The government of the province of Buenos Aires this Wednesday denounced 150 attempts to loot businesses on its territory, resulting in 94 arrests, after an “attempt to install” an alleged wave of looting in several provinces of the country since the weekend.
“Peace was restored last night” and “those caught committing serious crimes were arrested,” provincial governor Axel Kicillof told media stationed at the Operational Command Center in the city of La Matanza.
The events took place between last Friday and this Wednesday. Groups reportedly convened themselves through social networks invaded supermarkets and other businesses. They robbed and caused destruction in the provinces of Buenos Aires (the most populous, nearly 40% of the country’s total), Mendoza (west), Córdoba (center), Neuquén (southwest), Río Negro (south). A shop in the capital was also the target of an attack, which was repelled by neighbours.
The AFP news agency’s verification service has detected the proliferation of videos of looting from other times on social networks. Although the events were isolated, they recalled the violent looting committed during the Social Democratic governments of Presidents Raúl Alfonsín in 1989 and Fernando de la Rúa in 2001. But the actual looting and robbery was confirmed.
Kicillof reported that his government has provided the Justice Department with all elements of “crimes committed in business, such as defiance of authority and what has to do with cybercrime.”
The governor recalled that “the situation” began this weekend in the provinces of Mendoza and Neuquén (west) and Córdoba (center), followed by “false complaints, false images” of “situations related to robberies and violence.”
“There was a standing task to install the problem when it didn’t occur,” Kicillof said.
But in the early hours of Tuesday through Wednesday, Kicillof explained that “at some points” robberies began to take place in the province of Buenos Aires, which were attended “with professionalism and with great commitment” by the provincial police. which resulted in 94 arrests, in the hands of Justice.
On his side, the Minister of Security, Sergio Berni, explained that what happened this Tuesday “were specific events” and that they were marked by the “presence of organized groups”, but that “people in general did not go along”, but rather “He even helped maintain order.”
“In rush hour we had more than 150 attempts in a joint and coordinated way,” said Berni.
Memories of a previous crisis
Argentina is alert to looting attempts reminiscent of the crisis at the turn of the century, in a context of growing poverty, rising inflation (113.4% year-on-year in July) and political tension following the August 13 primaries, that cause major problems. an uncertain scenario in view of the presidential elections on 22 October.
The criminal acts caused a political crossroads between the candidates for the presidency.
National Security Minister Aníbal Fernández had said early this Wednesday that the attacks “are not spontaneous”, although he stressed that the executive does not have “reliable data” on the intellectual authorship and announced the creation of a unified command to research these facts.
In this way, he distanced himself from the accusations made on his social networks by the presidential spokesman Gabriela Cerruti, who pointed to the leader of La Libertad Avanza, Javier Milei, as the instigator.
Milei had treated her social networks as “tragic to see the same images of looting again after twenty years” from 2001, the year Argentina went through a very serious economic crisis and horrific scenes were witnessed, stressing that “poverty and looting are two sides of the same coin” and that “Argentina no longer resists this impoverishing model”.
Argentina’s inflation rate is one of the highest in the world, exceeding 100% year-on-year and a poverty rate of 40%. Ten days ago, a 21% devaluation was agreed with the International Monetary Fund to clear the disbursements of the $44 billion loan, said economy minister and pro-government presidential candidate Sergio Massa. It was followed by a barrage of price comments on 30% products and the bewilderment of the populace. Consultants expect a double-digit increase in the cost of living for August and September. (JO)
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Source: Eluniverso
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