Session: 1234567891011121314151617         Page 646647648649650651652653654655656657658659660661662663664665666667668669670671672673674675676677678679680681682683684685686687688689690691692693694695696697698699700701 of 824

the press and we asked for a meeting with him. And at first he refused but then he finally agreed to meet with, I think it was six of us. I was one of the six. And it is true that he was just what he was characterized as being. He looked more like somebody out of an opera, and you sort of expected him to sing. He always had a cape, a magnificent cape. He had mustachios. He had a way of speaking as if he were about to burst out into some great aria. And speak he did. He received us supposedly for fifteen minutes. And he talked. I can't remember what the devil he said, but he talked for about two hours.

And nothing remains of the content?

Nothing remains of the content at all. And that was about two or three months before he was overthrown and I guess murdered.

Were you impressed with him?

Well, my feeling was I don't want to have an actor from the opera running a country. It really was bombastic show, so on, so on, so on. But it's also true that Latins tend to be slightly that way. He just was an exaggerated case of it.

Did you remain with the Association for long after his