The dice was loaded from the start

During the height of the Cold War, Mexico City became the perfect battlefield for the United States and the Soviet Union to spy on each other. This is a project by Valeria Arendar and Eleana Konstantellos.

A project by Valeria Arendar and Eleana Konstantellos.

During the height of the Cold War, Mexico City became the perfect battlefield for the United States and the Soviet Union to spy on each other. American and Soviet spies were known to be everywhere. It is even said that all Mexican presidents who were in charge of the country between 1958 and 1988 were recruited by the US Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the operation LITEMPO.

Mexico City operated as a strategic point for both sides as it was the only territory in Latin America where there was a representation of each country. Among the staff of each embassy, there were "secret" agents from their respective intelligence offices who enjoyed freedom of movement throughout the country.

This project questions the free operation of espionage networks on all fronts. In this way, we seek to decipher how Mexico City became one of the main nodes of global espionage for the defense of capitalism and the entry of communism into Latin America.  We seek to understand the geopolitical importance of Mexico as the great scenario of the Cold War by presenting a history of intrigues, treasons, executions, and tortures.

© Eleana Konstantellos André - Image from the The dice was loaded from the start photography project
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LITEMPO was a CIA-coordinated operation to classify interventions in Mexico. It targeted all Mexican presidents between 1958 and 1988.

© Eleana Konstantellos André - Image from the The dice was loaded from the start photography project
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During the 1970s, US military intelligence used radio wave interceptors. When activated, this device blocked all communication via radio frequencies around it. As a self-explosive device, once its cycle was complete, it detonated.

© Eleana Konstantellos André - Image from the The dice was loaded from the start photography project
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After the US landed on Mars, Soviet laboratories led by the Committee for State Security KGB conducted studies of lunar rocks to detect possible human footprints.

© Eleana Konstantellos André - Image from the The dice was loaded from the start photography project
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Agents of the Soviet Union's Central Intelligence Department used this type of device for night-time training raids. At the time, it was the most sophisticated gadget.

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