In memory of Almerigo Grilz, on the anniversary of his assassination on the ground at dawn on May 19, 1987 by
Emmetrentanove
Almerigo Grilz was a journalist and Italian politician, but first and foremost an activist, a comrade. In the '70s he led with charisma and the audacity of the Youth Front of his city, Trieste, and soon became not only the driver but also the example for his commitment, his organizational skills and also for his political cunning, accompanied by outstanding qualities as a journalist and cartoonist. His example and his qualities bears the Youth Front of Trieste to be the first political youth and student of the city and that in those years were very difficult that the furious 70. In 1976 he was expelled from the University for leading the resistance of a dozen activists of the Front, attacked from a hundred cowards within the University of left-wing extremists. In a few years he climbed the hierarchy of the party becoming the first director of the National Front, then deputy secretary and then national councilor of the MSI in Trieste. At the same time he continued to cultivate his passion for journalism enrolling 'Register as a journalist, first directing the magazine "Young Right" and then working for the fortnightly Front "Dissent."
Almerigo, journalism, especially liked the shape of the invitation "freelance" in the hot zones of the planet, a passion that led him to decide in the early '80s, with the resignation from the post of Adviser city, to embrace the profession of journalism definitely characterized by a great spirit of adventure, departing at least ten months a year, Italy. Founded in 1983 by Gian Fausto Biloslavo Micalessin and with whom he shared both his passion for journalism is that policy adventure, the Albatros Press Agency, an agency that produces news articles, reportage photography and movies, by most areas of the world affected by war or revolutionary phenomena. The Agency will sell a lot of services to major international broadcasters, particularly Anglo-Saxons, while in Italy will be boycotted because its founders were considered as close to the fascist MSI. Despite this, Albatros was able to make inroads in leading national newspapers such as Panorama and TGUno. Wrinkle as they called friends and comrades will be the first Italian journalist fell on a battlefield since the end of World War II and one of the best war correspondents of the 80s, thanks to his courage that led him at the forefront. In 1982 documented the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the withdrawal of the Palestinians from Beirut, giving ample space to the internal conflict between the factions of the Druze and Christian Maronites. In 1983, its services to the movies later guerrilla muijhajdin of Afghanistan against the Soviet Red Army, were sent by the network CBS.
Also in collaboration with the latter 's Almerigo documented in 1984, the conflict between the guerrillas and Cambodian government troops pro Vietnam. Will be among the first to witness the border war between Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand, which still sees the guerrillas of the Karen people committed against the Burmese Communist troops. His articles went round the world and were published in Italy by newspapers as "Future", "Panorama", "The Sabbath" and "Italian Journal Defence in Britain from the" Sunday Times "and" Jane's Defence Weekly " and in France by the weekly "L'Express" and were also purchased by CBS, France 3 and dall'Nbc. Then these large networks the other commissioned services. In fact, early 1985 Almerigo always told CBS, the war between Iran and Iraq, creating an in-depth reportage on the Shiite regime in Tehran. For NBC, Grilz followed the communist guerrillas and the Philippine elections of 1986 that led to the fall of the corrupt regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino's victory. A few months later he went to Angola in the wake of UNITA guerrillas, its images from the battlefield of Mavinga, littered with the bodies of government soldiers, illustrate the ferocity of ongoing conflict in southern Africa. In the spring of 1986 was the first journalist to make a report accompanying the RENAMO guerrillas in Mozambique against the Marxist government of FRELIMO. Again in Afghanistan, he documented the arrival of the Stinger missile raid that changed the tide of the war in favor of the anti-Soviet guerrilla war. In Ethiopia, told the story of the Oromo guerrillas involved in the fight against the regime of dictator Mengistu.
In 1987 he returned to the continuation of RENAMO in Mozambique. It was his last report. At dawn on May 19 fell mortally wounded by a bullet in the neck, shot by a sniper, while filming an attack by guerrillas to the town of Caia. Almerigo still rests near the place buried under an old tree. The death of Grilz, precisely because of that "antimissino injury, will be shamefully ignored by the Italian press (only in the second half of the '90s will be recognized as" the Italian journalist, fell in war scenario). In contrast, several foreign newspapers as the "Sunday Times", the ample space also is remembered on an international level by "Reporters sans frontieres", in Normandy, in fact his name is included in the plaque in honor of journalists killed since 1889 1944 to present. In Italy, however, "The Unit" shamefully report the death of a "mercenary" and made an exception, infamy silence of the Italian media for television, TgUno that, by the mouth of the conductor Paul Frajese, against the advice of the editorial board, a memory dedicated to the journalist Trieste, and the print media, Renato Farina for the weekly "On Saturday" and Ettore Mo, historical places of war sent to the "Corriere della Sera."
Almerigo Grilz told through his travels around the world, the so-called "peace" of the '80s, the terrible wars and obscure, forgotten layers of conflict between the two superpowers ( U.S. and USSR). Only in his hometown of Trieste, its commitment to date has not yet been fully understood, hostage dreary polemics and partisanship "fascist" that impede the placing of his name among the journalists killed in war Trieste. The perennial fault Almerigo, just what one can not forgive is that the MSI have been an activist, why does not appear to be worthy of remembrance in his honor by all citizens but especially of his "colleagues ". In fact, while the Municipality of Trieste has dedicated a city street to Almerigo, his name is not yet in place plate of journalists killed, at of the Trieste branch of the roll. A few years ago, in the newspaper "La Repubblica" at the hands of reporters as Alberto Stator, still spoke shamefully, not a journalist killed in war but "a fascist activist who died in Trieste in Angola 'to specify, to make matters worse, that regardless of the commitment of journalists Grilz remained a fascist.
But we believe that his example, his memory in the hearts of many young men of his Trieste, who have attended parades in the streets to the rhythm of his voice and his legend that testifies, and it remains in those lands no one told him, was and is an example of a man who has always lived in his head high.
bibliography and videography:
- A. Grilz, "an adventure, from politics to journalism to fight the war"
Seventh Seal Publishing, 1988
- Biloslavo F., G. Micalessin, A. Grilz "Eyes of War"
Emme & Emme, 2007
- G . Locatelli, D. Martini "Duce goodbye. The biography of Gianfranco Fini "
Longanesi, 1994
- F. Tatarella "The torch tricolor: an anthology of young Italian right
since the war" Bari Edizioni New Press, 2008
- A. Baldoni "We revolutionaries" Seventh Seal Publishing, 1986
- Earth! Weekly deepening of TG5, the episode of 20/05/2007
dedicated to Almerigo Grilz
