These were the words of Claudia Farfan, to receive the PPE 2007 for his reporting "Secrets of political espionage in a democracy" , published in Que Pasa.
Everyone here These are a little older. 15 years old to be precise, since that night in Chile all could not believe what he saw and heard on television: This Sunday 23 August, the program "About ...", the Megavisión, the presidential candidate Sebastian Pinera was aborted by an eavesdropping mission conducted by the military. Although, perhaps, what we remember most was that old radio "Kyoto" showcased as the corpus delicti. At least that's what I remember. By then, he began working as a journalist and still can not forget his face twisted by Sebastian Pinera, Jaime Celedon discomfort, and especially the famous radio transmitting a dialogue with all ingredients that have a good news story: power and betrayal. Time passed. And one of the biggest scandals at the beginning of the transition seemed buried, forgotten forever. Until August 2007 arrived. It was 15 years and all journalists know that the round dates are a good excuse to revive news, both because there is nothing in the pattern, or in this case because there was not really told. In drafting Que Pasa thought it was time to count the Piñeragate. What was behind that forced confession Army captain Fernando Diez, who took full responsibility for the case. Sure, it was not. Behind Kyoto radio hidden machinery of political espionage stronger our history has ever known. Behind the radio Kyoto was the real power of the military regime. And behind this research is one aspect of my personality that can be a kind of cross in personal life, but without which, I believe, is impossible to draw out a journalistic work worthwhile I am referring to the obsession. go I say that because it was difficult to break the circle of silence of the military unit that was responsible for spying on the political class. All were intelligence agents, if they knew something was hiding information. An example: it took nearly two months before the first of a series of former military would agree to meet me. "Okay let's talk," he said by telephone, and surrendered to my insistence. still remember the words and the look of surprise from the editors of the magazine to learn the good news. course this was the beginning of a long period of work, small rewards and great frustration. Apparently, the officer in question had seen the movie "All The President's Men" because it became a kind of "Deep Throat." The tracks gave me. I had to return to the cafe where we met with the keys already solved. "Well, I said," and then returned to the ring, to interview other former military. Indeed, the High Command of the Army involved in the operation was not among these partners. They even answered the phone. I will not deny that there were moments when I had the urge to leave everything to there. So it was important for this work, the patience and enthusiasm of the director of the magazine, Cristián Bofill, and support of the general editor Enrique Mujica and former deputy editor Pelayo Bezanilla. As I will never forget the face of the panelists in the program "that's" not going to forget the time when Andrea Vial phoned me to tell who had won the Journalism Award of Excellence delivering feel I say as a journalist because at that moment discovered that all this research now made sense. Because it went from being a story that anecdote was in a real contribution to better understand the country's recent political history. me explain. At the time of founding the prize, the jury noted the fact that this research raised a forgotten story, to close with hitherto unknown facts. Of course, there is a point where I stop. It's about an issue that drew attention to the jury: the low political impact that caused the report. This really is not so strange. The spy network had access to many private conversations of government officials, parliament and to the right that were instrumental in the negotiations that led our transition. No one is fitting that this was beyond. But those tapes are somewhere in Santiago.Todavía hope that one day, the owners of that truth yet unrevealed decide to present it to me. Then you can read the second part of this report. And while they say that sequels are never good, in this case, at least, for what you already told me, I am confident that it will. Finally, I would say that this award not only proud of me, also confirms that investigative journalism is what gives meaning to my work and the way I am interested to continue in journalism. I want to thank those who have been with me in one way or another. My family, friends, coworkers, and by the way, sources that are present here, some more closed than others. They I say that I have said that the obsession is hopeless, so I'll keep calling them for a while longer. Thanks.
