International
Wine Tales from the White House: A historic blend of american influence
In the annals of recent U.S. history, amid episodes like the 2021 Capitol siege, America’s experience with unforeseen circumstances dates back to 1829. It was a time when the raucous celebration of the seventh president’s inauguration, Andrew Jackson, spun out of control for a clear reason: wine.
“At that time, anyone could enter the White House, and with alcohol, the crowd went wild at the inaugural party, damaging objects in the building,” detailed Frederick J. Ryan in an interview with EFE. Ryan, who served as chief of staff for former President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) after his tenure at the White House, reveals such secrets and anecdotes in the new edition of ‘Wine and the White House: A History,’ shedding light on the historical significance of wine in the life within the president’s official residence.
“The staff had to take alcohol to the front yard of the White House to get people out of the house,” continued the author, who was one of the creators of the Politico portal in 2007 and later served as editor and executive director of The Washington Post for a decade.
Exploring Wine’s Influence
The hefty tome aims to support the educational mission of the White House Historical Association. The author recently released a second updated edition of the work that originally hit shelves in 2020, garnering 12 national and international awards since then.
“Wine has been used in diplomacy since the founding of the country. There are records of President George Washington drinking wine while planning the War of Independence,” affirmed Ryan from his office at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, where he currently chairs the board of trustees.
Tradition and Change
Ryan added that wine serves as “a tool of protocol and persuasion,” a hallmark of significant encounters with its own language: “Toasting, raising a glass at the table, is a way of showing respect.”
The White House has hosted presidents with great interest in the field, such as Richard Nixon and Thomas Jefferson, who meticulously noted the wines served at banquets. Ronald Reagan, as recounted by his former chief of staff to EFE, was familiar with the wine industry from his years as governor of California (1967-1975).
These profiles contrast with more recent ones, as three of the last four U.S. presidents are teetotalers: George Bush, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden do not drink, but wine continued to play a central role during their presidencies, with alternatives like fruit juice, water, or other beverages being served for toasts.
Wine Policy at the White House
Nevertheless, Ryan clarified that the wine quantities served at these gatherings are “moderate” because hosts and guests “are about to make important decisions.”
Currently, the White House cellar shelves exclusively hold American wines in small quantities. Instead of storing thousands of bottles for years, “the president and his staff purchase wine before each special event.”
Celebrating Cultural Diversity
The final selection always features American labels to showcase that “all 50 states now have good wine.” Thus, the geographical connection with guests is established based on other aspects, such as the vintner’s origin.
“When King Juan Carlos I of Spain visited in 2000, three different American wines produced by vintners of Spanish descent were served,” explained Ryan, offering an example while displaying the dedicated page in the book.
Paradoxically, wine remained in the White House even during the Prohibition era, leading Ryan to believe that “its presence at the presidential table will not wane,” becoming an integral part of American and global power customs.
International
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday requested that the Supreme Court restore his freedom while he appeals the historic 12-year house arrest sentence he received for bribery and procedural fraud.
Uribe, the most prominent figure of Colombia’s right wing, was convicted last week by a lower court for attempting to bribe paramilitary members into denying his ties to the violent anti-guerrilla squads.
Since Friday, the 73-year-old has been under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, about 30 km from Medellín. The judge justified the measure by citing a risk of flight.
However, Uribe’s defense team rejected that argument and formally petitioned the court to immediately lift the detention order, claiming it lacks legal basis.
Uribe, a dominant force in Colombian politics for decades, is now the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted and placed under arrest, found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice to prevent links to paramilitary groups.
He has repeatedly denounced the trial as politically motivated, blaming pressure from the leftist government currently in power.
His political party, Centro Democrático, has called for nationwide protests on August 7 in support of Uribe, who remains popular for his hardline stance against guerrilla groups.
Uribe has until August 13 to submit his written appeal. The case will then move to the Bogotá High Court, which has until October 16 to uphold, overturn, or dismiss the sentence. If the deadline passes without a decision, the case will be archived.
International
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
The poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently engulfed in a deep political crisis and a wave of violence driven by armed groups — a situation that an international security mission led by Kenya is attempting to stabilize.
Due to the worsening security conditions, the U.S. government has suspended all official movements of embassy personnel outside the compound in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a security alert posted on social media platform X.
“There are intense gunfights in the Tabarre neighborhood, near the U.S. Embassy,” the alert reads, urging the public to avoid the area.
Tabarre is a municipality located near Port-au-Prince International Airport, northeast of the Haitian capital.
According to a July report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haitibetween January 1 and June 30 of this year.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
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