Rafael Squirru
During the presidency of Arturo Fondizi, Squirru was named Director of Cultural Affairs of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, position he accepted ad honorem. Among his many initiatives, all Argentine Embassies received LPs of tango music by the national stars of that genre, which he considered the highest artistic manifestation of our national music, to be distributed to cultural institutions abroad.
Foreign
Ministry
Albeit the opposition of fellow-jurer Jorge Romero Brest, he sent the works of Antonio Berni to the 1962 edition of the Venice Biennale and the sculptures of Alicia Penalba to the Sao Paolo Biennale of that year: both artists were awarded First Prize in their categories.
Incompatibilities arisen with Foreign Minister Bonifacio Del Carril, exacerbated by Communist Berni's success in Venice, led to his being removed from his job, which provoked a public demonstration of a hundred artists in front of the Foreign Ministry, a letter of support to Squirru published in daily La Nación with 130 signatures of renowned intellectuals (Ernesto Sábato, Alberto Ginastera, etc.) and an incendiary declaration by Squirru against the Foreign Minister published in several newspapers, El Mundo among them.
RS at the Embassy of China
RS with C. Alonso, R. Forner, G. Kosice y A. Berni