News from Argentina

The Alberto Nisman death is great material for an Argentine novel about the Kirchner years. If Tomas Eloy Martinez were still alive he would surely be on its hot trail.

see today's NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/world/americas/argentine-calls-detail-efforts-...

and Cristina's Kirchner's bizarre response:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-22/argentine-president-says-nisman-killed-...

Hard to say what's going on behind the scenes here Bert. There's little doubt that Kirchner and her government are corrupt. That they would murder Nisman?-- it's quite possible. Her husband was pretty awful as well when he was head of the government. One wonders about all these intelligence people lurking in the background. Whose side they're really on-if not multiple sides depending on the officers and security services involved. Whether or not they or some of them have an alternative agenda such as overthrowing the present government and installing one of their own or someone friendly? It looks pretty murky to me.

Maybe a new Rodolfo Walsh will emerge.

the plots thicken:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/world/americas/argentine-leader-attacks-spy-ag...

I'd lean pretty heavily to the murdered (over the suicide) theory. Mr. Lagomarsino seems almost like the setup 'fall guy' type--someone Kirchner II's govt. would like to pin the crime on and make the whole thing go away while they very quietly put the hammer to the security services. OTOH Security services pretty much wherever you go are pretty sinister. Christina is very sinister. Whoever killed him will try to lay the blame on their main enemy--will probably even plant evidence pointing away from themselves towards the other. It happens in the United States, Britain, Russia--and Latin America with all the convoluted politics of the past couple centuries, dictatorships galore are certainly not immune to this.

As Hector mentions a Rodolfo Walsh could possibly get to the bottom of it. You ever read his Operation Massacre Bert?

No. but it will be on my list to read.

I am just now finsihing Montalban's, Buenos Aires Quintet which is also steeped in the dark side of Buenos Aires and Argentina- my friends in Argentina assure me that was is going on is "more of the same" that they have learned to live with from one government to the next.

One can only hope that the new elections this October will bring a new direction but the protenos i speak with sound pessimistic.

Yes--Pepe Carvalhao. Vazquez Montalban. Pepe's the book burning, gourmet cook, ex-con, ex-communist, ex-CIA private detective with the prostitute girlfriend. That's one of his better novels by the way. Galindez doesn't have Pepe in it--but might be his best novel. Vazquez Montalban dropped dead stepping off a plane if I remember in India about 10 years ago.

Anyway I'm pessimistic about here--now and in the future. I think your friends have got it right.

> I'd lean pretty heavily to the murdered (over the suicide) theory.

I think the Spanish is most accurate here: "lo suicidaron" (he was suicided)...

Chris- as you pointed out: lo suicidaron

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/10/opinion/how-argentina-suicides-the-truth.html?...

essay in NY Times by Uki Goni who has researched other crimes in Argentina.

the drama continues:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/world/americas/argentine-president-may-face-mo...

having just finished Operation Massacre , 50 years later the dark side of Argentine politics is a live and well. When will the next Rodolfo Walsh appear to expose this affair. I was blown away by Walsh's courage, his determination to seek justice which he ultimately was killed for, shot down like a dog in the streets of Buenos Aires.

from the online The Bubble, Argentine news journal:

http://www.thebubble.com/bubble-literary-series-inspiring-argentine-writers/