[News Article Translated] North Korea launches a challenge in the United States? You laugh or what? It would be rather than our nation responds to the continual assault of American imperialism.
"Our nuclear arsenal, we cannot give it up, it is our way of protecting us. If the war breaks out soon, will not our responsibility, trust me!"
His voice remains posed, the flow is fluid, without invective and access of wrath.
The man who confides on the phone to release from his native Catalonia is preparing his suitcases: the next morning, he will fly to Pyongyang and join "his brothers", and this country which granted him nationality and to which he devoted his life.
"First and foremost, I am a soldier in the service of the Chief of staff of the people's army."
In his trunks, he has folded his decorated military uniform of five decorations carefully: "my favorite, this is the smallest, the Red Star, the order of the seventh regiment."
Alejandro Cao Benos, 37 years old, is a character out of standards. An offshoot of Castilian aristocratic lineages whose roots plunge into the val d'Aran Pyrenean, born in a small village near Tarragona - where he resides-, and which performs a function without none: "Special delegate of North Korean foreign relations", explains. That is, the voice of Pyongyang out of its borders. A kind of honorary consul with any latitude to spread the propaganda of the Communist dynasty, defend it tooth and nail against the "media attacks on our people's Republic", and attempt to unite entrepreneurs, journalists and personalities to the cause.
The "special delegate" organizes trips to Pyongyang, which includes the delicate management of visas; that day, he took the head of a delegation of Algerian and Lithuanians.
"I am the only Westerner to enter and exit at will" of North Korea."
In addition to his salary of computer scientist, these trips provide an income. "As for the rest, everything is at my expense, including flights."
Monk-soldier.This is a decade already, that Cao de Benos has been working as single origin non-Korean Ambassador. With the Pyongyang authorities, communications would be daily, by mail, in English.
"For me, it is the reward of a passion, a commitment and a total loyalty."
At the age of 16, this rather lonely Catalan feels caught by Communist ideology, the books of Marx or Lenin and, by chance, thoughts of Kim Il-Sung, the founder of the dynasty, died in 1994.
"This was a shot at my heart. At the same time, I met a North Korean family in Madrid, full of wisdom. Between ideology and Eastern fascination, my life was going to take the sense."
It then multiplies the trips to Pyongyang, creates a Korean Friendship Association - which he is still president. By dint of dedication, the regime allows in 2000 this computer engineer to create a website it supplies at its option. Cao de Benos behaves as a monk-soldier of an indefensible case, travel across Europe to bring the good word of the "Great Leader" (he wears a red pin bearing his effigy) and deal with some talent, speaking to the most embarrassing questions. "In general, we wonder not, it attacks us. Me, I defend."
Whenever North Korea upsets news - these days, for example-, number of media him serve as tribune, between benevolence and perplexity. And it is wasting its time to discuss with him the famines, a fierce dictatorship, the cult of personality, the Gulag or ideological brainwashing. "The imperialist propaganda", retorts invariably, everywhere where he is invited to give a lecture. Gagged democracy?
"We are a popular democracy, the production belongs to the people, it is better than false capitalist democracies. During the official funeral of Kim Jong-Il, winter 2011, he said having sobbed. He would have received a gift of his own day a tea service: pride."
And then, still on the tone of confidence: "La Korea, it's a big family. Our leader, today Kim Jong-Un, is a father to the people. There, it's like another planet, where money is not the purpose of existence. Businesses are managed through popular assemblies. The values are collective; respect, education, honor. The principles inherited from Confucius and Buddha."
Exotic character. Cao de Benos is inexhaustible on his adopted country, but little verbose on his grandfathers aristocrats, his catalan entourage, his daily life, his friendships - 'I lost not bad, because my beliefs'. He is often traveling. By mid-March, invited to Bilbao, he is questioned by separatists on the basque issue: 'Start by nationalizing the means of production', he says them.
In Korea - he said to spend six months a year. Cao de Benos would be like a fish in water. There, it is no longer Alejandro, but 'Cho Sun', and his visits are fully supported by the regime. It is seen as an exotic character, bald and double chin, still dressed in the khaki uniform lapel pin. On television, people can see it address the crowd by reading a revolutionary pamphlet or user of his tenor voice to sing songs to the glory of the 'Great Leader'. "My Korean may be rudimentary, this makes the effect, you know. I am rather known, there."
Member of the party of labour of Korea (KWP), hidalgo 'Cho Sun' ensures have contacts at the highest level, including with the president of the people's Assembly, Kim Yong nam. Is this safe? ' I doubt it a bit, it is not always because of the events, told a Spanish journalist based in Asia. '' Anyway, it's good to take for the regime. Cao de Benos would be almost sympathetic if its activities were not on behalf of a terrible dictatorship. There is something detestable in there."
Mid-April, "Cho Sun" will attend without fail in the commemorations of the birth of Kim Il-sung. "I am before a soldier of the people's Republic", he recalls. It to believe, he would recruit successfully among of young communists - especially Spanish - European international swelled to 'defend the Korea'. And concluded: "As for me, if the United States we are war, I do not know when and if I got."
Special Thanks to Liberation.Fr
By FRANÇOIS MUSSEAU | Original Article
[...] In Korea - he said to spend six months a year. Cao de Benos would be like a fish in water. There, it is no longer Alejandro, but 'Cho Sun', and his visits are fully supported by the regime. [...]
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