Eduardo Rózsa-Flores
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Rózsa-Flores was a Bolivia
n-Hungarian
mercenary, journalist, actor, and secret agent. Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, he was known in Hungary as Rózsa-Flores Eduardo or Rózsa György Eduardo. His wartime nickname in the Croatian War of Independence
was Chico, which is also the title of a feature film
about him.
, Bolivia
. His father, György Obermayer Rózsa, was a Hungarian painter, of Jewish descent, who left Hungary in 1948, moving first to Paris
, and, in 1952, to Bolivia
with a French ethnographic mission, adopting the forename Jorge. He stayed on, lecturing art, and married Nelly Flores Arias,a Catalan
immigrant and high school teacher.
A committed communist, Jorge Rózsa moved the family to Chile
to escape the Hugo Banzer
dictatorship in 1972, but emigrated to Sweden
in 1973 after Augusto Pinochet
came to power. In 1974, they moved to Hungary.
Rózsa-Flores attended secondary school in Budapest
. After military service he went for a short period of intelligence training, at the Felix Dzerzhinsky KGB
Academy in the Soviet Union. He later joined Hungarian intelligence services. He attended Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), earning his degree in 1991. He was the last Secretary of the Communist Youth Organization at ELTE in 1990. He allegedly had cooperated with the Hungarian secret services as a student. His first journalism work was with the Cuba
n news agency Prensa Latina. In the late 1980s he reportedly joined Opus Dei
.
, Rózsa-Flores – known then as Jorge Eduardo Rózsa – worked as a correspondent for the Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia
and the Spanish unit of the BBC World Service
. He arrived in Yugoslavia in June 1991. While reporting on and witnessing the civil war there, his car was shot at. After that he joined the Croatian National Guard
in Osijek
as its first foreign volunteer. During the next few years, he took part in several battles in the Slavonia
area of eastern Croatia, including defending Laslovo, where he set up the Croatian army's First International Unit. He later served as a commander of the special forces. Croatian president Franjo Tuđman personally granted him Croatian citizenship in appreciation of his services. He was wounded three times in battle, and obtained the rank of colonel in 1993. Unconfirmed press reports have linked him to the deaths of two foreign journalists also in Croatia at the time, Swiss national Christian Würtenberg (who was in the First International Unit), and British photographer Paul Jenks. He was officially demobilized on 31 July 1994.
. Two other people, Hungarian Árpád Magyarosi, and Irishman Michael Dwyer
, died during the action. Two others, Mario Tadic, a Croatian, and Előd Tóásó, a Hungarian – were arrested. Bolivian authorities said that Rózsa-Flores was the leader of a terrorist group which intended to assassinate Bolivian president Evo Morales
. In 2011, members of the Police unit that performed the raid were awarded the Medal of Valor.
broadcast an interview recorded in September 2008 by Hungarian journalist András Kepes
prior to his last trip to Bolivia, and asked Kepes not to release the interview until either he returned or in the case that something happened to him.
Rózsa-Flores claimed that a Bolivian national requested him to return to Bolivia and help establish a milita for the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, in response to perceived central government abuses. He claimed that local politicians wanted to establish the militia and that he was asked to create it based upon his Croatian military experience. He claimed the militia role was to be one of self-defense in the event of aggression by either central government or native "Indian" paramilitary forces and not to attack anyone.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n-Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
mercenary, journalist, actor, and secret agent. Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, he was known in Hungary as Rózsa-Flores Eduardo or Rózsa György Eduardo. His wartime nickname in the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
was Chico, which is also the title of a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
about him.
Family, early life, studies
Eduardo Rózsa-Flores was born in Santa Cruz de la SierraSanta Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. His father, György Obermayer Rózsa, was a Hungarian painter, of Jewish descent, who left Hungary in 1948, moving first to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and, in 1952, to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
with a French ethnographic mission, adopting the forename Jorge. He stayed on, lecturing art, and married Nelly Flores Arias,a Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
immigrant and high school teacher.
A committed communist, Jorge Rózsa moved the family to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
to escape the Hugo Banzer
Hugo Banzer
Hugo Banzer Suárez was a politician, military general, dictator and President of Bolivia. He held the Bolivian presidency twice: from August 22, 1971 to July 21, 1978, as a dictator; and then again from August 6, 1997 to August 7, 2001, as constitutional President.-Military and ideological...
dictatorship in 1972, but emigrated to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1973 after Augusto Pinochet
Augusto Pinochet
Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
came to power. In 1974, they moved to Hungary.
Rózsa-Flores attended secondary school in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. After military service he went for a short period of intelligence training, at the Felix Dzerzhinsky KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
Academy in the Soviet Union. He later joined Hungarian intelligence services. He attended Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), earning his degree in 1991. He was the last Secretary of the Communist Youth Organization at ELTE in 1990. He allegedly had cooperated with the Hungarian secret services as a student. His first journalism work was with the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n news agency Prensa Latina. In the late 1980s he reportedly joined Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
.
War
At the start of the Croatian War of IndependenceCroatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, Rózsa-Flores – known then as Jorge Eduardo Rózsa – worked as a correspondent for the Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia
La Vanguardia
La Vanguardia is Catalonia's leading daily newspaper as well as the fourth best-selling in Spain. It has its headquarters in Barcelona, Catalonia's largest city....
and the Spanish unit of the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
. He arrived in Yugoslavia in June 1991. While reporting on and witnessing the civil war there, his car was shot at. After that he joined the Croatian National Guard
Croatian National Guard
The Croatian National Guard was the name of the first modern Croatian military force. Croatian president Franjo Tuđman signed to law the Decree of Formation of the Croatian National Guard on April 20, 1991 which became the first professional armed forces with defence and training duties.These...
in Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
as its first foreign volunteer. During the next few years, he took part in several battles in the Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
area of eastern Croatia, including defending Laslovo, where he set up the Croatian army's First International Unit. He later served as a commander of the special forces. Croatian president Franjo Tuđman personally granted him Croatian citizenship in appreciation of his services. He was wounded three times in battle, and obtained the rank of colonel in 1993. Unconfirmed press reports have linked him to the deaths of two foreign journalists also in Croatia at the time, Swiss national Christian Würtenberg (who was in the First International Unit), and British photographer Paul Jenks. He was officially demobilized on 31 July 1994.
Death
On 16 April 2009, Bolivian police killed Rózsa-Flores during a raid in the Las Americas hotel in Santa CruzSanta Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
. Two other people, Hungarian Árpád Magyarosi, and Irishman Michael Dwyer
Michael Martin Dwyer
Michael Dwyer was shot dead by Bolivian Police on April 16, 2009, by Police Special Forces, in the Las Americas Hotel, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.-Background:...
, died during the action. Two others, Mario Tadic, a Croatian, and Előd Tóásó, a Hungarian – were arrested. Bolivian authorities said that Rózsa-Flores was the leader of a terrorist group which intended to assassinate Bolivian president Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
. In 2011, members of the Police unit that performed the raid were awarded the Medal of Valor.
Last interview
On 21 April 2009 Hungarian TelevisionMagyar Televízió
Magyar Televízió is the Hungarian national public service television company, with three TV channels, called m1 , m2 and m3....
broadcast an interview recorded in September 2008 by Hungarian journalist András Kepes
András Kepes
András Kepes journalist and author, has been one of the most prominent and popular TV personalities in Hungary for more than 30 years. A number of his books of nonfiction and fiction have been number one national bestsellers...
prior to his last trip to Bolivia, and asked Kepes not to release the interview until either he returned or in the case that something happened to him.
Rózsa-Flores claimed that a Bolivian national requested him to return to Bolivia and help establish a milita for the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, in response to perceived central government abuses. He claimed that local politicians wanted to establish the militia and that he was asked to create it based upon his Croatian military experience. He claimed the militia role was to be one of self-defense in the event of aggression by either central government or native "Indian" paramilitary forces and not to attack anyone.
Films
- Bolse Vita (1996), role
- Vizualizáció (1997), main role
- Kisváros (1997), Karvaly
- Chico (2001), lead role