The Conflict continues

Two protests on the same day (yes I only made it to one. I have yet to figure out how to clone myself). Both the Argentina government and the Campo (farmers and agricultural groups) staged protests and rallies today in Buenos Aires, July 15, 2008 as the senate argues over export taxes. The law passed the house recently and will be voted on by the senate tomorrow, July 16, 2008. Both peaceful as far as I know. View the slideshow for the Campo rally HERE.

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Anti-government Protest in Argentina

March and Protest by the Partido Obrero and Partido Quebracho against the Argentine Government.

Yet more conflict over the retenciones… indirectly. A conflict between two more of the militant left-wing groups here in Buenos Aires and the police led to several injuries yesterday. As a result the two parties, the Partido Obrero and Quebracho staged a march from the Congreso to the Casa Rosada to condem the use of force by the police. Today’s event, July 8, 2008 passed without much incident as far as I could tell. It was still a trip to see protesters decked out in head scarves carrying batons. They were a minority compared to the amount of people who came. But, they were also a very good picture. Click HERE for the slide show.

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Into the deep end

Things are getting clearer.

Instead of looking at Argentine politics as if I was trying to pinpoint the location of a penny through an ocean of water, I’m now down to just a pool. Granted, I’m sure it is the deep end, but now I can at least make out the edges.

I showed up at the pro-government rally in the Plaza de Mayo on June 18th because… well, because I wasn’t about to miss this photo op. I have yet to photograph a ‘caserola’ (where the people – anti-gov’t – hang off their balconies and walk down the street banging spoons and any general sort of cutlery on metal pots, pans and lids. It is quite a noise.)

The plaza was, as expected, packed and it turned out to be a very surreal experience. I was expecting fútbol-like enthusiasm, but no. I have been told the supporters that come to these events are typically paid and they showed some festiveness tempered with long faces and polite clapping.

Paid? That is what Bush should be doing. He could use the money we’re blowing in Iraq to pay for some positive press in the form of flag waving supporters.

But my joking aside, this is a very serious issue for Argentina and I won’t belittle or butcher the facts by trying to explain. Remember, I’m still in the deep end of the pool. What I can say from the street is food costs are going up, people are worried and this looks very far from over.

The president – Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner – sent the executive decision to the congress to be debated and voted on now. I did not understand why this didn’t happen much earlier – say 100 days ago when the strike in the campo first started – but I was told, because the issue deals with exports it falls under a ‘customs’ heading and is therefore the right of the executive branch, without the legislature’s approval, to create new retenciones (which loosely translates to an export tax).

Sounds dangerous, doesn’t it? But don’t wave any fingers… the US works this way also.

It turned out to be a peaceful event, much more low-key than the immigration marches in Los Angeles a few years ago. Check out the slide show link here.

(I’m sorry about the external link. As I learn about blogging I realized I can not add slideshows built on my computer into wordpress as of right now.)

cheers

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