MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Menem confirms friendly separation from wife Bolocco

“We keep a very beautiful friendship” said former Pte. Menem

Following paparazzi photos showing a former Chilean beauty queen sun basking topless in Miami next to an Italian friend, her husband former Argentine President Carlos Menem admitted he has separated from his wife, reported this week the Chilean and Argentine press

"There is no legal separation, but yes, we are separated because living together had become impossible," Menem said. "We keep a very beautiful friendship, which does not exclude love". Photographs published in Chilean scandal magazines showed Cecilia Bolocco, 41, a former (1987) Miss Chile and CNN anchorwoman with Luciano Marocchino, but the 76-year-old former leader told Santiago daily Las Ultimas Noticias that the separation was not related. Menem said the only thing that unites him and Bolocco now is their 3-year-old son, Maximo. He said the separation had been "kept kind of secret because of Maximo and the rest of our family". Menem added that for some time "we had an agreement with Cecilia to make of our lives what we considered most convenient" but described the publication of the pictures a violation of privacy for Bolocco. "It's serious mischief to invade people's private lives just to earn a few pesos," he added. Ultimas Noticias published several photos of Menem being interviewed in Buenos Aires. The former Argentine president said he didn't feel cheated by his wife, who was quoted in the Chilean television after seeing the publication that she hoped "the photos won't cause Carlitos a heart stroke". "Nor Cecilia cheated on me nor did I experience infidelity", underlined Menem to Ultimas Noticias. "But I think it's time to make the situation public given the abuse that has been published and aired". Menem and Bolocco married in 2001 after meeting two years earlier when Bolocco interviewed him for a Chilean television program. Bolocco has publicly apologized to Menem for the photographs and problems they may cause him in his political activities. Menem currently Senator was president between 1989 and 1999 and is expected to run again next October.