Leila Guerriero won an award in France and justifies a journalism that “looks at what we don’t like”.

The Argentine journalist Leila Guerrierorecently recognized in France for his book The calldefends multi-faceted journalism on the ground that presents a “complete panorama”. That implies Talk to everyone and “look at what you don’t like.”

Warrior, one of the most important voices in narrative journalism Latin American, is enjoying the success of his latest book, an in-depth portrait of Silvia Labayrua survivor of torture under the military dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983).

The work received the award in France Award for best foreign non-fiction booka prestigious award that ranks among the most illustrious winners in other categories in its more than seven-decade history A hundred years of loneliness either Aunt Julia and the writer.

In a café near the Pantheon in Paris, the journalist and writer explains how “unreal” it still feels to her that she won. “I am always surprised that the work you do from so far away, in this case Argentina, reaches a place and a language that is not your own.”he states.

The callPublished in Spanish last year, it tells the story of Labayru, a militant from the Montoneros armed group, who She was kidnapped pregnant in Buenos Aires in 1976and imprisoned in the Navy Mechanics School (ESMA), where was tortured.

She gave birth in this scary place. After a year and a half in this secret center, She was released and went into exile in Spain. where he was rejected by his former fellow activists on suspicion of collaborating with the military.

Guerriero was responsible for creating this portrait, which runs to more than 400 pages For almost two years he reported and interviewed a hundred people.

And that is the basis of their approach: extensive field work, with countless interviews and careful observation of the environment.

“When I listen to the story of those I interview, I pay a lot of attention to the names that come up, the circumstances that arise,” explains the 58-year-old journalist. “If it’s a very, very sensitive circumstance, I need another testimonyas well as a statement from the person who tells me about it.

“The side testimonials They contribute significantly to illuminating this central testimonyto give different visions, sometimes even to give different versions or at least have a different perspective on what happened,” he adds.

This way of working is also necessary in the current political context, with the Republican Donald Trump leading the United States and the ultra-liberal Javier Milei leading Argentina. two leaders who won’t stop denigrating journalism.

“Talk to everyone, talk to people who most likely don’t think like you. And don’t dismiss these testimonies, don’t enthronize them, but rather paint the bigger picture,” he says. “It seems to me that this is the kind of journalism you have to do: look at what you don’t like.”

The author of American airplane And The suicides at the end of the worldEmployees of various media such as the Spanish newspaper El País, Do long-term journalismwhich hardly seems compatible with the speed and immediacy of clicks and likes on social networks.

When you start working on a story that interests you, strives for a certain “continuity”, despite the many journeys that are necessary. Week after week he tries to get to know the people he interviews.

Furthermore, explains Guerriero, Take very thorough notesDay after day, from details to the moment of the interview: the weather, the clothes, the gestures, the decoration… This allows him to capture this moment almost photographically later in the book.

“Later, when I know I’m done with the report, I plan the writing and prepare a scenario of about two to three monthsin which I interrupt everything a little” in order to be able to devote myself fully to the text.

“Everything is a bit complicated at first” he assures and speaks of the beginning of the writing work. “Coming up with a story, even a story you know a lot about, is always like telling it to yourself for the first time.”