The prisoner who was forced to celebrate a World Cup victory
About this episode
Miriam Lewin shares her harrowing experience as a political prisoner during Argentina's military dictatorship, forced to celebrate the 1978 World Cup victory.
Miriam Lewin was never much interested in football. Growing up in Buenos Aires, she cared far more about politics than the team her family supported. But in 1978, when Argentina won the World Cup, she found herself among the celebrating fans, hidden in plain sight as a political prisoner. A year earlier, aged 19, Miriam had been abducted by Argentina's military dictatorship and became one of the country's desaparecidos – the "disappeared." Detained in secret and tortured because of her political activism, she was later forced to work for the regime, translating foreign news reports and helping produce propaganda aimed at improving its image abroad. From inside the prison system, she also learned of the dictatorship's notorious "death flights." When Argentina hosted – and won – the World Cup, the military government used the tournament to project an image of national pride and unity. Miriam and other prisoners were taken onto the streets to join the jubilant crowds. Decades later, after becoming a journalist, she helped uncover the regime's crimes and bring former members of the military junta to justice. This interview contains references to suicide and descriptions of torture…
People in this episode
Host: Jo Fidgen
Guest: Miriam Lewin
Topics covered
- political activism
- human rights
- dictatorship
- football
- personal story
- journalism
Keywords
- political prisoner
- Argentina
- World Cup
- torture
- disappeared
- journalism
- military dictatorship
- propaganda
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Argentina's military dictatorship, BBC World Service
Places: Buenos Aires
More episodes of Lives Less Ordinary
- Why I don't hate the person who tried to kill me
- My father and the curse of the golden egg
- I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 2
- I had a baby – then lost my memory, part 1
- Could a sitcom save a man from death row?
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Lives Less Ordinary podcast page.