Miami
An editorial cartoonist brandishing a hunting knife and a toy gun held several staff members of The Miami Herald hostage for three and a half hours last week, before surrendering peacefully to police. Jose Varela, 50, faces three counts of aggravated assault after commandeering the paper's boardroom and announcing, "I am in control here, I am in charge of El Nuevo Herald"—the Spanish-language paper published by The Miami Herald. Varela, a former staff cartoonist for both papers, said he wanted to expose unspecified "conflicts of interest" at the publications. Insiders speculated that the incident could be related to a controversy over a September Herald article that revealed that three Herald reporters had accepted payments from the U.S.-funded Radio Marti, which beams anti-Castro broadcasts into Cuba. Local Cuban activists complained that Herald managers had approved of the arrangement, yet initially fired the reporters. They were later offered their jobs back.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.