The dice was loaded from the start
A project by Eleana Konstantellos & Valeria Arendar
2023 - on going
During the height of the Cold War, Mexico City became the perfect battle field for the United States and the Soviet Union for them to spy on each other. American and Soviet spies were known to be everywhere. It is even said that all Mexican presidents who were in charge of the country between 1958 and 1988 were recruited by the US Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the operation LITEMPO.
Mexico City operated as a strategic point for both sides as it was the only territory in Latin America where there was a representation of each country. Among the staff of each embassy, there were "secret" agents from their respective intelligence offices who enjoyed freedom of movement throughout the country.
This project questions the free operation of espionage networks on all fronts. In this way we seek to decipher the way in which Mexico City became one of the main nodes of global espionage for the defense of capitalism and the entry of communism into Latin America. We seek to understand the geopolitical importance of Mexico as the great scenario of the Cold War by presenting a history of intrigues, treasons, executions and tortures.
Most of the photographs were taken in our flat located in Bahía de Guantánamo Street.
With the help and participation of:
Sebastian Machado
Aldo Arriaga
Jorge Perelló
Kiara Konstantellos
Pepita Batanero
Francisco Segovia
Andrés Batanero
Esther André
Escuela Activa de Fotografía
Coming soon...