Uki Goñi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Born: | 1953 Washington DC, USA |
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| Occupation: | author, journalist |
| Nationality: |  Argentine |
| Website: | http://ukinet.com |
Uki Goñi is an Argentine journalist, author, and historian known for his work exposing the role of Argentine, Swiss, and Vatican authorities in aiding the escape of Nazi war criminals from Europe. He was born in Washington, D.C. in 1953 and was raised in the United States, Argentina, Mexico, and Ireland. Since 1975, he has lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Goñi's research places particular emphasis on the part played by the government of Argentine President Juan Perón in organising 'ratline' escape routes for ex-Nazi war criminals after Germany's defeat in World War II, as well as documenting the aid of Swiss and Vatican authorities in their flight.
Goñi's research, drawing on investigations in Argentine, Swiss, American, British, and Belgian government archives, as well as numerous interviews and other sources, was detailed extensively in his book The Real Odessa: Smuggling the Nazis to Perón's Argentina (Granta Books, 2002, ISBN 1862075816).
In 2005, as a result of revelations in Goñi's book, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner ordered the repeal of a secret directive issued in 1938 prohibiting Argentine diplomats from granting visas to Jews fleeing from the Holocaust in Europe. This was the first admission by the Argentine government of the anti-Semitism that marked the country's immigration policies during and after World War II. Because of Goñi's book, previously secret files relating to the entry of Croatian and other war criminals to Argentina were released.
In Genoa, publication of the Italian translation of his book ("Operazione Odessa" ISBN 88-11-69405-1) led the archbishop of that city, Tarcisio Bertone, to name a commission of inquiry to investigate revelations regarding the role of the Genoese curia in aiding the flight of Nazi war criminals through the port of Genoa on their way to Argentina.
Goñi has written for a number of British and American media, including The New York Times, The Miami Herald, Time magazine, The Guardian, and The Observer, as well as for various publications in Argentina.
He is also the author of two books in Spanish, "El inflitrado, la verdadera historia de Alfredo Astiz" (Sudamericana, Buenos Aires 1996), regarding crimes committed by Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship, and "Perón y los alemanes" (Sudamericana, Buenos Aires 1998), on Perón's wartime links with the SS secret service in South America.
