Carlos and Blanca Mazal

Dear all,

Greetings from Geneva.

Blanca and I have been married for 34 years, plus some overtime at Covell for an, all-included, 38-year jouney through rough trials and tribulations and wonderful and rewarding scenic roads. Life is good. We have two sweet children ( Victoria, 26 and Carlos, 21) trying to make it in life and an inseparable part of our own journey. We have lived in seven Latin America countries, several times in the US and we are on our second tour of Geneva where I work for the United Nations on matters of intellectual property. I am now the Director for Latin America. Blanca is President of the United Nations Women's Guild which acts a charity for needey children all over the world.

On June 26 I will be decorated with the highest award bestowed upon foreigners by the Government of Chile for services rendered as Chief of Mission of the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration in the country during the earlier '80s when I negotiated the release of hundreds of political prisioners from Pinochet's regime and sent them overseas. Better late than never. Thinking back what I did was neither motivated by political nor ideological reasons, despite despising Pinochet as I do all dictators. I come from Uruguay where-back then at least-I was educated to serve and from parents who taugh me to defend democratic values and those less fortunate who were not protected by law. Controversial as it may sound, I would do it again if things were of a different political nature. People are what matter. I will think of all of you when I accept this honor since you are all part of who I am and what I believe in.

La vita e' bella, despite everything.

Un fraternal abrazo,

Carlos y Blanca