Open Files – Jose Maria Aznar

Open Files. An exhaustive investigative report on the lives and works of Latin America's and the world's most controversial personalities. Today’s edition focuses Jose María Aznar, who headed the government of Spain from 1996 to 2004. His neoliberal policies come under scrutiny, and analysts note specific cases of the enrichment of a small segment of the population, privatizations, job destruction, worsening of working conditions, dismantling of state enterprises, the housing debacle and mass evictions. Observers tell stories of his close relationships with Jorge Mas Canosa and the right wing Cuban lobby in Miami and give details of his two major vendettas, one against Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution and the other against the Basque guerrillas Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA). In the area of foreign relations, Aznar’s support for the 1992 coup against Hugo Chavez is a highlight, as is his subservience to the United States and his support for the war against Iraq to the point of sending troops to fight in the war. The program concludes with a look at the lucrative positions he has held since leaving office.