MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

End of blackout to Buenos Aires plazas but now the Obelisk flag was stolen

The Argentine Obelisk in the Argentine capital

A good one and a bad one for the government of the City of Buenos Aires: Economy minister Nestor Grindetti announced that an agreement had been reached with power companies to bring light back to several public areas of the city that had remained in the dark for several days due to unpaid bills.

Grindetti said that the three parties, the City and Edenor and Edesur, signed an agreement in which the City vows to “maintain its claim for its rights” since the situation is a clear “act of discrimination”, but the city government signed the agreement because it could not keep residents in the dark.

Grindetti explained that the City will pay the current debt in five instalments.

“The situation was particularly dangerous in certain areas of the city (seven parks and plazas plus some emblematic monuments including the obelisk) since the lack of public illumination encouraged insecurity and delinquency”, added Grindetti.

But the city of Buenos Aires also had to admit that an Argentine flag that was next to the Obelisk was stolen last week during a pro-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez demonstration.

“The truth is that vandalism never ceases to amaze me. This time the City was stolen a flag that we had reinstated only 20 days ago, it is really outrageous,” City Public Spaces Minister Diego Santilli said.

“The flag was of stolen its pole on Tuesday during a demonstration of Hugo Chávez supporters,” the City Government said in a communiqué.

“Every time there are demonstrations, the Plaza de la República Square is damaged. If its not graffiti, these type of things happen. The right to express ourselves is not under discussion and is valid, but we must take care of what is ours.”

Footage of the demonstration is being analyzed to determine who are responsible of the theft. “We have suffered several episodes of vandalisms. This cost the City lots of resources, but we will fix everything. Hopefully we will soon reach the day that these incidents no longer happen, but first we must understand that we must look after our public spaces as if it were our home”.