COMMUNIQUE NUMBER 23

In 1976 there was so nearly an almighty sensation in the boxing world when Rocky Balboa came within a split decision of dethroning world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. That it was all fictitious nonsense meant little for it was such great fun. Across the ocean Britain was in the grip of its worst ever drought, whilst far away on the planet Mars landing vehicles from US spacecraft Viking 11 were busy looking for other life forms to annoy.

Back in the land of the free thirty year old George Bush, son of CIA supremo George Bush Senior pleaded guilty to drunk driving, pledged to stay away from the demon drink, found God, became President and later evolved into the Devil on earth to large swathes of the world population. And as Disneyland welcomed with open arms paying customer number fifty million into its fantasy world of Mickey, Donald and pals, shortly after 3am on
24th March 1976 Argentina descended into hell.

COMMUNIQUE NUMBER 23

It was a Coup d'etat long in the planning but swift and perfect in its execution. Two hours before sunrise on the 24th the Presidential palace at Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires was surrounded by tanks as a small band of ambitious senior military officers seized power from a crumbling Isabelito Peron's civilian government.

Immediately the Argentine Congress was dissolved and Peron was placed under house arrest. All elements of the armed forces were involved. Commanding the Argentine army was General Jorge Rafael Videla, the navy, Admiral Emilio Eduardo Massera, whilst the Air Force was represented by Brigadier Orlando Ramon Agosti. The three would share equal power between them.

But this was an Argentina tottering on the brink of both financial and social collapse that they had inherited. Eva Peron's government had lost control, so stricken was it with corruption and greed. Her inner circle disgraced by alleged close links with South American drug cartels and wild tales abounding of cocaine fuelled parties at the Presidential Palace.

A country tearing itself apart from within. Inflation had soared to near incredulous levels of over 600 per cent, social unrest was rife and escalating by the day. Student demonstrations frequently exploded into all out riots, strikes were rampant bringing the economy to its knees and left-wing guerrillas, most notably the Montoneros were involved in a bloody conflict against the establishment.

With a ruthless policy of eye for an eye in matching the military in body counts the Montoneros had brought the country to the brink of civil war. kidnappings and assassinations of government and police officers in retaliation for the killings of their own by death squads became daily events. Terrible atrocities were committed on both sides. Argentina was on fire.

Such mounting chaos handed the Generals the perfect opportunity to grasp the moral high ground, seize power and 'restore order'. Martial law was declared. Trusted senior officers were imposed upon the boards of every organisation from banks, newspapers, televisions stations even the national ballet. In order to maintain power and keep the rich in riches the poor had to be kept in order.

Wages would be permanently frozen, trade Unions abolished and strikes banned. Millions of so called dangerous books were burned. The people had to be kept downtrodden, obedient and silent. But most sinister the problem of the troublesome political left would be solved by simply annihilating them as the unholy threesome embarked on a murderous spree the likes of which even this blood splattered continent had ever experienced.

Lists were made, names selected and the killing began. It came as little surprise that the first act of the new regime was to issue an ultimatum nationwide for military and civil police to employ a shoot to kill policy if any 'subversive' activity was witnessed. The Generals grandly declared plans for their brave new word. The Proceso de Reorganizacion National ''National Reorganisation Process' .

Woe betide any who stood in their way for the psychotic state of mind that existed within the leadership was summed up by a chilling statement made by General Videla shortly before the coup occurred. 'As many people as necessary must die in Argentina so that the country will again be secured'. He would prove true to his word as the most brutal and sadistic period in Argentina's history grimly unfolded.

Two days after they came to power it was announced that General Jorge Rafael Videla had been designated as President of Argentina. Though it was made clear to all that the three would have an equal say in decision making. In his first address to the nation the new leader declared, 'One historical cycle ends, another one begins'. State controlled newspaper and magazine articles spoke of a deep religious belief.

A wonderful devotion to his family and a favouring for English tailoring, every inch the gentleman, splendid in military uniform. Photographs of Videla appeared everywhere of him gracefully drawing his sword at a military parade. More kind words. Modest, successful, a man of discipline, valour and sacrifice. A true Argentine hero. In reality behind the false charade beat the black heart of a murdering psychopath.

Privately the relationships between the Generals were derisory at best with the public mask of togetherness an illusion for the masses. It was simply about feathering their own nests with the aged old human traits of greed and power influencing every move they made. Robbing and plundering. Then like all men of their ilk a well stashed private Swish bank for quiet retirement in a foreign climate. Where no questions would be asked and past misdemeanours buried by endless piles of cash.

These were mere gangsters masquerading in toy soldier uniforms. Only a week after the Coup occurred 3510 substantial bank accounts were frozen by the Junta and their assets shared equally between the Generals for future use. This all assuming they didn't get their throats cut, lynched, garrotted or blown to pieces beforehand. For simmering dangerously beneath the surface there lurked a great dislike, mistrust and jealously.

As men they differed from night and day. Between Army chief Videla and Navy Admiral Massera there existed an animosity verging on hatred. Whilst Videla was a stout Roman Catholic family man Massera was a playboy, a sharp tongued bon vivant who lived life to the full.

Massera ensured loyalty by allowing those responsible for his safety a share of the Junta's ill-gained spoils. 'The boys should be compensated for the risks they run'. His rivalry with Videla occasionally flared out of control and when it did blood was inevitably shed. But with Air Force Brigadier Agosti assuming the role of peace-keeper they found enough common ground and made their plans accordingly.

It was the age of 'Guerra Sucia' , ('The Dirty War'). Under the false pretext of eliminating the Montoneros the Junta unleashed a wave of terror across Argentina. Anyone even slightly suspected of opposing the new regime found themselves under arrest.

In a sinister development green ford falcons specially supplied to the Junta by foreign car manufacturers were used by hooded snatch squads to raid homes in the dead of night and take away unsuspecting victims. These vehicles would come to epitomise the horror of those times. Chief amongst those guilty Ford and Mercedes Benz executives who used the clampdown to rid themselves of troublesome Union delegates.

One Ford Motor plant 25 had its own clandestine detention centre run by the military. Here for weeks and months political prisoners were held until transferred to secret torture centres from which there was never any return. Not just in the car industries did these dreadful events occur but in places such as shipping yards, factories, universities and schools

All were encouraged by the ruling powers to purge so called undesirables. Also in a concerted attempt to scare and intimidate the population from any act of protest armed soldiers would arrive at selected people's houses to rob them. Other innocents would be pulled over in their vehicles for no apparent reason and beaten senseless. But horrifically most simply disappeared, never to be seen again. Kidnapped and taken to places such as the infamous Escuela De Mecanca De La Armada.

The Navy School of Mechanics. Or given its more widely known title, E.S.M.A. One of 250 similar torture centres throughout Argentina. Here in the very heart of Buenos Aires on Avenida Libertador some of the most vile and despicable acts of barbarity known to man were committed. Savagely interrogated, tortured then ruthlessly murdered. These unfortunates became known as the 'desaparecidos'. 'The Forced Disappeared'.

Doctors, students, writers, trade unionists nuns, priests, teachers, journalists, no one was safe. Anybody at anytime, young or old could be taken and killed at a whim. It was claimed by those Argentines whom by some miracle had survived their stay there that if hell did exist on earth it was inside the E.S.MA. The Argentine Auschwitz

Communiqué number 23:
Against this terrifying backdrop of state sponsored thuggery there remained the small but complicated matter of a football game taking place far away in Poland. Touring in Eastern Europe Argentina had just beaten a formidable Soviet Union side 1-0 on a snow covered pitch in Kiev courtesy of a superb Mario Kempes goal. It was only on arriving in Poland they received news of the Coup.

On the evening of the 24th Argentina were due to face the the Poles in Chorzow but the manager Cesar Menotti and his players had grave misgivings about the sheer rationale of the match taking place with all the turmoil back home. Menotti's personal politics meant he was totally opposed to what had occurred but also wise enough to keep his own counsel.

And when orders were received from Buenos Aires off the Generals through the AFA telling the team in no uncertain manner that they must play to boost 'national morale' he remained silent. Of the hundreds of ultimatums, decrees, memos and orders issued by the Junta in the first hours of coming to power that contained the words 'prohibited' there was only one that mentioned 'permitted'.

It was Communiqué number 23 that caused most people to sit up and take notice. It stated that 'live coverage of the Argentina v Poland football match would be permitted to go ahead: That in essence everything was normal, life would go on. And so on a day when television was allowed to show nothing more than a static picture of the national coat of arms, when crimes against all decency were being committed a simple game of football let people at least for ninety minutes breathe a little more easily.

The famous saying that 'football is the opium of the masses' was never more apt or more terrifying than in this instance. The lights went out in Argentina and in the darkness lurked evil beyond words. And yet there remained that one last grasp of normality for in front of 60,000 Polish supporters Menotti's side won a hard fought contest 2-1.

Come the following morning in one of Argentina's best selling newspapers Clarin, declared on its front page,' TOTAL NORMALIDA' 'Total Normality'. But just beneath it was wrote 'Argentina derroto a Polonia'. 'Argentina defeat Poland'. It was if the Generals themselves had scored the goals to claim victory. All would prove good practice for the headline writers because on the near horizon was coming the greatest show on earth

On home soil the eleventh World cup finals would take place with all the propaganda opportunities a regime such as this could only ever have dreamt of. To extol the virtues of Proceso de Reorganizacion National and help cleanse the stench of death haunting every sinew of Argentine life. For the Generals it was truly a gift from the footballing Gods of FIFA and one they intended to take full advantage of.

Across the world Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International pleaded with FIFA to reverse their absurd decision and rid the Junta of the tournament. Many nations threatened boycotts but it was all to no avail. Money as ever prevalent over common sense and sheer decency. That Argentina could by no means afford such an event of this magnitude was irrelevant to Videla and his henchmen for the Generals had already decided to not just host the competition. By all and any means necessary they were determined to win it.........But that is another story.