Shadows From a Dirty War

In late January, Argentinian photojournalist Jose Luis Cabezas, who had been covering a party of political bigwigs for his magazine Noticias, was slain--handcuffed and shot in the head, then burned in his torched car. The violence horrified Argentines, who are no strangers to political killings.

Ever since the day of Cabezas’ murder, thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets demanding to know who killed him and why. They deserve an answer, for this is the sort of violence that brings back frightening memories for a people who went through a period of official terror known as the Dirty War from 1976 to 1983.

The fullest explanation of the death of Cabezas will be possible only if President Carlos Menem orders a thorough investigation, one that overrides an inquiry by the police of Buenos Aires Province--who themselves are suspects in the crime.

Cabezas’ colleagues at Noticias and many other journalists do not buy the official explanation that he was killed by a gang of drug traffickers and prostitutes who have already been jailed.

More than a year ago, Noticias ran an expose of the provincial police force and accused it of being a rogue army. As a result of the expose, Eduardo Duhalde, the provincial governor, launched an investigation that led to a purge of police commanders.

Those who suspect police involvement in the Cabezas case suggest that an alliance of police and gangsters engineered the slaying to rid themselves of a pesky photojournalist, send an intimidating message to Noticias and damage Duhalde’s presidential ambitions. They point out that the charred body was incriminatingly left on a dirt road used by the governor to take his boat to the beach.

President Menem has the responsibility and the obligation to take action. Failure to do so will stain his presidency.