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Mob rule in Argentina: This is how slums are born
| William Quispe, left, his wife Nataly Montanio, and their 6 month old child Emanuel Matias, all from Bolivia, sit inside a makeshift shelter in the Indoamericano Park at the Villa Soldati neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010. Clashes between squatters and residents who want them out the park, exploded Tuesday killing at least 3 people and injuring dozens, according to local media and police. (Natacha Pisarenko / AP) |
| Marcelo Penaranda, from Bolivia, builds a makeshift shelter at a land occupied by squatters in Villa Soldati neighborhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010. Clashes between resident neighbors and squatters left, according to local media, at least four people killed and 30 injured after the neighbors tried to evict the squatters by their own means. (Natacha Pisarenko / AP) |
| Children sit at a makeshift shelter in a land occupied by squatters of Villa Soldati neighborhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010. Clashes between resident neighbors and squatters left, according to local media, at least four people killed and 30 injured after the neighbors tried to evict the squatters by their own means. (Natacha Pisarenko / AP) |
| People carry the coffin containing the body of alleged squatter Juan Quispe, from Bolivia, during his funeral service in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday , Dec. 11, 2010. Quispe was killed on Thursday during clashes between neighbors and squatters who occupied a land in Villa Soldati neighborhood. According to local media, four people were killed and about 30 injured when neighbors tried to evict squatters by their own means. (Natacha Pisarenko / AP) |
| People carry a man wounded during clashes between neighbors and squatters after a march to protest against the occupation of a land in Villa Soldati neighborhood, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday , Dec. 10, 2010. The clashes begun on Tuesday when neighbors tried to evict squatters by their own means. According to local media, a man was killed and about 30 were injured. (Alberto Raggio / DyN) |
These last couple weeks we’ve been seeing more insanity than usual here in Argentina. It started a week ago with a public park taken over by immigrants from Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Argentine “villeros”. Once they installed themselves in this public park with tents, they started bringing in materials to build brick and mortar homes in it to make a “villa”(shanty town). These are often crime and disease infested places. Imagine this happening in the park right in front of your home. Well, the neighbors of Soldati didn’t like the idea either so they asked the Mayor of Buenos Aires, Mr. Mauricio Macri to take action. Macri being a more right wing type of guy did what he could, but he has no control of the Federal police that is needed to evict them. Macri has been struggling over the control of the Federal police of the capital district for years, but the president Cristina Kirchner prefers to keep the Federal under her control instead. So we have squatters on one hand taking over a park, pissed neighbors on the other, and a mayor, Mauricio Macri, that wants to remove them but has no power. All Macri has is the newly created Metropolitan police. The metropolitan police was created after years of requesting Kirchner the control of the Federal police. Since she wasn’t giving them up, Macri managed to get the voters approval to create a Metropolitan police. The newly created metropolitan police is still small, mostly for traffic control and petty crime in the city. It lacks the anti-mob material, training and manpower to deal with large groups of people. The patrol vehicles of the metropolitan police where sent away by the squatters, shot at and attacked with stones and Molotovs. Macri asked for help to the Federal police, but Kirchner said she would not use force against these loving, upstanding citizens (well, not actually citizens, most of them are form Bolivia) To make matters worse, most of the squatters are simply criminals, either from north of the border from Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay, or local thugs, “piqueteros” that work for Kirchner as crash force. Most of them don’t even need another home, they take over land, build a few sacks, and then RENT them out to poor people for 100 or 150 USD a month. One guy from Bolivia, he took over a large warehouse, made 20 “rooms” in it, and rented each for 200 USD a month… in usurped property!
When the neighbors of Soldati saw that the president clearly had no intention of protecting their neighborhood, they took the law into their own hands. Results? 4 dead and countless wounded. It was kind of funny to see these criminals that can hardly speak Spanish and that came hear to steal land for themselves, DEMANDING that the police should protect them! More insane than that? That’s exactly what the president did! She sent the Federal police, but not to expel them but to surround the area to protect these poor innocent criminals that were getting their asses kicked. Now a judge is taking note of everyone in the park and has promised to give each and every one of these people a house.
So lets recap: You take over land that isn’t yours, you start building a house there and demand to either be allowed to build or a house elsewhere.
Today, a few days later, land is being usurped all over the city. Even in private property people are waking up to find tents and shacks on their property and the squatters are not leaving unless they give them a home somewhere else.
What else can you expect when you reward criminal actions with houses?
The government’s response to all this? They are organizing marches and rallies in the city today in favor of tolerance and support to criminals and squatters everywhere. The president said that we should “open our hearts” to them.
I’m watching TV right now and people are very, very pissed. In a terrible economy where hard working people work their entire lives and can’t finish building their homes its understandable that they are willing to become violent against criminals that are simply allowed to steal what they otherwise have to work their entire lives to pay. Not only that, they ruin the neighborhoods by taking away parks where children used to play, instead creating shanty towns full of thugs, criminals and drugs.
I don’t know how this will all end, but I’ve never seen the average hard working person so fed up. Its one thing when the average citizen does what the police is supposed to and kicks out squatters. It’s a completely different thing when the police shows up not to help you, but to protect the criminals instead.
December is often an interesting month in Argentina. Maybe its the heat. There's problems with gasoline, becoming harder to find, there's not enough money in ATMs, supposedly a plane from Brazil is comming this way, full of money (we can't even print our own money, its Made in Brazil too) and squatters are just waiting.
Hey man, that shotgun class may just come in handy!
Take care folks,
18 comments:
Gee, the attitude of that judge sounds exactly like the ones in favor of illegal immigration here in the States.
Absolutely unbelievable. Between the stories coming out of Europe and the stories I hear from you in Argentina, I wonder how long it will be until your reality becomes ours.
Stay safe.
Ferfal, great blog! Sad to see that Argentina continues to deteriorate, and that the government continues to force things to get worse for what reason I can't determine. Perhaps you have the answer.
In any event, I come here because I like your writing, I think the US is headed down the same road, and I want to prepare for what I now think is inevitable. The ruling class here in the US hasn't learned the lesson from the last election, and seems to be digging in for a long fight. It is possible that they may in fact outlast the opposition. They have taken over the mainstream media, and only the internet and radio is independant. They will act to take these entities over as well, or will at least control the major players.
I'm scared for the future, and I've taken many of the steps you suggest, and will implement others as it becomes financially possible. Again, thanks, and I will be returning often for your insights. Be careful out there.
Regards,
templar knight
Maybe there will FINALLY be a real revolution in Argentina, to throw out the criminal usurpers in the Casa Rosada! Nestor Kirchner is dead, he's not coming to the rescue of his wife. The head of the snake is gone, and people KNOW it! I think Cristina overreached big time here, and she's gonna get spanked.
This is unbelievable, but the hard reality. The Chinese have bought mining rights throughout Bolivia and are displacing a lot of towns and miners. We have tent cities here in California, but violent clashes like this are unheard of so far. Our barber told us his son will be joining the Navy Reserve (after graduation in architecture) for income, housing and food. I'm looking into selling cremation services for a living. It has come to this. Not the cheeriest of Holidays.
Sometimes I can only shake my head at the injustice in Argentina. Good luck, Ferfal.
Steve
From the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11977629
They attacked the illegal squatters with sticks and rocks???? That's what happens in a world without guns. It seems that Cristina really clamped down hard with the army, which is bound to anger people more.
So far, SO FAR .... we don't have illegal immigrants massing in our parks, building tents, then buildings, etc. We have them renting houses and rooms and even buying houses, because they were working.
We have tent cities but they tend to be inhabited by native citizens who are "used up" from a lifetime of work, too old to get a job now, suffer from PTSD alcoholism, etc which may or may not be their fault. Even though they are seen as "the other" by most, they are still seen as a part of our population, not say, if we had a group coming in from elsewhere and just taking over.
Again I thank God in the US we have so many guns!
I honestly think the reason for most of Argentina's problem is that the populace is unarmed.
Hi FerFal I can understand your anger.
Once you realize these things are not a coincidence, but instead are part of the "socialist way" - where the ONLY power allowed comes from the goverment.
If you look at highly socialized countries (like sweden or germany) it is already clear where the road will lead us...
A REAL example what happened in germany 2010:
You are in the subway with your girl and a drunken guy from greece smashes your girl an empty bottle over the head and then walks away.
Whats normal? You try to stop that guy, right? So you chase him, grab him - then he tries to punch you in the face and you push him in return. The guy falls to the ground and breaks his hand.
Result? It is YOU who get before the judge, YOU are found guilty and YOU have to pay him as colateral for his suffered pain.
You think this is a joke?
If your german allows you can google the case - it was in the media less than 6 months ago.
What was your fault? Judge said there was no imminent danger anymore, the offender already walking away (subway mind you - all on tape) so you should have waited until the police arrives and you DIDNT HAVE A RIGHT TO STOP him.
What happend in B.A. is the first step down this very same road, Europe has been marching down for quite some time now.
For every sane person it is pure madness but surprisingly enough the mass of sheople like it.
@Templar Knight
Just becaue Mr. Obama is black, does not mean he is a "change".
Mr. Obama got his campaign funds from the exact same banks that funded Mr. W. Bush. You will never be able to "vote" for a real change - thats not on the agenda.
Who wants a real change will have to move his behind and change himself. First.
Check this out, Fernando:
http://www.atfa.org/
This is the organization of remaining Argentine debtholders, American Task Force Argentina, and they pull no punches. They flatly call Argentina a rogue government that not only has no intention of ever paying the debt, but which shouldn't be in the G20 AT ALL-it used to be the 16th largest economy in the world, now it's probably 30th. Watch the "Apocalyptic Debt" videos-they're saying everything you've been saying for years! Everybody knows that INDEC is lying, everybody knows that the Ks are destroying Argentina, even the US Congress-under the Democrats!-has censured the Ks. Everybody is trying to get their money out of Argentina before yet another devaluation and social/economic collapse.
Your thoughts?
Sounds an awful like Kalifornia!
Absolutely BELIEVABLE.
Thank "Progressives" who always want MORE big gov't.
Here in the "Empire State" we welcome these folks, give them housing and when they cannot pay their "salary adjusted" rent, something like $97/month, the counties keep paying for these people! Completely shameless, most of them. (I know, I have family and friends working/worked for "social services". The 90% willfully unemployed have little excuse for being parasites).
When the county finally gets fed up the Catholic Church steps in and pays all sorts of bills. This has been going on for years.
Expect more of this worldwide and in bigger ways.
Thanks so much for your posts. I bought your book and value your "real world in the shit" reflections. It is a must read like "one second after". I'm spreading your name. Please keep your family safe. My incredible family is so happy and unaware. It's time to teach them. I bought a 100lb punching bag and gloves for a fun exercise Christmas gift. You know what it's for. You and yours are in my prayers.
I can't explain it Ferfal. I know God put me here to get my amazing kids and my lovely wife "to the other side". I don't know that I'm meant to make it. Each new discovery (Beck years ago) (you recently) feels like that journey. Destiny here involves the struggles that you face. America must go through it's dusk to reach it's next dawn. You have helped us all.
They can't win.
I asked my Argentine wife... "why would Cristina support illegal aliens(Bolivians, Peruvians, etc), many of whom are criminals, against Argentine voters?" She said... "because she will fast-track their citizenship so they can vote for her in the next election."
I reckon they can all get weapons permits, too.
Suerte -CapnRick
When I was in Ireland back in the 90's the 'travellers' had a scam going there where they would occupy private property with their RV's and refuse to leave unless the owners paid them off. The government would refuse to do anything without going through a big convoluted legal process costing tens of thousands of dollars. So these guys would say, 'Look, you can go to court and spend $20K to get rid of us, or just give us $10K and we'll leave.' Meanwhile they would be totally trashing the property. I read recently in England that illegal immigrants are taking over people's property all over the place. One guy in the article had I think Romanian drug addicts in his tool shed and the cops were preventing him from evicting them. Is there a war on between governments and people?
What you are describing here is the every day reality in Athens and other big greek cities. Come in Greece to see what madness real means..with 3,5 million illegal migrators from all over the world almost all of them muslims.
This is sad on many levels. I don't like seeing children living in conditions like this and I feel they're being used as pawns to garner the sympathy of the native Argentine. I don't know what you do in a situation like this. The best thing for your nation is to give them all a one way ticket back to Bolivia but what about the human element of everything?
The main problem is with your inability to enforce laws. I really feel sorry for these kids I see in the pictures. Their parents are irresponsible and are using them as pawns in this game. I don't know what the right thing to do in this situation is to be honest.
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