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The daring prison escape of an Argentine footballer

In 1977 Claudio Tamburrini was kidnapped and tortured in a detention centre during Argentina's military dictatorship. But, he found a resourceful way to escape.

In November 1977 two men kidnapped minor league footballer Claudio Tamburrini. He was taken to a detention centre run by the Argentine Air Force where he was tortured and imprisoned. The country had just experienced a military coup and under the new regime many people suspected of left-wing sympathies were abducted and killed. Claudio and one of his cellmates felt they had to escape detention or they too would be killed. Using just bed sheets, leather straps and a metal bolt, they managed to climb out of a window and scale the building. Meanwhile the 1978 FIFA World Cup was underway in Argentina. Claudio eventually emerged from hiding to celebrate the tournament, which he believes helped bring down the military junta. (A longer version of this interview was first broadcast in May 2021.)

Presenter: Anu Anand
Producer: Saskia Edwards

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Claudio (top right) and his football team in the 1970s. Credit: Courtesy of Claudio Tamburrini)

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 21 Aug 2023 02:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 19 Aug 2023 04:32GMT
  • Sat 19 Aug 2023 18:32GMT
  • Sat 19 Aug 2023 23:32GMT
  • Sun 20 Aug 2023 08:32GMT
  • Sun 20 Aug 2023 22:32GMT
  • Mon 21 Aug 2023 02:32GMT

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