Argentina '78 (Or, Remembering the Dirtiest World Cup of All Time)

To all those that disappeared and their families. We hope youll eventually find solace and peaceThe idea of sports and politics don’t mix isn’t always enforced, it’s hard to keep them apart. From ancient times, the idea of politics and sports have always been interlinked. From ancient Greeks would take apart in games in which city states would send their best athletes to compete against one another. The Mayans held a similar practice too and this is no more evident than football, where the world cup from its inception was riddled with agendas, deals and power plays. From a petty gestures such as Uruguay’s boycott of 1934 world cup in Italy over how it felt that most of the European teams never showed up when they hosted it 4 years prior to matters of principle as when the Soviet Union refused to play Chile away during a 1973 qualification play-off at the same stadium where Pinochet had left wing prisoners executed. When the 2018 world cup was announced that it will take part in Russia, every one felt uneased by the fact it was taking place in an oppressive country that had just annexed parts of Ukraine and Georgia that also has links with putting down any criticisms and or political opponents with people harking back to when the Olympics were hosted in Berlin in 1936. If the boycotts against Russia felt half-hearted than the same cannot be said about 1978. The boycotts came in early and with convictions. It almost worked.  On June 1st 1978, at the el monumental stadium in Buenos Aries, A couple hundred children moved into their positions. The children spelled out Argentina ’78 before the words Mundial FIFA. A flock of what looked more like pigeons was released into the sky and the world cup was underway. General Jorge Rafael Videla, the leader of Argentina’s ruling military Junta stood and announced to 80,000 people would be played under the sign of peace. In an hearing distance of the stadiums drums, a mile away from the campus of Navy Petty Officers School Mechanics, the Military’s makeshift torture camp was operating where any and all dissidents were taken to. The Disappeared. A term used to describe the victims of State Sponsored terrorism and while this was happening the world cup continued. The sounds of steel drums and crowds roaring heard by tortured prisoners down the street.Outro provided by Canal Encuentrohttps://www.youtube.com/@encuentro/aboutMusic: Dark Crimes by SoundridemusicCopyright: GOLOVACH, VOLODYMYRPublisher: Songtrust Blvd IPI #615755145P.R.O.: IPI# 00382646438Link to Video: https://youtu.be/BEVg8Chp9OENotes:Remembering Argentina 1978: The Dirtiest World Cup Of All Time https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a21454856/argentina-1978-world-cup/he dark story of the murderous dictatorship behind Argentinas 1978 World Cup winhttps://www.goal.com/en-sa/news/the-dark-story-of-the-dictatorship-behind-argentinas-1978-world-cup-win/1k53qqcgt7r8q19xcawarwgslsArgentinas 1978 World Cup win against Peru was fixed in a brutal political deal, former senator sayshttps://shortest.link/9kiuKissinger approved Argentinian dirty warhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/06/argentina.usaArgentina’s bittersweet winhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jun-28-fg-mundial28-story.htmlHenry Kissinger and football’s longest unsolved riddlehttps://www.channel4.com/news/dr-henry-kissinger-and-footballs-longest-unsolved-riddleInsta: @convo_btweTwitter: convo_btweFacebook: A Conversation Before the World Ends Tiktok: convo_btwe