Dirty Secrets Dirty War

From 1976-1983, an estimated 30,000 people disappeared in Argentina. They were victims of the “Dirty War”—a brutal campaign designed by the government to root out possible subversives. Those suspected of being dissidents were kidnapped and taken to secret detention centers. Most were tortured and then killed—never seen again.

Robert J. Cox, editor of the Buenos Aires Herald, did what few others were willing to do—he told the truth about what was happening. Every day his newspaper reported on the kidnappings and killings. He challenged those in power—asking questions and demanding answers. Cox’s commitment to reporting the truth made him a hero to the families of the disappeared, but an enemy of the state.

This is the remarkable story of one man’s courage in the face of adversity. It is the story of a man dedicated to protecting the freedom of the press and to protecting his family. It is the story of those who disappeared and the man who stayed in order to tell their stories.

Cox’s story is told by his son David who grew up under the pall of terrorism, but was inspired by his father’s “great courage to write what was true.” He has written the book that his father could not.