Interview to Professor Marcello Ferrada de Noli

Text of the interview by Giovanni Ghisalberti 

Reflections on Recognition, Memory, and Advocacy––Context of the Mag Val Brembana Interview

In May 2025, I was approached by Sergio Zonzogni, the editor-in-chief of Mag Val Brembana in Italy, with a request for an interview centred on my extended stay and professional journey in the country. Travel restrictions meant that the interview took place in July and was scheduled for publication in the September 2025 issue of the magazine. The text of the interview and the accompanying conversation were crafted by Giovanni Ghisalberti, a journalist for L’Eco di Bergamo and director in charge of Mag Val Brembana, while photography was provided by Alessandro Spada. The article originally appeared in the Autumn 2025 edition of Mag Val Brembana, [1] and additional photographs were later published by The Indicter. The cover image for the piece features the ancient town of San Giovanni Bianco, located in Northern Italy.

Nemo propheta in patria: Reflections on Recognition

A Spanish translation of the interview was subsequently published on Substack under the title “Nemo propheta in patria” (no one is a prophet in his own land). I have reservations about the accuracy of this title in my particular case.

On the eve of the military coup d’état in Chile, the country’s largest newspaper, El Mercurio, ran a full-page report entitled “A través de la historia terrorista del Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria” (“Across the terrorist-history of the Left Revolutionary Movement”). The article referenced an incident from 1969 in which I, referred as profesor de filosofía at the University of Concepción and a member of its Directory, was apprehended by the Carabineros near Concepción on 4 August 1969. The report noted that I was one of thirteen MIR fugitives with arrest warrants issued for alleged subversive activities.[2]

The complexities of memory and forgiveness in Chile, particularly concerning the now-defunct MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left), which I co-founded in 1965, continue to resonate. Many Chileans find it difficult to move beyond the legacy of MIR, perhaps because of the uneasy conscience it provokes—MIR represented the main armed resistance against the Pinochet regime, at a time when others chose exile, silence, or political compromise.

Recognition in Chile

Despite the contentious legacy, I would believe I am occasionally remembered in Copiapó—the capital of the Atacama Region, my birthplace, and the inspiration for my nom de guerre “Atacama” during my revolutionary years.[3] A city website has listed me among “prominent people,” though this recognition is based on academic accomplishments abroad rather than my role in the MIR. My first alma mater, the University of Concepción, has also acknowledged my achievements. In a 2021 interview, the Chilean newspaper La Tercera described me as a “multifaceted academic.” [4]

Following the fall of the Pinochet regime in 1990, my academic pursuits led me to visit the Medical Faculty of the University of Chile on several occasions. During these visits, I was occasionally invited to participate in interviews broadcast by Chile’s Television Nacional. It is noteworthy that the scope of these interviews was strictly confined to international epidemiological issues. Matters pertaining to geopolitics or human rights were not addressed during these media appearances, reflecting the selective nature of public discourse at the time.[5][6]

Contemporary References and Divergent Portrayals

References to my life in Chile appear in various books about the history of the MIR and in biographies of Miguel Enríquez and his close associates. Most authors portray my formative years accurately, relying on factual accounts. [2][2][2][2] Yet, some writers present divergent versions of events, which I attribute, at least in part, to personal bias.

Over time, I have reflected on the possible reasons behind these less favourable portrayals. Initially, I considered envy as a likely explanation, given the close friendship and mutual trust I shared with Miguel Enríquez—a bond with Chile’s resistance hero that others could only hope to emulate. More recently, I have come to view these differences through a different lens. From a psychiatric perspective, the underlying reason seems to be more fundamental: I was never like them, and they will never be like me.

Among those who have sought to undermine my legacy, one is particularly notable. The list of his actions is long, but rather than dwell on them here, I find it sufficient to document these matters in a footnote of a coming book. Beyond that, any further attention would be disproportionate to his intellectual standing.

Perception in Europe 

In contrast, in Europe, my status differs: I am seen less as a prophet outside my homeland and more as a persona non grata in the political territories of Ursula von der Leyen. This perception stems from my continued activism for human rights, carried out through the NGO Swedish Doctors for Human Rights, The Indicter, and the former Professors’Blog.

Advocacy for Freedom of Speech and Opposition to Censorship in Europe

A pivotal moment in my activism occurred in 2008, coinciding with the Swedish campaign against the so-called “spy law” (Fra Lagen. At left, “Stasi Sweden”, demonstration against the “spy law” in Sergelstorg, Stockholm, 2028).

During this period, I reaffirmed my strong opposition to censorship and the restriction of free speech in Europe. This stance has become increasingly relevant, particularly as the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) has intensified practices such as censorship of freedom of speech via shadow banning, targeting critics of EU military policies and other contentious issues which have not been subject to referendums in EU member states.

Critique of Contemporary European Liberalism

On the matter of freedom of speech, I have voiced criticism against European leaders who describe themselves as “liberals” and “democrats,” yet support mechanisms of censorship. In my view, their actions actively contradict and undermine the foundational tenets of classical liberalism and democratic values, both of which are predicated on open debate and the protection of dissenting voices.

Commitment to Neutrality and Nonalignment

My perspective is shaped by my identity as a left-libertarian and peace activist. I have consistently opposed Sweden’s recent departure from its historical position of neutrality and nonalignment, particularly against the backdrop of shifting military alliances. This opposition is rooted in my broader commitment to peace and my belief that genuine democracy is inseparable from the defence of civil liberties, including freedom of expression.

Additionally, public controversies with political figures such as former Prime Minister Carl Bildt (right-wing conservative) and Social Democrat minister Mona Sahlin (Newspaper Expressen) have contributed to this perception. With Bildt, the polemic occurred on social media and involved Edward Snowden, whom I nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2023. A further dispute with Swedish defence minister Peter Hultviskt reaffirmed my organisation SWEDHR’s position in favour of Sweden’s non-alignment rather than joining the NATO alliance (Dagens Nyheter). Clearly, this was not the first time, nor will it be the last, that I fail to persuade the public.

I the last decade, my outspoken criticism of President Zelensky’s government, particularly regarding its anti-democratic actions and the reported massacres of civilians in the Donbass region, has led to severe repercussions. As a result, I have been publicly listed on Ukraine’s “Myrotvorets” database, a move that ominously suggests I am awaiting further punitive action.

In 2014, I took a significant step as the first European professor to publicly denounce the severe human rights violations committed by the Ukraine Junta against the Russian-ethnic population in Donbass. My commitment was clear and resolute, as I warmly supported the anti-fascist revolution emerging in the region. (below, RT interview on the Donbass Resistance, 2014, year of the US/EU-backed Maidan coup).

Reflections on Media Exposure and Personal Integrity

International Media Presence

Throughout the subsequent years, my perspectives and interviews—both public and personal—were featured or broadcast by a diverse range of European media outlets. These included prominent platforms in Sweden, Russia, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, some of my articles found publication in the United States and Canada, while others were reproduced by outlets in Asia.

Personal Perspective

Despite the considerable exposure my work has received, I do not consider myself a prophet in any land. Rather, I view myself as a content individual who is committed to upholding my principles and values, regardless of public recognition.

A Life of Dissent: My Journey Through Resistance and Exile

Early Activism and First Arrests

1957. Protests Against Transportation Fare Increases

My journey as a dissident started at a young age. In April 1957, when I was 13 years old, I took part in the Chilean Workers Union (CUT) protest against increases in transportation fares.

The country was then swept by a wave of unrest in response to the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo’s decision to increase transportation fares. The situation quickly escalated into a violent week marked by nationwide events. Tragically, many workers lost their lives as a result of the harsh repression that followed these protests.

The movement gained significant momentum when students from Concepción, both at the secondary school and university levels, joined in solidarity. At that time, my fellow students at the Liceo de Hombres Nº1 de Concepción also became actively involved in the demonstrations.

This period proved to be a “baptism of fire” for Miguel Enríquez, who was my bench mate at high school. Fortunately, neither of us were injured or arrested during these tumultuous events.

Our parents, however, reacted with anger that was rooted in deep concern. They viewed our participation as both dangerous and highly inappropriate, which caused them considerable worry.

1959. Arrest at Plaza de Armas

In February 1959, when I was 15 years old, I experienced my first arrest. This occurred during a protest against the economic policies implemented by right-wing conservative President Jorge Alessandri.

The policies introduced by President Alessandri were structured to benefit the Chilean oligarchy. As a result, those who were already suffering from economic hardship faced the threat of even greater impoverishment. Witnessing these injustices at such a young age compelled me to take a stand and join others in protest, marking the beginning of my journey as a dissident.

During a demonstration in the Plaza de Armas of Concepción, I was apprehended by plainclothes policemen. At the time, I was holding a placard directed at President Alessandri, who was observing the events from the balcony of the “Intendencia,” the regional government building. My message urged the President to keep Chile’s copper mines under public ownership, rather than selling them further to American companies. Following my arrest, I was taken to the 4th comisaría, the largest police precinct in Concepción. This incident would not be the last time I faced detention at that same precint, for my activism.

Joining the Youth Wing of the Socialist Party

At the age of 17, I became involved in Chilean politics by joining the youth wing of the Socialist Party, the same party of  Salvador Allende, later president of Chile. This early engagement provided a foundation for my future activism and allowed me to connect with others who shared my political ideals.

Shortly after joining the party, I was elected as head of the nucleous Espartaco (mainly working-class youth participated at that time in that unit, at the beguining), and also “secretario de arte y cultura” for the Regional Committee of Concepción. In this role, I was responsible for promoting artistic and cultural activities that supported the party’s vision and values, fostering creative expression among young people in the region, particularly at the local university. It was then when I published my first poetry book, which later in 1967 gave me memmbership in the Chilean Writters Society (Sociedad de Escritores de Chile, SECH). Becoming a member of this esteemed organization was for me a gratifying experience amidst my dedication and passion for literature. However, we had more important, social-relevant causes to be occupied with. 

At that time we had formed, together with Miguel Enríquez, his brother Marco Antonio, Bautista van Schowen and another medical student of name Jorge Gutiérrez Correa, a fraction within the Socialist Party Youth: the Movimiento Socialista Revolucionario (MSR). Instead of promoting literarure and art works (wich also interested me dearly), my role was to organize exhibitions portraying the advances of the then youth revolutionary movements in Latin America, and promote activism among fellow students and in visits to empoviresh poblaciones. 

The Formation of the Movimiento Socialista Revolucionario

During that period, together with Miguel Enríquez, his brother Marco Antonio, Bautista van Schowen, and another medical student named Jorge Gutiérrez Correa, we established a distinct faction within the Socialist Party Youth: the Movimiento Socialista Revolucionario (MSR). Our collective aim was to create a space for deeper political engagement, responding to the dynamic and often volatile context in which we found ourselves. The reformism strategy of the comunist and socialist party of Chile were not enough to respond to the age of the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara, the Vietnam War opposition among students worldwide, Lumumba and the anti-colonialist movements in Africa, etc.

While literature and art remained areas of personal interest, my primary responsibility shifted toward organizing exhibitions that showcased the progress of contemporary youth revolutionary movements across Latin America. These exhibitions served as platforms for raising awareness and sparking dialogue among students. In addition to these efforts, I was also dedicated to promoting activism—encouraging fellow students to participate in activities and extending our outreach through visits to impoverished neighborhoods, where we sought to foster solidarity and support for broader social change. 

Involvement with the Instituto Chileno-Cubano de Cultura

During this period, my politico-cultural activities expanded further when I became a member of the Directory of the Instituto Chileno-Cubano de Cultura de Concepción. This institute maintained connections with the Cuban Embassy in Santiago, facilitating cultural and ideological exchanges that influenced our local initiatives.

Latin American Journey and Activism in Brazil

By the end of 1963, at age 20, I set out on a journey across several Latin American countries, beginning with Brazil. In Brazil, I actively participated in demonstrations opposing the military’s plans to overthrow President João Goulart, who had been democratically elected. These experiences deepened my commitment to democratic principles and international solidarity.

Injured in Panama and Military Training in Cuba

On January 10, 1964, I was wounded during an uprising in Panama that opposed the U.S. presence in the Canal Zone. This occurred right at the gates, which were defended by military forces. I managed to reach Mexico City, where I received treatment at the Hospital de Neumología y Tórax under the care of the esteemed Dr. Carlos Noble (senior), a friend of Cuba. My Latin American tour concluded with military training in Havana, Cuba, where I also met comandante Che Guevara. 

Role as a Press Correspondent and International Exposure

Throughout my travels across various Latin American countries, I operated under the guise of a “press correspondent” for “Campanil,” the official publication of the Universidad de Concepción student union (FEC). In this position, I was able to interact with student unions and activists while maintaining a credible cover story that enabled my participation in political activities, including demonstrations alongside fellow local students. This period was marked by significant unrest throughout these countries, with the threat of further coups d’état looming; for example, Brazilian President João Goulart was deposed by the military shortly thereafter.

It was in Havana that I was interviewed by the renowned Cuban cultural magazine, Bohemia. This interview offered me a platform to share insights from my experiences and perspectives as a dissident and activist. The article resulting from this interview was subsequently published in Bohemia’s February issue, marking a significant moment of international recognition for our  efforts back in Concepción, Chile, and the wider struggle for social justice in Latin America.

Role of “Press Correspondent” in Revolutionary Networks

As I traveled towards Havana, maintaining my “press correspondent” identity played a crucial role in ensuring my personal security. This cover story allowed me to participate freely in political activities and facilitated my engagement with influential individuals and organizations within Latin America’s broader revolutionary movement. By presenting myself as a legitimate “member of the press” I could safely navigate environments that were otherwise risky for activists and dissidents. “Campanil” existed and is still published by the Concepción University student union, but it was never an established newspaper or magazine.

In 1968, during a month-long stay at the University of Ecuador, I had the opportunity to reconnect with one of the key contacts I had previously met in Cuba—a Venezuelan student actively involved in the guerrilla movement in his own country. This reconnection proved invaluable, as he provided essential logistical support to our group, the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), during a critical period. His assistance helped us coordinate and sustain our activities, further strengthening the networks necessary for our continued resistance and advocacy.

But in 1967, when the students went to protest on behalf of the Public-Health workers’ demands, I was again arrested.

“Fugitives from justice”

But again in 1969, while a young assistant professor at the University of Concepción, signalled as one “fugitive from justice” among 13 leaders of MIR (Movement of the Revolutionary Left), I was not only captured but also imprisoned under Chile’s National Security Law for alleged subversive activities. In true, our fight was in much for the political and human rights of the Chilean poor (”los pobres del campo y la ciudad”). While in between of being transported from the carabineers station to the political police headquarters, the “detectives” (where I was tortured before being taken to the Concpeción prison, three days later), I answered to the journalists while they photographed the police’s victorious celebration:

And my reply quoted above was published as the caption in this photo (below) in the Chilean newspaper Noticias de la Tarde, 3 Aug 1969.

The day after September 11th, 1973 (day of Pinochet’s military cup), then being a full professor at the University of Concepción, I went to join the sporadic resistance in the centre of Concepción City. I was captured in October that year and imprisoned first in the football stadium and then in the Chilean Navy’s Quiriquina Island. First thing after my liberation, I came to Italy to denounce the atrocities of the military Junta at the Russell Tribunal in Rome.

I continued in MIR as head of the Counter Intelligence unit for the Nordic countries, to combat Pinochet’s Operation Condor, until 1977. And in 1997, as professor in Norway, I filed a police request to extradite Augusto Pinochet while he was in a London visit, intending to extradite and judge him in a European Court of Justice for his crimes committed in Chile. England did not favour any extradition request and, as always, protected the tyrant.

Other happenings mentioned by Giovanni Ghisalberti in this interview depict some of my further battles in Europe, where I have been twice during exile. It only shows that the struggle can never end as long as we face tyranny and state violations of the human rights and freedom of speech –as it is today the case of the censorship imposed by the European Commission’s Digital Services Act. This DSA was devised by those in power to suppress criticism via shadow banning or eliminate dissident voices from the public forum, and thus to free pavement the road to a new world war. Just like Mussolini and Hitler did around the years I was born.

The struggle must go on.

/M Ferrada de Noli, October 19, 2025.

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The “good retirement” of the combat doctor

“A ‘Good Retirement’ a place to rest, in tranquility, but above all where he can continue working, to do what he has done all his life. Perhaps few people know it, but the Brembana Valley, for about twenty years, has had an illustrious guest, who has chosen our land to “take refuge”, a place from which its battle is still going on.

This is Marcello Vittorio Ferrada de Noli (his surname reveals the ancient descendants of the Genoese navigator Antonio, discoverer of Cape Verde), 82 years old, Chilean, one of the participants of the Resistance against Pinochet’s dictatorship in the seventies.

In Ernesto Che Guevara’s Cuba he received military training (at the age of 20), and at the age of 22 he was one of the founders of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left in Chile. After Pinochet’s coup, he was arrested and imprisoned on an island, along with other dissidents. A fighter, but also an internationally renowned epidemiologist, with his main research published during his teaching at Harvard (Boston – United States).

Even after his release, his battle for human rights and freedom of speech has never ended, with interviews and publications on radio and television. So much, that some magazines still list him among the world’s leading dissidents. A commitment that continues from the Brembana Valley, a land that was of great resistance to Nazi-fascism. “I love this land,” he says, “it’s quiet, there’s no tourist invasion.”

Doctor, fighter, but also artist, as evidenced by the paintings of his house, walls and antique furniture from the nineteenth century, in the Piazzalunga di San Giovanni Bianco. A home that, perhaps, few of us could choose as a residence. However, he also fell in love with this old house with its tall patina-peeling dome and wooden stairs from the past. From here, from the Brembana Valley, he leads his battles for freedom of expression. A lesson also for all of us and for how much our valley should be appreciated.”

/Giovanni Ghisalberti.

“I continue the struggle for human rights from the Bremana Valley”

“But what is an internationally renowned epidemiologist, psychiatrist, Swedish academic, artist, and a man who was one of the participants in the resistance to Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile, and who is known in the world for his defence of human rights, doing in San Giovanni Bianco, for twenty years?

He is Marcello Vittorio Ferrada de Noli, Chilean by birth, now 82 years old, he lives in a unique house with grey walls and green shutters, in Piazzalunga, near the old provincial road.

No ostentation, no pomp. A mansion of very ancient construction, from the end of the 1600s. With wooden stairs, and with an architecture that the professor liked immediately when he arrived precisely in the Brembana Valley in search of a home where he could continue writing.

Today Ferrada de Noli is probably the most illustrious guest that our land can boast of (for years he has been a permanent resident in Italy).

A university professor in Chile, he met Che Guevara in Cuba during military training, opposed Pinochet’s dictatorship (he was one of the founders of the Revolutionary Left Movement) and, for that, was taken prisoner. He lived in Sweden, was a researcher at Harvard Medical School (Boston), in the United States, where he published most of his discoveries in the field of medicine.

Considered among the 25 world protagonists in the fight for freedom of expression. Their struggle continues from the house in Piazzalunga.”

[Caption in photos above: 1) At left: Marcello Ferrada de Noli with wife Ivonne Fontaine Pepper 2) At right: “Marcello Ferrada De Noli, below left, with other resisters in the prison camp (Isla Quiriquina) in Chile”]

“In 2005, Ferrada de Noli opened a blog on human rights in Sweden, taking on the defence of WikiLeaks and the human rights cause of its founder Julian Assange.

A very long curriculum of a brave man, always at the forefront in the defence of human rights, thanks to publications and television interviews, even today, for European and American broadcasters. About a month ago, two publications, one in Germany and one in the Netherlands, included him among the “Top 25 Dissidents in the World in the Fight for Free Speech in 2025.”

Married, with seven children and 12 grandchildren, his family descends from the Genoese navigator Antonio de Noli (15th century), discoverer of the Cape Verde islands, and in Genoa he still has many cousins whom he visits often. To one of his ancestors, the canonical count Alessandro Noli,[4] who lived in 1800, is dedicated a street in Bergamo.

Marcello Ferrada de Noli has been in San Giovanni Bianco for about twenty years. In addition to being an academic and a protagonist in the defence of human rights, he is also an artist. He paints, and one of his paintings (depicting a family in which the father does not appear on the panel because he is imprisoned) has also been published by Amnesty International.

In San Giovanni Bianco lives in an old residence, with an arched dome-shaped interior ceiling, chandeliers on the table, furniture that is from the nineteenth century, some also brought from Sweden. On the walls there are photos, diplomas, distinctions from the Swedish academic world and Harvard.

“I like it that way,” he says, “it also reminds me of the family home in Chile.”

Outside his Jaguar with which he also travels to Sweden, crossing Europe to visit his children.

Why the Brembana Valley and why San Giovanni Bianco?

“There are practical reasons, but also aesthetic ones. As I neared retirement from my professorship in Gävle, Sweden, and at the Karolinska Institutet, I made several short trips to Italy to find a house in which to retire. Not to rest, but to find a place where he can continue to write, undisturbed, on those topics that are not academic. And also to take a break from interviews.

The Brembana Valley appealed to me because it is closer to Sweden than Liguria (Genoa) is, thanks to the airport (from Bergamo).”

“… And then because members of the old Noli family had also been active in Bergamo.”

“There are also aesthetic reasons. If someone respects its origins, the history of its people, they will undoubtedly appreciate an architecture that faithfully represents that era of the past. And that’s what I found in the village of Val Brembana. Its architecture, houses, buildings, are true representatives of those past centuries. Although they are nicely renovated and clean, they have remained intact in terms of style. These are not predominantly ultra-modern buildings like those found in metropolises.

Looking for ads on the internet, while I was in Sweden, I found some houses in Val Brembana. I flew several times to Bergamo and on each of those trips I had an appointment with an agency. On one of these visits, I went to see a house in Piazza Brembana. But I found it too problematic to renew it. On the way back to Bergamo, however, I saw an old house in San Giovanni Bianco, …” [text continues next page]

«… right next to the street, and with a sign “for sale”. I stopped the car, went to look inside the ground floor of the house through a window, and I have observed a splendid interior architecture. A large dome served as a ceiling in a main room on the ground floor. It was love at first sight, you could say. The house, built in stone, comes from the seventeenth century or perhaps the previous one. It is an old house, but romantic and with personality. Here I have published about fifteen books to date.” [4]

What do you find beautiful in our city?

“In my opinion, a factor that contributes to the aesthetics of a city is the absence of tourists. And this is what rightly distinguishes San Giovanni Bianco from other cities. The absence of a highly developed hotel infrastructure has perhaps contributed to the absence of foreign tourists wandering these streets.

And then – I speak from personal experience of many years – the people here and in the surrounding villages are very friendly, supportive and well educated.

And also, the landscape. A walk is enough to discover the majesty of the nature that surrounds this area. My wife often says that she is reminded of the descriptions of the famous story about “Heidi”, by Johanna Louise Heusser (Spyri).

When I turned 80, all my children came with their families, and we had a celebration at the cozy restaurant Il Glicine, here in San Giovanni Bianco, where I have been a regular customer for almost twenty years. From the time when the gentle Signora Giacomina was still with us. Most of the time our children stay at the Albergo Centrale hotel in San Pellegrino, which has become “the family hotel”.

Who do you live with in San Giovanni Bianco?

“I live with my wife Ivonne Fontaine Pepper, whom I met 57 years ago at the University of Concepción. We got married here in San Giovanni Bianco. It was an unannounced ceremony, but in any case, more than one spontaneously came to celebrate us. It was all very exciting. The people here are fantastic. Very loving, very kind.

I have lived so long in San Giovanni Bianco and so I have been able to learn to meet people who really make everyday life possible and enjoyable and become an integral part of life in the village. All people who can be trusted, as in a large community of friends.”

During the COVID pandemic, you acquired hundreds of doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine, to donate them to the inhabitants of San Giovanni Bianco. Why?

“Because at that time it was the only vaccine whose tests had been successfully approved, and its results had been published in the medical journal The Lancet – the most qualified scientific publication in our sector. Other vaccines were still in the European Union approval phase. Shortly after the rejection of my proposal to donate a few hundred Sputnik vaccines, by, I think, Italian health authorities, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed an agreement with Pfizer.”

After so many years of study, of struggle even in Latin America, how does your time pass now?

“I can say that the struggle for democratic values and social justice never ends…” [text continues next page]

“I spend a lot of my time writing books and participating in the public debate on human rights and freedom of expression. I still publish The Indicter magazine, and it often happens that I am asked to participate in international television interviews on epidemiological and geopolitical issues.

In January 2014 I founded the publishing company Libertarian Books Europe. All this from my studio in the old and faithful house “with the gray walls and green shutters, a stone’s throw from the river”, in San Giovanni Bianco.

How is your activity of promoting and defending human rights and freedom of expression developed?

“First of all, my ‘activism’ is absolutely independent. I do not belong to any political organization in Sweden, Italy, Chile or anywhere else. I express my opinions exclusively:

(a) Through my articles published especially in The Indicter magazine, which is a Swedish online publication on human rights and geopolitics, of which I am editor-in-chief,

(b) On the Substack platform, registered in San Francisco, California, USA. It is a content and subscriptions platform for writers and publishers.

[Translator’s note: also, articles published in Researchgate.net, Consortium News, and Academia.edu].

(c) Through my books which I publish primarily on Libertarian Books Europe. The books published by this publisher can be consulted and/or downloaded in their entirety.

(d) Finally, through interviews that I give to the media, including television channels.

However, I have never received any monetary compensation or payment in any form for any of these articles or interviews. The books and articles that I publish are free of charge and downloadable, in their entirety, by anyone”.

How do you judge freedom of expression in today’s Europe?

“I am particularly concerned about the new censorship proposal made by the European Commission, for the implementation of the already severe Digital Services Act (DSA).

The application of these regulations makes it possible to categorise as “hate speech“ even certain criticisms directed at the leadership of the European Union, either by some journalists or dissident authors.

And in my opinion, today, there is much to criticize in terms of the violation of democratic principles by governments and with respect to the constitutional rights of their citizens.

Recently, two publications, in Germany and the Netherlands, have included me among “25 of the world’s leading dissidents in the fight for freedom of expression in 2025”. And I can live with it. The list also includes Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Roger Waters.

Then a dear friend from Bergamo told me, “You have to be careful, Marcello.” I replied, “They are the ones who need to be careful.”

After all, as Voltaire said, ‘it is always dangerous to be right in those things in which the holders of power are wrong.’”

Projects for the future in your home in San Giovanni Bianco?

“Here on the fourth floor of the house I have a small atelier where I paint from time to time, mainly portraits. Perhaps, promoting this activity could be a good project for the future. And then I would like to be able to mount an art exhibition here in San Giovanni Bianco or in Bergamo.”

A dear Swedish jewel parked in San Giovanni Bianco

Notes and references

[1] Val Brembana, in the Alpine sector of Lombardy, is a territory comprising 25% of the province of Bergamo (over one million inhabitants). This, together with the one in Milan, is considered the most prosperous in Italy. Val Brembana consists of a group of 29 cities or communes, most notable being San Pellegrino Terme, San Giovanni Bianco, Zogno, Piazza Brembana, and others. Its northern limit is very close to the border with Switzerland (Passo San Marco).Cities/towns of the Vallle Brembana: Algua; Averara; Blello; Bracca; Branzi; Brembilla; Camerata Cornello; Carona; Cassiglio; Cornalba; Costa Serina; Cusio; Dossena; Foppolo; Gerosa; Isola di Fondra; Lenna; Mezzoldo; Moio de’ Calvi; Olmo to Brembo; Oltre il Colle; Ornica; Piazza Brembana; Piazzatorre; Piazzolo; Roncobello; San Giovanni Bianco; San Pellegrino Terme; Saint Bridget; Sedrina; Serine; Taleggio; Ubiale Clanezzo; Valleve; Valnegra; Valtorta; Vedeseta; Zogno.

[2] “Across the terrorist-history of the Left Revolutionary Movement”) “A Través de la Historia Terrorista del Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR)”, El Mercurio, Santiago, August 25, 1973.  Listed in the arresting order were as well  Luciano Cruz, Miguel Enríquez, Bautista van Schouwen, and Andrés Pascal Allende.

[3] “Atacama“, a political alias used in the clandestine times of the 60’s, and with which he co-signed the first insurrectional thesis of the MIR in 1965 together with Viriato (Miguel Enríquez) and his brother Bravo (Marco Antonio)].

[3] He refers to the censorship of freedom of expression imposed by the “Digital Services Act of the European Union”, and which has been the subject of a recent book: “EU’s Censorship on Freedom of Speech – DSA Echoes of Fascist Repression in War Propaganda“.

[4] Referred to as the “Canonical Count Alessandro de Noli” in L’Eco di Bergamo, 20 January 2019.

[5] Published Books:

• 1962 Cantos de Rebelde Esperanza (Poetry) ISBN 978-91-88747-10-5
• 1967 No, no me digas señor (Play, on stage Teatro Concepción 1967). Scanned publication, 2015. ISBN 978-91-88747-16-7
• 1969 University and Superstructure (Philosophy) University of Concepcion, thesis
• 1972 Theory and Method of Conscientization (Social psychology)
• 1982 The Theory of Alienation and the Diathesis of Psychosomatic Pathology (Philosophy, psychiatry)
• 1993 Chalice of Love (Philosophy, fiction) ISBN 978-91-981615-9-5
• 1995 Psychiatric and Forensic Findings in Definite and Undetermined Suicides (Epidemiology, forensic psychiatry), Karolinska Institutet, Dept Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, 1995.
• 1996 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Immigrants to Sweden (Psychiatry), Karolinska Institutet, Dept Clinical Neuroscience, 1996. ISBN 91-628-1984-4
• 2003 Efter tortyr (Contributor author) (Torture, psychiatry), Centre for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (CTD), Stockholm. Liber, 1993. ISBN 91-634-0678-0
• 2005 Fighting Pinochet (Testimony, resistance). ISBN 978-91-88747-00-6
• 2007 Theses on the cultural premises of pseudoscience (Epistemology) ISBN 978-91-88747-05-1
• 2008 Kejsarens utbrända kläder (Epidemiology, psychiatry) ISBN 978-91-88747-01-3
• 2009 Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention, Oxford University Press, 1st ed., 2009. Print ISBN 9780198570059.( Contributor author) (Psychiatry)
• 2013 Da Noli a Capo Verde (Contributor author) (History) ISBN 978-88-8849-82-01
• 2013 Antonio de Noli And The Beginning Of The New World Discoveries (Editor)(Contributor author)(History) ISBN 978-91-981615-0-2
• 2014 Sweden VS. Assange. Human Rights Issues (Geopolitics, human rights) ISBN 978-91-981615-0-2
• 2018 Aurora Política by Bautista van Schouwen (Book chapter) ISBN 978-91-88747-11-2
• 2018 With Bautista van Schouwen (Political history) ISBN 978-91-88747-08-2
• 2019 Pablo de Rokha and the Young Generation of the MIR (Political History) ISBN 978-91-981615-5-7
• 2019 Sweden’s Geopolitical Case Against Assange 2010-2019 (Geopolitics, history, human rights) ISBN 978-91-88747-13-6
• 2020 Rebels With A Cause (Political History, Human Rights) ISBN 978-91-981615-2-6
• 2021 The Paradox of Life. Dialectical Reflections (Philosophy) ISBN 978-91-88747-10-5
• 2021 Those of us who founded the MIR (Political history) ISBN 978-91-88747-19-8
• 2021 Amore e Resistenza (Poetry) ISBN 978-91-88747-20-4
• 2021 Walter’s Wife and Other Stories (Fiction) ISBN 978-91-88747-02-0
• 2021 Kejsarens utbrända kläder (Epidemiology, psychiatry) ISBN 978-91-88747-01-3
• 2021 B flat of Combat (Poetry) ISBN 978-91-88747-33-4
• 2021 Esistenza Dialettica ISBN 978-91-88747-27-3
• 2021 My Fight Against Pinochet ISBN 978-91-88747-91-4
• 2023 When I Met Commander Che Guevara and his Thesis on Socialist Humanism (political theory) ISBN 978-91-88747-67-9
• 2024 Road to Malatesta (Philosophy, political history) ISBN 978-91-88747-39-6
• 2024 Back to Seventeen. Diary of Miguel Enríquez (Political history, biography) ISBN 978-91-88747-02-0
• 2025 Human Rights for All (Political history, human rights) ISBN 978-91-88747-30-3
• 2025 EU’s Censorship on Freedom of Speech – DSA Echoes of Fascist Repression in War Propaganda ISBN 978-91-88747-37-2
• 2025 Back to Seventeen. Diary of Miguel Enríquez. (Political history, biographical and historical commentary) ISBN 978-91-88747-18-1

• 2025 EU’s Digital Services Act: Censorship on Free Speech. Tracing Repression in the DSA Era. ISBN 978-91-88747-68-6.