The Soccer War: Algeria hides it´s face

As I started reading, many things went to my mind about the book. First of all, i´m learning a big amount of African culture, specifically Algerian culture. The books starts telling us that Ahmed Ben Bella, the president of Algeria, was overthrown on June 16th, 1965. That introduction is completely catching my atention because i want to just keep on reading. As the book explains Ben Bella i see he lacks of presidential "requierements". "In fact, Ben Bella had an uneven nature. Everything about him was fluid, uncoordinated, contradictory. He was a seething element, electrified, one that could not be confined". (pg. 95-96)

Also we see that he was sort of a hyperactive and impulsive person that in a moment of rage or temper we would not care of what he was saying. "When excited, he would let words fly, unchecked, unconsidered, and then make irrational decisions That he would have to disown next morning" (pg. 96). This qoute explains us maybe why the only good place in Algeria is Algiers. I think that the socialism thought that Ben Bella had, could have been the answer to the rural part of Algeria that is nine tenths of all the country but he needed more knowledge of managing his power. This is also why I think that he was overthrown by Boumedienne, because of his military power and desire, he might think that the solution was by the military way.

Despite his great closeness with Boumedienne, to gain power of the country in 1962, he was betrayed but still we dont know what´s the deal with Ben Bella. "There were problems that still needed to be solved: the millions of unemployed, the rural poverty, the confusion in the private sector, the lack of expertise, the gap between what the goverment said it would do for the country and it´s actual state, the deficit" (pg. 109). Not mattering what Ben Bella had done to the country there were also negative aspects of his period of ruling. This first chapter explains how Ben Bella had controled everything in the country now I hope to read fast why was he overthrowed and most importantly, betrayed.