Rights Information

The author Kim Ekemar is the sole and rightful owner of this work.

Rights for this work may be negotiated directly with Kim Ekemar only.

So far no right permissions have been conceded to any third parties.

Marketing Information

Available in print and as e-books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and similar online marketplaces.

Reviews by Kirkus, Clarion Forward, Onlinebookclub, BlueInk, Booklife/Publishers Weekly, Amazon.

On Onlinebookclub: Book-of-the-Month (The Complete Callaghan Tetralogy) and Book-of-the-Day (The Lost Identity Casualties, Where the Bones of a buried Rat Lie, The Quarry at the Crossroads, The Tollbooth in the Labyrinth)

Reviews

“Part historical text and part political thriller frightening in its reality, El Reino del Terror presents a wealth of information on a tormented era in Latin America’s history. In this true story, Ekemar offers a detailed investigation of one of the most vicious and corrupt dictatorships that the South American continent has ever known.

Alfredo Stroessner’s thirty-five-year regime was the longest-lasting dictatorship in twentieth-century South America. Ekemar’s narrative, supported by personal experience and extensive research, paints a chilling picture of the pervasive human rights violations of his iron-fisted rule, which was marked by personal and political corruption, sexual depravity, and the protection of Nazi fugitives, drug traffickers, and terrorists.

The text contains reminders that the practice of torture was extensive under Stroessner, with political activists, journalists, peasants, teachers, intellectuals, indigenous tribes, children, and pregnant women among the targeted. Victims were flown out over the Paraná River and dropped to their deaths from airplanes.

Ekemar also reveals the extent to which the United States knew about, and was responsible for, the abuses that took place during 'Operation Condor', a Cold War-era campaign of political repression and state terror that involved intelligence operations and the assassination of opponents in South America and elsewhere. The program was intended to eradicate communism and Soviet influence in Latin America’s Southern Cone; sadly, one of the methods used was to prop up brutal right-wing dictatorships in the countries involved, supporting them with funds, training in effective methods of torture, and more. The book vividly and meticulously describes the treatment that Ekemar and his wife received while detained by the Paraguayan police.

Front cover art, while graphic and disturbing, is appropriate for the nature and content of the book. To facilitate personal research, Ekemar has included ample listings of data, statistics, and online resources.

Part historical text and part political thriller frightening in its reality, El Reino del Terror presents a wealth of information on a tormented era in Latin America’s history. It is a powerful call for the truth to be recognized and taught, and a warning to us all of the perils of failing to honor our human rights and guard our freedom.” – Clarion Foreword Reviews

Author Biography

I've been fortunate with opportunities to travel the world, counting Mexico, France, Sweden and Spain as my home at one time or other. In the past, a good part of my life was dedicated to business ventures: an art gallery, an advertising agency and commodity trading, among others. 

My travels have taken me to faraway places and amazing situations. I arrived in Mongolia just as the revolution for independence from the USSR started. I have been taken up the Sepik river by crocodile hunters in Papua Guinea. I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya, gone horseback riding to where the Río Magdalena in Colombia begins, crossed the Australian desert, hiked the Inka trail the wrong direction in Peru, and much more. However, the experience with the most impact that I’ve lived through was to be arbitrarily jailed in a centre for torture in Paraguay during the Stroessner dictatorship, under the absurd accusation of being a terrorist.

During the past two decades, I've been focused on artistic expressions – painting, photography, design and architecture, but mainly on writing. The sources for the things I'm interested in writing about are the passions of people; places and customs that I've experienced around the world; and stories or situations from life that intrigue me. However, I'm convinced that none of the aforementioned is enough to create a work of literature (or any kind of artwork, for that matter), unless it's supported by a strong, fundamental idea. 

My interests are centred around languages, music, travelling to extraordinary places, and all visual arts. These elements, I believe, occupy a large place in what I write. Moreover, I perceive my literary work easy to visualise because of them.