by Santiago Roncalgiolo
The dirty war against terrorism in Perú is the background and topic of the thriller. The author himself calls it thriller and so do all the book summaries. Therefore let it be a thriller, although it has a cheap connotation for me. Of course, it has the main feature of a thriller: a serial killer murders on each day of the easter week one person. Every time a different part of the body is taken away. It all takes place in Ayacucho. That was the center of terror by the “Sendero Luminoso” (Shining Path). Every time the murdered person talked to to Félix Chacaltana – the vice prosecution attorney. The whole story is told from his perspective. A very interesting person for me since he reminds me to Pantaleón Pantoja – the main character in Vargas Llosa’s “Pantaleón y las visitadoras”. Both are overly correct in their aim to fulfill all their duties in the organization. No questions are raised as long as clear orders come from their respective bosses. A very strange behavior – which I always connect with the Prussians – in Latin America, where everything is more or less informal. A perfect satire are the reports he writes. Such a bureaucratic jargon, exaggerated but I think everybody had similar experiences with the almighty bureaucracy. These reports about the murders are the highlights. It is not the only strange side in Félix, he also worships his long dead mother. he talks to her on a daily basis as she would be alive.
With every murder he gets more and more drawn into the case. As is should be for a good thriller, the show-down provides you with an unexpected revelation about Félix Chacaltana. The only thing which persists, is the bureaucracy. The last chapter is written by an agent of the secret service, and he uses the same language for the summary report of this case.
One important aspect I forgot to mention: it takes place in April 2000 during the presidential elections in Perú. I spent that month in Perú and followed closely these election, which where ridden by fraud. It was interesting how the government tried to test teh limits of the public. The changed the results day by day and bit by bit to a draw, so that a second round was necessary. The main campaign theme of the former president Fujimori was “coincidentally” terrorism and HE exterminated it. Does this pattern sound familiar? – By the way: he lost in the second round and is now in prison for crimes which are described in this book.
With every murder he gets more and more drawn into the case. As is should be for a good thriller, the show-down provides you with an unexpected revelation about Félix Chacaltana. The only thing which persists, is the bureaucracy. The last chapter is written by an agent of the secret service, and he uses the same language for the summary report of this case.
One important aspect I forgot to mention: it takes place in April 2000 during the presidential elections in Perú. I spent that month in Perú and followed closely these election, which where ridden by fraud. It was interesting how the government tried to test teh limits of the public. The changed the results day by day and bit by bit to a draw, so that a second round was necessary. The main campaign theme of the former president Fujimori was “coincidentally” terrorism and HE exterminated it. Does this pattern sound familiar? – By the way: he lost in the second round and is now in prison for crimes which are described in this book.
Facts:
English title: Red April
Original title: Abril Rojo
Published: 2006
