st/3K8LVNd
If you are wondering what is this fabled “Dead Hand” that Dmitry Medvedev is threatening with, I’ve got you covered. www.davidehoffman.com/the-dead-han...
August 1, 2025 at 7:22 PM
If you are wondering what is this fabled “Dead Hand” that Dmitry Medvedev is threatening with, I’ve got you covered. www.davidehoffman.com/the-dead-han...
In an inspiring and moving tribute, the National Endowment for Democracy today awarded the Democracy Service Medal posthumously to the Cuban democracy fighter Oswaldo Payá on the 13th anniversary of his murder by the Castro regime. From L: Reinaldo, Rosa María, Ofelia and Oswaldito accept the award
July 23, 2025 at 1:32 AM
In an inspiring and moving tribute, the National Endowment for Democracy today awarded the Democracy Service Medal posthumously to the Cuban democracy fighter Oswaldo Payá on the 13th anniversary of his murder by the Castro regime. From L: Reinaldo, Rosa María, Ofelia and Oswaldito accept the award
This melancholy but powerful new book from Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan is out today and tells the heart-wrenching story of hopes born and dashed — their own — in Russia. Two great journalists open their souls.
June 4, 2025 at 2:00 AM
This melancholy but powerful new book from Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan is out today and tells the heart-wrenching story of hopes born and dashed — their own — in Russia. Two great journalists open their souls.
Thinking today of my Wash Post colleague Jamal Khashoggi — Saudi exponent of democracy, murdered for his views by thugs sent from the Kingdom. His body never found.
May 13, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Thinking today of my Wash Post colleague Jamal Khashoggi — Saudi exponent of democracy, murdered for his views by thugs sent from the Kingdom. His body never found.
Martin Wolf nails it in today’s @FT — “The cult of the strongman is a perennial folly.”
April 16, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Martin Wolf nails it in today’s @FT — “The cult of the strongman is a perennial folly.”
Saddened at the passing of Mario Vargas Llosa, who was unwavering in his support for Oswaldo Payá and his Varela Project — a quest for democracy and freedom in a dictatorship. Condolences to his family. He wrote this for “Give Me Liberty”:
April 14, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Saddened at the passing of Mario Vargas Llosa, who was unwavering in his support for Oswaldo Payá and his Varela Project — a quest for democracy and freedom in a dictatorship. Condolences to his family. He wrote this for “Give Me Liberty”:
One million Americans died, just a few years ago. Have we learned nothing at all from the calamity?
April 12, 2025 at 8:26 PM
One million Americans died, just a few years ago. Have we learned nothing at all from the calamity?
This is a tragedy of the first order—a self-inflicted wound on an institution that represents the best of our democracy and civil society. Do you think there is anything like it in Moscow or Beijing?
April 8, 2025 at 4:35 AM
This is a tragedy of the first order—a self-inflicted wound on an institution that represents the best of our democracy and civil society. Do you think there is anything like it in Moscow or Beijing?
Oh what a different time it was. Elected president in 1988, Bush immediately pledges to work with Congress.
March 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Oh what a different time it was. Elected president in 1988, Bush immediately pledges to work with Congress.
Big news from Cuba: José Daniel Ferrer Garcia has been freed from unjust imprisonment. He’s holding up the sign of ‘L’ for ‘Libertad,’ and was an original backer of the Varela Project seeking democracy in Castro’s dictatorship. There are hundreds more who must be released.
January 16, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Big news from Cuba: José Daniel Ferrer Garcia has been freed from unjust imprisonment. He’s holding up the sign of ‘L’ for ‘Libertad,’ and was an original backer of the Varela Project seeking democracy in Castro’s dictatorship. There are hundreds more who must be released.
One of the many laudable accomplishments of Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency was his 2002 address in Havana, on live televison, endorsing the Varela Project for democracy.
December 29, 2024 at 11:02 PM
One of the many laudable accomplishments of Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency was his 2002 address in Havana, on live televison, endorsing the Varela Project for democracy.
If Putin is such a genius, why are hundreds of thousands marching 25 days in a row in Georgia in order to stay out of Moscow’s clutches? Ukraine fighting a war of survival? It is NOT back to the USSR for these people, who want to live in democracy. Photo: @Ezz_Gaber_Photo
December 23, 2024 at 3:33 AM
If Putin is such a genius, why are hundreds of thousands marching 25 days in a row in Georgia in order to stay out of Moscow’s clutches? Ukraine fighting a war of survival? It is NOT back to the USSR for these people, who want to live in democracy. Photo: @Ezz_Gaber_Photo
Six journalists from the pioneering independent channel Meydan TV have been wrongly detained in Azerbaijan. They must be freed.
December 18, 2024 at 9:20 PM
Six journalists from the pioneering independent channel Meydan TV have been wrongly detained in Azerbaijan. They must be freed.
Riveting and inspiring reports from Georgia showing a strong demand for a future in Europe and not under Russia’s thumb.
December 3, 2024 at 1:01 AM
Riveting and inspiring reports from Georgia showing a strong demand for a future in Europe and not under Russia’s thumb.
30 years ago, the U.S. airlifted highly-enriched uranium out of Kazakhstan—one of the great nonproliferation success stories. Longest C5 flight ever. For an excerpt from The Dead Hand: wapo.st/4eIE7yI And for key documents, see posting at Natl Security Archive: nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEB...
November 24, 2024 at 1:14 AM
30 years ago, the U.S. airlifted highly-enriched uranium out of Kazakhstan—one of the great nonproliferation success stories. Longest C5 flight ever. For an excerpt from The Dead Hand: wapo.st/4eIE7yI And for key documents, see posting at Natl Security Archive: nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEB...
You can see for miles! Étretat, France.
November 22, 2024 at 3:52 PM
You can see for miles! Étretat, France.
Tonight at 9, world release of “Night is Not Eternal,” the HBO documentary by Nanfu Wang about Rosa María Payá and her struggle for a free and democratic Cuba. Here is trailer: www.hbo.com/movies/night... For more about her father, Oswaldo Payá, see my biography: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...
November 19, 2024 at 12:50 PM
Tonight at 9, world release of “Night is Not Eternal,” the HBO documentary by Nanfu Wang about Rosa María Payá and her struggle for a free and democratic Cuba. Here is trailer: www.hbo.com/movies/night... For more about her father, Oswaldo Payá, see my biography: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...
Good morning, Seine!
November 18, 2024 at 1:56 PM
Good morning, Seine!
What are oligarchs? Are the billionaires around Trump the same as the Russian oligarchs? I wrote a book about the Russian tycoons 22 years ago, and there are differences—and similarities.
November 15, 2024 at 9:02 PM
What are oligarchs? Are the billionaires around Trump the same as the Russian oligarchs? I wrote a book about the Russian tycoons 22 years ago, and there are differences—and similarities.
Good Friday morning!
November 15, 2024 at 12:26 PM
Good Friday morning!
My first day here.
November 13, 2024 at 12:50 AM
My first day here.