News Butcher

The President of the Argentine nation proclaims his respect for the Constitution and promises that freedom of the press will always be maintained.

--Juan Domingo Peron, Nov. 13, 1946

The President did say "always." But then, that was more than three years ago. For the past two months Peron has authorized, if he has not actively directed, the most widespread and relentless attack on press freedom that modern Argentina has ever seen. In that time his favorite congressional hatchet man, Jose Emilio Visca, onetime butcher, has closed 58 newspapers and magazines outright. By taking control of the country's chief newsprint stocks he has gained the power of life or death over virtually all the rest of the press.

Fair Deal. Only 100% Peronista newspapers are safe from zealous Deputy Visca and the congressional committee of investigation that he directs. The lesson that even friends in high places cannot make up for any deviation from government doctrine was sharply illustrated last week in the case of Jose W. Agusti, 56, newspaper owner, millionaire and until lately a friend of Eva Peron.

Two years ago Agusti sold his favorite paper, Buenos Aires' evening Noticias Gradficas, to Evita for 6,000,000 pesos (then $1,800,000); he remained courteously mum when only 300,000 pesos of the price was actually paid. This tactful gesture won him entree into the best Peronista circles. In recent weeks Agusti had found that Visca's newsprint squeeze was tightening uncomfortably on his independent journal Cordoba (circ. 20,000). With easy confidence he went to call on Visca at the congressional palace to straighten things out.

Raw Deal. At 2:30 p.m. Agusti was shown to a wooden bench in a dark corridor outside the committee's door. At 6:30, when the committee members finally came out, Visca ignored Agusti's outstretched hand, seized him by the lapel and roared: "Get out of here or I will break your face!" Only a few hours earlier, Visca had seen a piece in Cordoba referring to Peronista congressmen as "inefficient drones." To emphasize his disapproval, Visca shut Cordoba down entirely.

The Visca committee was originally organized to investigate charges of police torture of prisoners. Ignoring such tiresome matters, Visca set himself up as unofficial national censor. At first he took the trouble to find some legalistic excuse for suspending publication of anti-Peron papers. The last six he shut down without explanation; ten more papers, deprived of newsprint, quietly ceased to appear. As long as President Peron continued to support Congressman Visca, Argentines would be entitled to only such press freedom as Visca cared to give them.

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