Philippe Sands's book, 38 Londres Street, navigates the extradition of Augusto Pinochet and his connection with SS officer Walther Rauff, who became deeply involved in political violence in Chile. Sands, a lawyer and writer, converses with Colombian novelist Juan Gabriel Vasquez, discussing the interplay between law and literature, especially regarding their capacity to address historical trauma. Vasquez notes that Sands's outsider perspective enables him to explore narratives that might be inadequately addressed by locals, highlighting that distance can foster objectivity in storytelling about sensitive topics.
"Having been to Chile for this book six or seven times, and about to head off again, I'm conscious of being an outsider. It's a Chilean story, and this Brit has stumbled across it in various ways."
"I was wondering as I read the book if the fact that you are not an insider did mean that you could write about things that maybe Chileans haven't been able to discuss. A certain distance allows you to enter this story with a kind of objectivity."
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