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Jorge ‘El Topo’ López: Argentinian journalist betrayed by authorities Jorge ‘El Topo’ López: Argentinian journalist betrayed by authorities
(about 9 hours later)
As Veronica Brunati awoke on 9 July, 2014 she was greeted by a tweet from Diego “El Cholo” Simeone expressing his condolences to the family of Jorge “El Topo” López, a much loved Argentinian journalist covering the World Cup. “No!” Veronica replied, also on twitter, followed by “Diego, don’t tell me that”. Minutes later another tweet from her read “Please, I am El Topo’s wife. Please someone call me and tell me what’s going on”.As Veronica Brunati awoke on 9 July, 2014 she was greeted by a tweet from Diego “El Cholo” Simeone expressing his condolences to the family of Jorge “El Topo” López, a much loved Argentinian journalist covering the World Cup. “No!” Veronica replied, also on twitter, followed by “Diego, don’t tell me that”. Minutes later another tweet from her read “Please, I am El Topo’s wife. Please someone call me and tell me what’s going on”.
Related: Pep Guardiola warned by Uefa for ‘Justice for Topo’ T-shirt
Just a few hours before, she had said good night to her husband and the father of her two children. She was staying in a hotel in São Paulo while he was moving across the city to stay with his colleagues. They were both journalists covering the World Cup in Brazil for different media outlets. Their young children stayed with Veronica’s mother in Belo Horizonte, where Argentina were based for the early stages of the World Cup. But Argentina had reached the last four of the tournament and, on the eve of the semi-final, São Paulo beckoned.Just a few hours before, she had said good night to her husband and the father of her two children. She was staying in a hotel in São Paulo while he was moving across the city to stay with his colleagues. They were both journalists covering the World Cup in Brazil for different media outlets. Their young children stayed with Veronica’s mother in Belo Horizonte, where Argentina were based for the early stages of the World Cup. But Argentina had reached the last four of the tournament and, on the eve of the semi-final, São Paulo beckoned.
As Topo made his way towards his hotel on that fateful July night, the taxi he was travelling in was hit by some youths, who were being chased by the police. “It is so dangerous to carry out a five-hour long car chase at such speed on a main road of São Paulo on the eve of a World Cup semi-final,” says Brunati, whose entire life was turned upside down that night. “The drivers being chased had already been identified by the police, they could have proceeded in a much less risky manner,” she tells me now, stressing that the police targets escaped from the crash site and stormed into a nearby hotel waving guns, before being apprehended. “Given the number of tourists and journalists visiting that area of São Paulo on that night a strict safety protocol should have been observed,” says Brunati.As Topo made his way towards his hotel on that fateful July night, the taxi he was travelling in was hit by some youths, who were being chased by the police. “It is so dangerous to carry out a five-hour long car chase at such speed on a main road of São Paulo on the eve of a World Cup semi-final,” says Brunati, whose entire life was turned upside down that night. “The drivers being chased had already been identified by the police, they could have proceeded in a much less risky manner,” she tells me now, stressing that the police targets escaped from the crash site and stormed into a nearby hotel waving guns, before being apprehended. “Given the number of tourists and journalists visiting that area of São Paulo on that night a strict safety protocol should have been observed,” says Brunati.
Throughout the following days, messages of support and offers of help began to pour in and those journalists present at the media centre still speak about the eerie sadness that enveloped the Argentinian correspondents during the minute’s silence prior to the match against Holland. After the game, the players remembered Topo with great fondness. They worked with him but he was also a friend.Throughout the following days, messages of support and offers of help began to pour in and those journalists present at the media centre still speak about the eerie sadness that enveloped the Argentinian correspondents during the minute’s silence prior to the match against Holland. After the game, the players remembered Topo with great fondness. They worked with him but he was also a friend.
Topo had a longstanding professional, and personal, relationship with River Plate, the Argentinian club back in Buenos Aires, and a press room at the club was named in his honour shortly after the World Cup. River Plate hired lawyers to represent Brunati in Brazil and help with the myriad of legal and administrative things that needed to be sorted out: from retrieving her husband’s possessions, to repatriating his body, as well as initiating criminal proceedings on her behalf.Topo had a longstanding professional, and personal, relationship with River Plate, the Argentinian club back in Buenos Aires, and a press room at the club was named in his honour shortly after the World Cup. River Plate hired lawyers to represent Brunati in Brazil and help with the myriad of legal and administrative things that needed to be sorted out: from retrieving her husband’s possessions, to repatriating his body, as well as initiating criminal proceedings on her behalf.
A first stage has now been completed: the driver and passengers of the speeding getaway car have already been found guilty of numerous charges including murder, reckless driving, resisting arrest, car theft among other charges and they are now awaiting sentencing.A first stage has now been completed: the driver and passengers of the speeding getaway car have already been found guilty of numerous charges including murder, reckless driving, resisting arrest, car theft among other charges and they are now awaiting sentencing.
Speaking from São Paulo, Carlos Muller, Brunati’s lawyer, says they are now finalising the paperwork necessary to also bring charges against the State of São Paulo. “We will press charges of negligence, recklessness and malpractice by the military police while conducting the chase of the robbers and the civic police, who were then involved in dealing with the aftermath of the crash.Speaking from São Paulo, Carlos Muller, Brunati’s lawyer, says they are now finalising the paperwork necessary to also bring charges against the State of São Paulo. “We will press charges of negligence, recklessness and malpractice by the military police while conducting the chase of the robbers and the civic police, who were then involved in dealing with the aftermath of the crash.
“It is our understanding that the police did not follow the minimum security procedures necessary during the chase and are therefore directly responsible for Topo’s death, and I say this because the very drivers of the police car have already stated in court that the high speed they drove made them fear for their own lives, but not the lives and safety of the civilians around them.”“It is our understanding that the police did not follow the minimum security procedures necessary during the chase and are therefore directly responsible for Topo’s death, and I say this because the very drivers of the police car have already stated in court that the high speed they drove made them fear for their own lives, but not the lives and safety of the civilians around them.”
Muller adds that the complaint will also raise the conduct of the civic police, apart from anything else because there was no one at the police station who spoke either Spanish or English, in the context of the World Cup, adding to the family’s distress and confusion. According to the Brazilian constitution it is an obligation of the state to provide safety and guarantee the wellbeing of everyone on Brazilian soil. “Another important factor here is that this was a Fifa event where Fifa demanded extra legislation so the president sanctioned extra laws to guarantee this; in this aspect the state is also obliged to guarantee safety. So how can it be that a citizen of the world, I’m not saying a journalist, but a citizen, becomes a victim in such circumstances?” says Muller.Muller adds that the complaint will also raise the conduct of the civic police, apart from anything else because there was no one at the police station who spoke either Spanish or English, in the context of the World Cup, adding to the family’s distress and confusion. According to the Brazilian constitution it is an obligation of the state to provide safety and guarantee the wellbeing of everyone on Brazilian soil. “Another important factor here is that this was a Fifa event where Fifa demanded extra legislation so the president sanctioned extra laws to guarantee this; in this aspect the state is also obliged to guarantee safety. So how can it be that a citizen of the world, I’m not saying a journalist, but a citizen, becomes a victim in such circumstances?” says Muller.
As well as the police drivers, the taxi driver has also given evidence in court stating all he saw was the police vehicle approaching at high speed. Brunati mentions that the taxi was uninsured, something she finds shocking in the context of a World Cup semi-final. She further raises issues over the questionable manner in which the police first contacted the local Brazilian media, leading to the story breaking on social media before either herself, her partner’s employers or the Argentinian authorities were contacted.As well as the police drivers, the taxi driver has also given evidence in court stating all he saw was the police vehicle approaching at high speed. Brunati mentions that the taxi was uninsured, something she finds shocking in the context of a World Cup semi-final. She further raises issues over the questionable manner in which the police first contacted the local Brazilian media, leading to the story breaking on social media before either herself, her partner’s employers or the Argentinian authorities were contacted.
In addition, there are questions over certain factual errors appearing on the initial police report and death certificate, and procedures of how the body and Topo’s posessions were dealt with in the aftermath.In addition, there are questions over certain factual errors appearing on the initial police report and death certificate, and procedures of how the body and Topo’s posessions were dealt with in the aftermath.
Brunati feels badly let down by Fifa and the World Cup organising committee. She insists the only reaction to date from Fifa has been a single tweet that evening from the Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s account regretting Topo’s passing – and she has mounted a campaign on Twitter #JusticiaParaTopo and a Justice for Topo Facebook page, seeking to clarify and elucidate the events surrounding her husband’s death.Brunati feels badly let down by Fifa and the World Cup organising committee. She insists the only reaction to date from Fifa has been a single tweet that evening from the Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s account regretting Topo’s passing – and she has mounted a campaign on Twitter #JusticiaParaTopo and a Justice for Topo Facebook page, seeking to clarify and elucidate the events surrounding her husband’s death.
The T-shirts and banners with the logo have been displayed by the football community often now. In January Barcfelona and Atlético Madrid players posed together before a match with the banner. The couple had lived in Spain and Topo had developed a bond with players such as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atlético Madrid’s Argentinian manager Simeone as well as Spanish journalists such as Lu Martín from El Pais. Martín was the person who made sure a #JusticiaParaTopo T-shirt was worn by the Bayern Munich manager, Pep Guardiola.The T-shirts and banners with the logo have been displayed by the football community often now. In January Barcfelona and Atlético Madrid players posed together before a match with the banner. The couple had lived in Spain and Topo had developed a bond with players such as Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atlético Madrid’s Argentinian manager Simeone as well as Spanish journalists such as Lu Martín from El Pais. Martín was the person who made sure a #JusticiaParaTopo T-shirt was worn by the Bayern Munich manager, Pep Guardiola.
Brunati says that within hours of the news breaking in Spain on 9 July, Martín had been in touch to express support from himself, Guardiola and several other colleagues and friends.Brunati says that within hours of the news breaking in Spain on 9 July, Martín had been in touch to express support from himself, Guardiola and several other colleagues and friends.
Guardiola wore the T-shirt during a Champions League press conference in April, ahead of Bayern Munich’s game against Porto, and was subsequently charged by Uefa for an “incident of non-sporting” nature, before escaping with a warning on Friday afternoon.Guardiola wore the T-shirt during a Champions League press conference in April, ahead of Bayern Munich’s game against Porto, and was subsequently charged by Uefa for an “incident of non-sporting” nature, before escaping with a warning on Friday afternoon.
No doubt Guardiola was aware of the implications and consequences of his action but still decided to wear the T-shirt in the hope of creating public awareness for Brunati’s cause. And Uefa helped him do just that with their charge, 10 months on from the tragedy.No doubt Guardiola was aware of the implications and consequences of his action but still decided to wear the T-shirt in the hope of creating public awareness for Brunati’s cause. And Uefa helped him do just that with their charge, 10 months on from the tragedy.
Like many within the football community of players and managers Guardiola took a humane stance over Topo’s tragic death – after all, he was a colleague working to promote and distribute football – and perhaps without meaning to, Uefa have helped him spread the word.Like many within the football community of players and managers Guardiola took a humane stance over Topo’s tragic death – after all, he was a colleague working to promote and distribute football – and perhaps without meaning to, Uefa have helped him spread the word.