Sad news from Argentina today. A friend of mine just gave me the news that Dr. Dante Caputo passed away last night. I had the honor and privilege to work with him while I was a Technical Consultant with United Nations and he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina. Also had a great time and many anecdotes from 1988 when I was assigned to be his technical support while he was President of the 43rd UN General Assembly in NYC.

I remember going very early in the morning to his apartment on 1st Street, he always had coffee ready and while he was shaving and fixing his characteristic mustache I was getting his computer and other gadgets ready for the day. Then we rode the limo together to the UN building entering on the underground parking where I stepped out of the limo and he continued to the street level entrance in the front of the building.

He loved and was a big supporter of technology and modernization for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One time when Dr. Ricardo Alfonsín then President of Argentina had to put together his speech for the UN General Assembly, we were in Buenos Aires trying to send him a draft of the speech via a very bad and low speed telephone modem connection, but on the NYC side they had another challenge, there was no telephone jack in the Presidential Suite of the Waldorf Astoria and Dante was trying to hack something to be able to connect the Compaq portable computer to the phone line, so many miles away we had one of the assistants to the President calling the front desk of the Waldorf Astoria asking to deliver a set of screwdrivers to the Presidential Suite, Dante was already under the table taking apart the phone line !! LOL.
After many tries we were able to transfer the full document over the modem connection, Dante insisted it had to be that way.

In Buenos Aires, many times he had his security detail pick me up to go to his home right next to the Presidential Residence in Olivos to help him with the latest electronic gadgets acquired during his international trips or fix something on his daughter's computer.

He was one of the key actors to promote and support the development of Internet in Argentina.

An outstanding Diplomat, wonderful and caring Boss, and a funny and warm human being. While with the pass of time we became distant I'm really saddened by his departure.

Dear Dante it was a pleasure and an honor to work with you. My most sincere condolences to his family and friends.

RIP Dr. Dante Caputo 6/19/2018 😥