Cesare Battisti Interviewed in Brazil

Le Monde has a full-page article on Cesare Battisti, from an interview by Nicolas Bourcier especially sent to Brazil to meet with the Italian criminal in his Cananeia refuge. Although there is, thankfully, a fair amount of skepticism towards the Piradinho's self-serving comments, the piece is filled, needless to say, with lots of psychological pseudo-science… The newspaper also fails to understand that, in Brazil at least (and maybe also in the Spanish-speaking parts of Latin America), "gringo" does not mean exclusively an American (or a Norteamericano) but any foreigner with white skin and/or with Western attitudes, from the U.S., from Europe, or from elsewhere…

D'emblée, il rigole. "Ils n'ont pas l'habitude qu'un gringo s'installe chez eux." Cesare Battisti, l'ancien activiste d'extrême gauche, réclamé pour meurtres par l'Italie, estampillé "gringo" : c'est peut-être cela, l'art de brouiller les pistes.

Le visage est toujours anguleux, tout en lignes brisées. Le regard dit encore l'anxiété, les tribulations d'une vie mouvementée. Mais les traits tirés et le teint blafard qu'on lui connaissait sur les photos ont disparu.