MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Violence and “pickets” in Argentina

Violence and “pickets” in Argentina

Two civilians killed and dozens were wounded last Sunday when a picket line across a northern Argentine highway in the province of Salta, 700 miles north of Buenos Aires, was forcibly removed by the Gendarmería (border patrol) following a judicial order to reestablish traffic.

Picket lines or "picketers" is a new form of protest that has expanded to several areas of Argentina involving jobless, unemployed and homeless, usually with the support from residents in the depressed area, who begin interrupting traffic by burning old tires.

Picketers usually camp in main highways with tents and portable kitchens remaining for days with their families until some of their demands are met or are dislodged by federal law enforcement special groups.

However even with scenes of violence, only on counted occasions have the picketers resisted, as happened in General Mosconi, where shots were fired apparently from both sides. The two picketers died of shot wounds, but provincial and federal Security officials claim that once the border patrol took control of the highway, snipers from adjacent hills opened fire on them wounding at least six gendarme, two of which had to be flown to Cordoba for emergency treatment.

General Mosconi and Tartagal in Salta have been hot spots for over two years and the nearby highway 34, that leads to Bolivia was one of the first to experience the picket line strategy. Last December a similar incident erupted into rioting when an unemployed bus driver was killed. Protestors took over the town of Tartagal, captured the local police station and set fire the homes of local politicians.

Picketers are protesting the delay in making effective provincial salaries and are demanding more places in the emergency working program "Trabajar" financed by Buenos Aires.

At mid week the situation seemed to be under control and President De la Rúa's top aides were in the area. Plus the normal judicial inquiry on the killings and incidents the Argentine Congress named a special investigation committee.Mainly because of the 36 months long recession in Argentina, many provinces, highly dependent on central government financing simply don't have the funds to meet ends, creating highly volatile situations.