I found an interesting museum dedicated to the victims of the fascist dictatorship of 1976-1983. The museum occupies a site once used by the junta as a clandestine location for the interrogation, torture and subsequent ‘disappearance’ of the regime’s opponents, as well as for the ‘reassignment’ of their children to less troublesome parents. It reminded me in some ways of the Tuol Sleng museum in Cambodia, although it’s not quite as overwhelmingly horrible as that (see my blog from Phnom Penh below, September 2008).
The dictatorship was already beginning to fall apart by the time of the Falklands War in 1982 – that invasion was the junta’s final, flailing attempt to regain credibility with the Argentine people, and the humiliation of defeat brought about democracy’s return in 1983. But today, just outside the aforementioned museum, there was a little paramilitary-style display stand, a sort of Argentinian cross between Help the Heroes and the EDL, calling for the return of compulsory national service and – predictably - the retaking of the Falklands. Some people never learn.
And yesterday the fragrant presidenta, Señora Kirchner, devoted much of her state-of-the-nation address to similar ranting about las islas Malvinas. Such ranting conveniently allows her to bypass matters rather closer to home, like rampant inflation and her government’s cynically blatant attempts to disguise it in the official figures. Last month the ‘Economist’ announced, in an article headlined ‘Don’t Lie To Me, Argentina’, that it would no longer republish those figures, describing them as ‘what appears to be a deliberate attempt to deceive voters and swindle investors’.
Apologies for ranting. I realise that people read my blog expecting pretty pictures, bad jokes, and amusing tales of my personal misfortunes – not amateur political oratory. However the Falklands issue has been somewhat rammed down my throat since I’ve been here in Cordoba, and I’m just exercising my right to reply.
(Morrissey, who is a popular English singer, and also a twat, performed at the Orfeo Arena in Cordoba last night and made a sycophantic speech about how the Falklands belong to Argentina. QED, as far as I’m concerned.)
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| Plaza Marqués de Sobremonte, with the Palacio de Justicia in the background. Note the annoying small dog en route to attack the photographer. I refrained from booting the annoying little rodent into the fountain, purely out of deference to the hot female dog-owner (also pictured) |
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| Wasted lives |
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| Faces of the 'disappeared' |
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| Cordoba Cathedral and the statue of General José San Martin |
