Last week, my program office closed for the day and warned us to stay away from the Plaza de Mayo and center of town because a rally was planned, and all sorts of rumors and predictions, from revolutions to brawls involving thousands, had been prophesized. So, naturally, we all headed straight for the center of the action.
While everyone in the United States is well into their summer vacations, I am finishing up the semester in Buenos Aires. I have been very neglectful in posting (sorry Lydia!), but now that political tensions are soaring again, I bring you an incomplete and inexpert assessment of the situation.
Political turbulence has been brewing since Easter, when the campos (farms) went on strike in response to a proposed export tax, designed to reduce inflation and provide more affordable food to Argentines. Since then, protestors have blocked off roads periodically to prevent the transport of food, huge amounts of which have gone bad and been thrown out, in a country where a significant portion of the population goes hungry. At the beginning of the conflict, grocery stores in Buenos Aires were eerily empty, although, now, food shortages have not been a problem in the capitol. After Semana Santa, the supporters of the campos first took to the Plaza de Mayo, the location of the government buildings and a historic sight for demonstrations and political addresses.
Attracted by the excitement and noise, several friends and I headed down to the plaza to join the fun. Feeling that supporting the poor farmers was surely a noble cause, I banged my pots and pans with enthusiasm. After learning more about the conflict, I grew less sure about which side was correct. Although the campos evoke images of struggling farmers, the majority are actually large corporations, who have benefited greatly from the world food market, incidentally, helping pull Argentina out of it’s financial crisis.
Tension has been simmering ever since. Last week, an incident of physical violence prompted a renewed series of blockades by campos workers, which in turn, caused Cristina Kirchner, la presidente, to address the country and organize a pro-government rally.
Fresh from watching documentaries about the protests following the economic crisis in 2001, I was expecting, if not the chaos and police brutality of that time, a little conflict and danger. However, (fortunately, I guess, because I do love Buenos Aires and would never want anyone to get hurt) the proceedings were relatively tame. More people than I have ever seen in one place filled the streets, waving banners and setting off firecrackers with alarming enthusiasm. The demographic of the people present was very different from the usual makeup of Buenos Aires. The government supporters had overwhelmingly darker complexions and appeared to be less economically well off, two characteristics that all too often go hand-in-hand in Bs As, as well as in much of the rest of the world.
I’ve heard many rumors from various professors, host parents, and others that many of these people were paid to come out and publicly demonstrate support for the government. One of my friends swears that she saw people handing passengers cash and a sandwich as they disembarked from a bus that had come from one of the provinces. Most of the participants I witnessed seemed genuinely enthusiastic, but I am unwilling to rule out either the possibility of bribery on the government’s behalf or conspiracy mongering by the campos.
After much parading and revelry in the streets, the President gave a speech that was focused primarily on the need for cooperation and nonviolent conflict resolution. Although her speech did not contain much substance, it seems to have been well received by a great deal of Porteños, even though Cristina’s favorability polls are currently hovering around Bush-esque numbers. (I am curious what the reaction would be if Bush tried to hold a pro-government parade in the United States). No solutions have emerged to the conflict yet, and whether this protest will truly help unify the deeply divided citizens remains to be seen, but at least there wasn’t a revolution. Yet.

Your response: