Welcome to the Edge of Sports Podcast. I'm Dave Ziron.

We have an incredible show with you this week. Thank you so much to the Nation magazine for sponsoring this pod because we are going to do an entire program devoted to resistance to the priorities of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, which of course is going to be hosted primarily in that rogue state, otherwise known as the United States of America. Mexico and Canada are also doing some hosting

duties, but 70% of the games will be in these here United States. Our guests are as stellar

as our topic is important. First, we are going to be talking to Daniel Loronia from Amnesty International

about their devastating new report called Humanity Must Win,

defending rights, tackling repression at the 26 FIFA World Cup.

We're going to go a deep dive into that report, and I'll use the word again.

It is a devastating indictment of the United States and how it's using the World Cup to further Donald Trump's fascistic agenda.

Then we have with us the great veteran of over five decades in the struggle for black liberation and human rights, Ajamu Baraka.

Now, Baraka is here to represent the World Cup out of the U.S. campaign that's being led by his organization,

the Black Alliance for Peace, and their anti-fascist football coalition.

It's going to be a hell of a show.

So let's start right now with Amnesty International Zone, Daniel Loronea.

Daniel Neronia, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast.

Thank you, David.

So before we get to the Amnesty International Report and what you are saying about the World Cup, the dangers for

so many people who are part of this project. I just wanted to get my audience to learn a little

bit about you. So what is your relationship past or present with the sport of soccer? And how did you come to be doing this work for Amnesty International?

Well, I'm a very good question. So I'm an Ecuadorian, an American human rights attorney. So growing up in South America, football soccer is basically part of your daily life.

You are born with it. You grow up with it and you cannot escape it. It's actually, it's a family

tradition, it's a neighborhood tradition, and it's part of your identity. So like when they offered me the chance to work on these, I jumped into it because it's

very close to me and it's important because football, soccer, it's very much ingrained

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