On 27/12/2010 05:47 p.m., Nicholas Geti wrote: > Squatters in Argentina are upsetting the local population. > > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/world/americas/27argentina.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a22 >
Sorry I didn't come up earlier, didn't have access to internet yesterday. It has been going on for a week, and it's a bit more complicated that what the article explained. It is, though, a perfect example on how and why politicians have dismembered this country. The city's mayor (Mauricio Macri) is right wing, the govt is left (left wing peronismo), elections are coming and there are many people interested in using social unrest for their own means. It is said the thing was organized by Duhalde (who opposes the govt from the same party but different sign, right wing peronista) to throw a hot coal in the laps of both parties. These people went into a huge park (parque IndoAmericano) and squatted there, they are either homeless or live in slums (favela / villa miseria) but you could see people haranguing them from expensive 4X4's. There were originally Paraguayan and Bolivian immigrants, but not any more, now they are mostly people from the slums. A govt official (Anibal Fernandez, chief of cabinet) tried to take political advantage from this and denied federal police support to the city claiming that it was the city's problem and that they had their own police force. The city mayor claimed his force was not prepared to deal with that kind of situation and that it was the nation's responsibility, this went on for a couple of days till neighbours to the park took matters in their own hands and there was trouble and shooting. Then both parties agreed and the federal police intervened, they killed 3 people (federal police has an agenda of it's own) and were told to go, then govt sent in gendarmería (another police force that is normally in charge of wild places and in the borders). When all was pacified, national govt wanted city govt to provide easy credits so that the squatters could have their own houses (these are people who complain they can't afford a hundred dollar rent, so who knows how did they expect them to pay a credit). The city govt refused to reward people who had gone against the law unlawfully occupying lands, and that this would set a bad example. While they were arguing, other squatters took other places, amongst which where Villa Lugano. On top of all this, this Friday a protest by train company's employees blocked the rails at 6 p.m. when workers were going home from work and there was 37C temperature. People got mad and we had the biggest railway station in the city sacked and burned, with people throwing stones at police, hydrant cars, mounted police and all the works. All this unrest coming up at the same time by Christmas eve is suspicious, and there are many who say this man Duhalde (who curiously just had announced his intention to run for the presidency next year) is behind all the stuff in an attempt to destabilize the govt. Not saying there are no real reasons for the protests and stuff. This govt is not really good. But I think behind the unrest there is someone with an agenda. _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
