As part of our on-going villa series, we revisit Anthony Bale’s 2008 article on paco, a by-product of cocaine that is wreaking havoc on the lives of many villa inhabitants.

The long wait is over, the time has come to see whether Diego Maradona’s 23-man squad can roll back the years and win Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986. Their challenge kicks off on Saturday when they take on Nigeria in Johannesburg, before embarking on a South African odyssey which they hope will see them return to the gold-rush city on 11th July for the final to lift their own pot of gold.

“We were capable, We are capable.” The slogan has repeated itself on government radio and television adverts throughout Argentina, which is celebrating 200 years since the 25th May revolution that eventually led to the country’s independence on 9th July 1816. The natural question such a slogan begs, “of what exactly?” One assumes its independence from Spain. Yet two centuries later, though nobody’s colony, many are still asking: How independent is Argentina really?

Friday 28th May we will be hosting the monthly Argentina Independent pub quiz, with quizmaster Adam direct from the UK! Teams of up to six can fight it out, with each team paying $50 (pesos). There will also be a special curry menu making the night as British as they come (although the questions suit any nationality). The new venue also means we are adding a video round, making it a veritable post-modern quiz… Bar de La Tribu, Lambaré 873 in Almagro Friday 28th May – 9pm RSVP – marketing@argentinaindependent.com

“It was the 1933 end of year assembly at the Goethe Schule. I was a student. An SS man who had recently arrived at the German embassy demanded we raise our right arms and sing the Horst-Wessel Song. I wouldn’t do it.” So says Roberto Alemann, director of Argentina’s only German language newspaper. But the same man who, as a boy, refused to raise his right arm for Hitler later went on to become a minister in Argentina’s last military dictatorship, and the family story that began with a fight for freedom and democracy descended into accusations of money laundering, murder, repression and torture.

There are two possibilities, according to President Evo Morales of Bolivia: “Either capitalism dies, or Mother Earth dies. We choose Pachamama, or death.” He was opening the first ever World People’s Summit on Climate Change and Mother Earth’s Rights. “The principal cause of climate change is capitalism. It seeks the highest profit possible, promoting endless growth on a finite planet.” Conference participants took part in 17 working groups from 19th to 22nd April, roughly mirroring the UN process. Groups discussed topics such as the structural causes of climate change, mitigation financing or technology transfer.

The Argentina Independent is proud to present a photo show by photographers Beatrice Murch, Brian Funk, Pavel Ezrohi and Rosalie Smith. Come to San Telmo on 6th May to take a gander at the photos, mingle with other Argentimers, and bid in a silent auction to take the photos you like home with you. $10 entry includes your first drink. There will be a cash bar open with wine, beer and soft drinks. Doors open at 7pm and there will be a live musical interlude with the auction finishing at 9.30pm in time for you to head out for an evening on the town. RSVP to theargentimesphotos@gmail.com for the actual address.

This Wednesday – 28th April – The Argentina Independent will be hosting the April pub quiz, with quizmaster Adam direct from the UK. Teams of up to six can participate, with each team paying $50 (pesos). Participants can enjoy happy hour prices all night – two drinks for $15 on beer and various spirits. If you are without a team, fear not! Drop an email to marketing@argentinaindependent.com and we can help pull a team together for you, so the night can be a mixer too. The quiz takes place at Actung at Estados Unidos 523 in San Telmo. Quiz kicks off at 9pm and spaces are limited, so book your place early! marketing@argentinaindependent.com

Today, 28 years since the end of the Malvinas War, the truth about what really happened on the islands is still being uncovered via the belated testimonies of traumatised veterans. Battling against a better-equipped British army, extreme cold and constant hunger, some soldiers also claim to have been tortured by their own superiors. “I was in my tent when they grabbed me and forced my head into a water tank. It had ice in it, and they held me down for a bit and shouted ‘are you going on guard duty or not?’, I said ‘yes’, and they pressed my head in again… I couldn’t breathe.”

The footage is dark and grainy, but the view of the prison courtyard is clear enough. It appears to be empty, until suddenly three men are sprinting towards the far corner. A brief fight ensues, before two of those involved flee from the scene. The third – Daniel Martínez – tries to follow, but collapses after just a few paces, never to get up again. Unfortunately what the CCTV footage shows is not unusual, but a stark piece of evidence of the reality of life inside Argentina’s jails, where one inmate dies every two days.