Argentina

Former Argentine Dictator Who Oversaw Death Squads Dies At 87

Scott Neuman — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:24:00 +0000

Jorge Rafael Videla, an ambitious Army chief who seized power in Argentina in 1976 and orchestrated a campaign of terror against his opponents, has died in prison at age 87.

Videla, whose "Dirty War" killed at least 15,000 people, perhaps twice as many, died of natural causes in Argentina's Marcos Paz prison, where he was serving multiple life sentences for crimes against humanity, officials said.

After leading a bloodless coup that toppled President Isabel Martinez de Peron on March 24, 1976, Videla became the head of a junta.

Héctor Timerman told Radio Del Plata.

Latin Roots: Argentine Rock

David Dye — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:46:00 +0000

Today's Latin Roots co-host, Josh Norek, was given a hefty task: Define the broad swath of Argentine rock with just a few bands. But Norek, co-host of The Latin Alternative, is up to the occasion precisely because he spent time in Buenos Aires as a student during a vibrant period for music.

He begins by playing a classic from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, a band that incorporated ska influences into its early work in the 1980s.

Pope Calls To Cancel His Newspaper Subscription

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:31:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. We've been hearing a lot of stories of the new pope's modesty, and now this. The pope called a Buenos Aires newspaper kiosk to cancel his own subscription. The shocked kiosk owner thought it was a joke until his holiest customer said, seriously, I'm calling you from Rome. The news vendor told an Argentine daily of another humble habit. The then-cardinal always collected and once a month returned the rubber bands from his newspapers. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Argentine President Asks Pope Francis To Mediate Falklands Dispute

Eyder Peralta — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:50:00 +0000

In their first meeting since Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, Argentina's President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner asked the pontiff to "mediate" in the dispute over the Falkland Islands.

"This is an important moment for us," Kirchner said, during a press conference following the lunch meeting.