Unrestricted newspaper articles 1974 - 1995

"Bila Qoyood" is the first translation of this size ever published in Arabic of the journalistic works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and its importance is not only because it is the first of its kind in Arabic but also because it reveals Gabriel Garcia Marquez's talent as a top-class journalist before being a great novelist. This book includes a collection of Marquez's articles published in newspapers and magazines between 1974 and 1995, embodying the blending of his distinctive narrative style with his remarkable documentation of many historical and political events that swept Latin America and the world in the last quarter of the twentieth century, including for example: the Cuban Revolution and its intervention in Angola, Che Guevara's role in Africa, the popular revolution in Venezuela, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, the assassination of journalists like Rodolfo Walsh by followers of authority in Argentina, and the involvement of major literary figures like Jorge Luis Borges in supporting military dictatorships in Latin America, among other distinguished journalistic coverages of many political events and important personalities. One of the most prominent of these is his recounting of the behind-the-scenes conspiracy between the United States and some Chilean military officers to overthrow President Allende, where he says: "And when they were about to have dessert after dinner, one of the Pentagon generals wondered about the Chilean army's plan in case the leftist candidate, Salvador Allende, won the election. General Mathoti replied: 'If that happens, we will seize the La Moneda presidential palace in half an hour, even if we have to burn it...' This historic dinner was the first contact between the Pentagon and representatives of Chile's four military branches. During subsequent meetings held either in Washington or Chile, it was agreed to promote the most responsive generals to U.S. interests to positions of power if the Popular Unity party succeeded in the elections."