Opinion: U.S. missed out

Singer Jenni Rivera sings the national anthem at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in August. Rivera, 43, died Sunday, December 9, when the small plane she was traveling in crashed in the mountains of northern Mexico, her brother told CNN. Rivera attends the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Conference in April in Miami. Rivera performs at the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards in April in Miami. Rivera was known to fans as "La Diva de la Banda," or the Diva of Banda Music, establishing herself as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. In recent years, she had been working to crack the English-language U.S. market. Rivera at the SAGIndie Actors Only brunch in January during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. She reportedly was on the verge of crossover success with a sitcom inspired by "I Love Jenni," a Spanish-language reality TV show. Rivera performs during the Teleton 2010 in December 2010 in Mexico City. Rivera's performances of soulful ballads won her millions of fans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Rivera belts out a number during the 11th annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2010 in Las Vegas. Rivera takes on the Mexican national anthem before the junior middleweight bout between Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora in September 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The singer kisses her son during a July 2009 concert in Los Angeles. Rivera arrives at Univision's Premio Lo Nuestro a La Musica Latina Awards in March 2009 in Coral Gables, Florida. Rivera, right, joins singers Vikki Carr, left, and Olga Tanon during the ninth annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in Houston. Lupillo and Jenni Rivera team up during the ninth annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in Houston. Rivera attends the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year tribute to ranchera star Vicente Fernandez in September 2002 in Hollywood, California. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Damarys Ocaña: We mourn the death of rising Mexican-American star Jenni Rivera Ocaña: She overcame strife to reach the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men She was talented, down to earth and inspiring, Ocaña writes Ocaña: We mourn the lost opportunity to have Latina tell her story Editor's note: Damarys Ocaña is the executive editor at Latina magazine. (CNN) -- Mainstream America was supposed to get to know Jenni Rivera in the coming months, but not like this. Not because of her tragic death in a plane crash at just 43 years old. The Mexican-American singer, who died in Mexico on Sunday, had recently signed a deal with ABC to star in a sitcom about a single mom with quirky parenting skills who juggles family and business: a reflection of her real life. It would have been a chance for the country to get to know a remarkable superstar and woman who was talented, refreshingly down to earth and even inspiring. Rivera had a big voice, a big personality and an undeniably big presence, whether she was onstage, belting out songs about heartache in traditional Mexican dress or a sexy leather outfit, or off it, talking openly about her personal struggles and success. She was a luchadora, or fighter, who had overcome considerable personal strife, and she drew on her strength to climb to the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men. She started out in music as a young mother and eventually became a mogul who sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including 1.2 million albums and nearly 350,000 digital tracks stateside; sold out venues like the Staples Center in Los Angeles and had a bilingual TV show, a radio program, several businesses, a foundation for battered women and millions of followers online. Fans and our readers -- Latina magazine first put her on the cover in May 2011 -- connected not just to her background as the daughter of immigrants who made something of herself, but her openness: She was neither perfect nor pretended to be so. She once brawled with a fan, but later made amends and invited the fan to an all-expenses paid trip. She had run-ins with the law and rocky relationships: She was married three times and was divorcing former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza at the time of her death. "I'm not faking it in any way," she told us last year about her life as reflected in her show, "I Love Jenni," which aired on the Latino-aimed bilingual cable network mun2, adding that she wanted fans to "see the human being behind the celebrity name, the lights and sold-out concerts." Instead, Latino journalists like me are left to introduce her to a larger audience by writing about her in the past tense. Hearing the news of her death on Sunday, I couldn't help but think of another star, Tejano singer Selena, who was poised to make an impact on American culture when she was killed 17 years ago. In both cases, we not only mourn the artist, but the moment, the lost opportunity to have one of us tell his or her own story beyond songs. But at least we'll always have those. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Damarys Ocaña

Mouned, but inspiring

Singer Jenni Rivera sings the national anthem at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in August. Rivera, 43, died Sunday, December 9, when the small plane she was traveling in crashed in the mountains of northern Mexico, her brother told CNN. Rivera attends the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Conference in April in Miami. Rivera performs at the 2012 Billboard Latin Music Awards in April in Miami. Rivera was known to fans as "La Diva de la Banda," or the Diva of Banda Music, establishing herself as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. In recent years, she had been working to crack the English-language U.S. market. Rivera at the SAGIndie Actors Only brunch in January during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. She reportedly was on the verge of crossover success with a sitcom inspired by "I Love Jenni," a Spanish-language reality TV show. Rivera performs during the Teleton 2010 in December 2010 in Mexico City. Rivera's performances of soulful ballads won her millions of fans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Rivera belts out a number during the 11th annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2010 in Las Vegas. Rivera takes on the Mexican national anthem before the junior middleweight bout between Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora in September 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The singer kisses her son during a July 2009 concert in Los Angeles. Rivera arrives at Univision's Premio Lo Nuestro a La Musica Latina Awards in March 2009 in Coral Gables, Florida. Rivera, right, joins singers Vikki Carr, left, and Olga Tanon during the ninth annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in Houston. Lupillo and Jenni Rivera team up during the ninth annual Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in Houston. Rivera attends the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year tribute to ranchera star Vicente Fernandez in September 2002 in Hollywood, California. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sen. Marco Rubio calls Rivera "a real American success story" Not only for her music but for her strong, resilient attitude when faced with adversity Jenni Rivera was also a woman of many firsts and a businesswoman Made breaking into the male-dominated music genre look easy with her perseverance (CNN) -- Jenni Rivera is being mourned as the Diva of Banda, after the musical superstar died Sunday in a plane crash in Mexico. She built a recording and performing career, several businesses and a devoted following -- and her life was as full of the ups and the downs as any of the characters she sang about. She was born 43 years ago in Long Beach, California, to Mexican parents Rosa and Pedro Rivera who named her Jenny Dolores Rivera Saavedra. In an interview with CNN en Español in 2010, Rivera spoke about how she once sold cans for scrap metal and hawked music records at her family's stand at a Los Angeles flea market. When she was just 15 and a high school student she became a mother herself, giving birth to her first child, Janney "Chiquis" Marin Rivera in 1985. She then had two more children -- Jacqueline Marín Rivera and Michael Marín Rivera -- with her then-husband, José Trinidad Marín. Rivera spoke about how Marín physically abused her because while she wanted to attend college, he wanted her to quit school and be at home "cooking and cleaning." She said she grew up with four brothers so she knew how to fight back. They divorced in 1992 when Rivera found out Marín molested their daughter, Janney, and Rivera's younger sister, Rosie. Marín was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Divorced and on welfare with three children, Rivera worked in real estate and took a second job at her father's record label, Cintas Acuario, which led to her passion and career in Regional/Banda/Norteño music. Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died Sunday, December 9, when the small plane she was traveling in crashed in the mountains of northern Mexico, her brother told CNN. Rivera, 43, was known to fans as "La Diva de la Banda," or the Diva of Banda Music, establishing herself as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. Recently, she had been working to crack the English-language U.S. market. Federal police are on hand at a base near the plane crash site Sunday in Iturbide, Mexico. "The aircraft was destroyed, totally fragmented," an aviation official told CNN affiliate Televisa. Six others were killed, including the singer's publicist, attorney and makeup artists, her brother, Gustavo Rivera, told CNN en Espanol. A helicopter flies over the crash site Sunday as investigators search the area. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Civil protection personnel and soldiers inspect the perimeter of the crash site Sunday. The plane took off early Sunday from Monterrey, Mexico, and shortly lost contact with air traffic controllers. Workers search around the accident scene in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Security members work at the site of the plane wreckage. Forensic technicians arrive at a base set up by federal police near the plane crash site. Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Photos: Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Singer Jenni Rivera dies in plane crash Jenni Rivera's plane had crashed before Since the release of her groundbreaking debut album "La Chacalosa" in 1995, Rivera has released more than 12 hit albums, all reaching Platinum and Gold status in the U.S. and Mexico. Her heart-wrenching ballads often center on infidelity, social issues and relationships. One of her independent albums was "Farewell to Selena," a tribute album to slain singer Selena that helped expand her following. Rivera married Juan López in 1997 and had two children with him: Jenicka and Johnny López Rivera. They divorced in 2003, and he then died in 2009. Then in 2010, Rivera married baseball player Esteban Loaiza but they filed for divorce earlier this year. Perhaps it was her personal struggles that made Rivera known not only for her music but for her strong, resilient attitude when faced with adversity. "In Mexico, she represented a lot of ladies that can't talk about their feelings," Jose "Pepe" Garza, Rivera's godfather and friend of the family, told CNN en Espanol. "The public feels represented by Jenni Rivera, and by the lyrics of her songs." Garza is very well-known within the banda and norteña music genres and has worked with other big artists in the regional Latin music. He also gave Rivera her big break. Rivera was also a woman of many firsts. She became the first artist to sell-out two back-to-back nights at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, in 2010. And she was the first female Banda artist to sell-out a concert at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, California. The business mogul also started companies including: Divina Realty, Divina Cosmetics, Jenni Rivera Fragrance, Jenni Jeans, Divine Music and The Jenni Rivera Love Foundation. Rivera made her film debut at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival with the indie family drama Filly Brown, set to be in theaters in January 2013. Her fan base was only expected to grow with a show in development with ABC, confirmed a source with knowledge of the deal to CNN Entertainment. A multi-camera family comedy, according to Deadline, was expected to star Rivera as a strong, middle-class, single Latina woman working to raise a family, struggling to run a family business and manage her extended family -- all while fighting the cultural perception that she needed a man to do it all. "It is very flattering when they tell me I'm a great artist and performer," said Rivera in a 2010 interview with CNN en Espanol. "But I am a businesswoman, I'm primarily business-minded." Breaking into a male-dominated music genre was not easy, but Rivera made it look that way with her endless perseverance. "I think she just did it with her pantelones, and you need a big personality to do it. She's been through so much," said Damarys Ocana, executive editor of Latina magazine, in an interview with CNN, "She's been a victim, but never thought of herself as a victim." CORRECTION An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the singer commemorated by Jenni Rivera's 2003 album "Farewell to Selena." The album was a tribute to Tejano star Selena Quintanilla. The drama that surrounded Rivera's life received just as much attention as her successful, career but that never stopped her from being a "mama bear to her five kids," said Ocana. Family always came first for Rivera. Flashback: Jenni Rivera reflects on her success In May 2011, Latina magazine put both Jenni and Janney Rivera on their cover, the first time the magazine put two people on the cover. "We put both of them on the cover because they were the stars of 'I Love Jenni' and the show was doing incredibly well on Mun2," said Ocana. Rivera also spent part of her life volunteering at the Love Foundation, an organization that promotes programs to support immigrants, children with cancer, women victims of violence, reports CNN Mexico. In 2010, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence named Rivera as their spokesperson. Photos: Singer Jenni Rivera Speaking on the U.S. Senate floor Monday afternoon, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida described Rivera as "a real American success story." "She was a singer in a genre of music that's largely dominated by males, and she brought a powerful voice to that genre where she sang frankly about her struggles to give her children a better life in this country," he said. Universal Music Group also released a statement, saying: "The entire Universal Music Group family is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend Jenni Rivera. The world rarely sees someone who has had such a profound impact on so many. From her incredibly versatile talent to the way she embraced her fans around the world, Jenni was simply incomparable. Her talent will be missed; but her gift of music will be with us always." Also believed aboard the plane were her publicist, Arturo Rivera, her lawyer, makeup artist, Jacob Yebale, and the flight crew. "It's hard to accept. It's painful. I cry," said Rivera's brother Gustavo Rivera in an interview with CNN en Espanol, "But the support from the fans is consoling to us." She told CNN in 2010 that she wouldn't let scandals or personal tragedy stop her. "Staying defeated, crying and suffering was not an option," she said. "I had to get off my feet, dust myself off and press on. That's what I want to teach my daughters." In an interview with the Immigrant Archive Project she said: "If I had the opportunity to speak to a young immigrant girl that just arrived to the U.S. the advice I would have for her would be: ask, speak, search; because there are opportunities out there. And, know that you aren't the only immigrant or the last to come to this country. Many that have come before you have succeeded. It is possible." Jenni Rivera is survived by her parents, Rosa and Pedro, three other siblings: Pedro Jr., Gustavo and Rosie; and her five children: Janney, Jacqueline, Michael, Jenicka and Johnny. Journalist Jaqueline Hurtado, Catherine Shoichet and Rafael Romo contributed to this report.

Hasidic leader guilty of child sex abuse

The abuse began when the girl was 12 Weberman was found guilty on all 59 counts He faces a possible sentence of 117 years in prison District attorney expresses hope that others will come forward New York (CNN) -- A counselor in Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish community was found guilty Monday of sexually abusing a girl over a period of three years in a case that one victim's advocate described as marking "a new era." Nechemya Weberman, 54, was found guilty on all 59 counts he was facing, including sexual conduct against a child. He faces a possible sentence of 117 years in prison, the Kings County District Attorney's office said. The abuse began in 2007, when the girl's parents hired the unlicensed counselor to help their then-12-year-old daughter; it continued -- mostly in his office -- until 2010, the district attorney's office said in a news release. The victim, who testified at trial, is now 17, it said. Pearl Reich, a former Orthodox Jew who identifies herself as a victim's advocate, said the verdict ushers in "a new era for the Jewish religious community." Reich told CNN affiliate WCBS that the victim will need a lot of help, but that Weberman's conviction is part of the healing process. "We're very hopeful that this will lead to other young women in this community and other communities understanding that they can come forward," District Attorney Charles Hynes told reporters. "They will be protected." The case highlighted practices of the conservative Satmar Hasidic community, many of whom live in the insular Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Joel Engelman, an advocate against sexual abuse among Orthodox Jews who described himself as a survivor of such abuse, said it is rare for respected members of the community to face such allegations in court. In the past, members of the community have intimidated and pressured those who have accused their leaders of sexual abuse, he said. The case came to light last year, when four men were arrested and accused of trying to bribe Weberman's victim and her boyfriend to get them to drop the case against Weberman, a spokesman for the district attorney said. "There was a huge fundraiser for the accused Weberman, and the entire community structure was filled with propaganda and hate against the victim in an effort to shut (her and her family) up," Engelman said. "Thankfully, the courage of the young survivor has been tremendous, and she was able to withstand and go through with the process." George Farkas, Weberman's attorney, was not available for comment. Sentencing is set for January 9.

UN panel: Cuba's jailing of US contractor 'arbitrary'

By Michael Isikoff NBC News / American Alan Gross, a 63-year-old U.S. government subcontractor from Montgomery County, Md., has been in prison in Cuba since late 2009. A United Nations panel has called on Cuba to immediately release jailed American contractor Alan Gross after finding that his detention was "arbitrary" and violated international human-rights standards, according to a report obtained by NBC News. The 16- page decision by the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which has not yet been publicly released, is a  victory for the legal team working to free Gross, a State Department contractor who was arrested three years ago for allegedly smuggling sophisticated satellite equipment to Cuba's tiny Jewish community. The Cuban Foreign Ministry dismissed the findings as a result of "pressures exerted by the United States" and vigorously defended its detention of the 63-year-old American. Gross "was sentenced for committing acts against Cuba's national security and public order, not for promoting freedom," the ministry said in a statement also obtained by NBC News. A Cuban official said that the working group reached its findings without visiting Cuba or interviewing Gross.  Gross' imprisonment and the 15-year prison sentence imposed on him last year by a Cuban court has become a new flashpoint in U.S.-Cuba relations. Last week, the U.S.  Senate passed a unanimous resolution calling for Gross' immediate release. The dispute over his detention has been further heightened by assertions by Gross' family that he has lost over 100 pounds in prison and that his health is failing.  The working group, an arm of the Geneva-based U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, conducted its investigation in response to a petition submitted by Gross' lawyers. Its findings can now be  submitted to the High Commissioner or directly to the U.N. General Assembly and, if adopted, put further international pressure on Cuba over its treatment of the jailed American. A spokesman for the High Commissioner did not respond to a request for comment. In Cuba, American contractor Alan Gross has been imprisoned for three years for smuggling satellite equipment to the country's Jewish community. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports. According to lawsuit he recently filed against the U.S. Government and the contractor that employed him, Gross has charged he was a "pawn" in a larger U.S. government program to change Cuba's government and was never advised about the dangers he faced. (The State Department has declined comment; the contractor, Development Alternatives Inc., has said only that Gross' release is its "highest priority." ) Gross made five trips to Cuba between March 30, 2009 and November 2009, delivering telecommunications equipment that he said was designed to "increase Internet access in Cuba," according to the lawsuit. The  U.N. panel's report found that Gross' detention near the end of his fifth trip was "arbitrary"  and that  he was tried and  convicted after a two-day trial by a Cuban court that did not operate in an "independent and impartial" manner. It  further found that he was charged under a Cuban law – prohibiting "acts against the independence and/or territorial integrity of the state" – that was too vague by international standards. The panel also concluded that  Gross should have been released on bail during the 14 months between his arrest and his conviction by the Cuban court. "On those grounds, the Working Group requests the Government of the Republic of Cuba order the immediate release of Mr. Alan Phillip Gross," the report states. Chris Fletcher, a lawyer for Gross, said in an email: "If what is being reported is accurately quoted from the U.N. Working Group opinion, then it reaffirms what we said previously: the government of Cuba is violating its international legal obligations. It should therefore immediately release Alan Gross from prison and allow him to return to the United States to be reunited with his family.  Moreover, regardless of the outcome of the case, Alan's health is declining and it has long been clear he should be immediately released on humanitarian grounds." Related stories Cuban official accuses US of 'lying' about health of jailed American contractor American held in Cuba wants US to sign 'non-belligerency' pact to speed release Cuba pushes swap: Its spies jailed in U.S. for American contractor imprisoned in Havana In its response to the U.N. report, the Cuban Foreign Ministry condemned the United Nations working group for its "hasty" analysis.  "Mr. Gross was detained, prosecuted and sentenced for illegally and covertly introducing in Cuba communication equipment using non-commercial technology, which is only meant to be used for military purposes and for creating clandestine networks." He did so to implement a U.S. government program "with the aim of subverting Cuba's constitutional order," to overthrow the Cuban government, the foreign ministry statement said.  A Cuban official also noted that the same U.N. working group has also criticized the U.S. government for the 1998 arrest and later conviction of five Cuban agents on conspiracy to commit espionage charges, four of whom are still being held in U.S. prisons. A senior Cuban official, Ricardo Alarcon, recently told NBC News that the Cubans would consider releasing Gross, but want the U.S. government to take similar "humanitarian" steps by releasing the imprisoned Cubans.  Michael Isikoff is NBC News' national investigative correspondent. 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