MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez booed when she visited site of a tragic building collapse

CFK with a rescue teams search among the debris of the building that killed 10 and injured 60

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was booed and insulted when she visited on Wednesday afternoon at the site in the city of Rosario where at least ten people died when a several stories building collapsed following a major gas leak explosion.

Relatives and neighbours of the victims and of those still disappeared verbally attacked the president and her committee reproaching the fact “she’s come just to make politics”.

Others claimed “how are we to respect this lady who does not respect us and comes to take advantage ahead of Sunday’s primary election”, but there were also a few who said it’s normal the president turns up when a tragedy of this magnitude.

Meantime the government declared a two day national mourning over the tragedy.

Cristina Fernandez landed in Rosario from New York where on Tuesday she presided over a session of the UN Security Council.

Defence Minister Agustín Rossi and Security Secretary Sergio Berni arrived on Tuesday in Rosario joined by a special rescue task force of the Federal Police. Furthermore, 500 military police officers have been deployed in the city, put in charge of surveillance and assistance works.

However Rossi and Berni were also exposed to rude language and asked ‘if they had come to make politics?’

Following the incidents the presidential caravan headed for a local hospital where some of the injured are under treatment, where Cristina Fernandez also met with Santa Fe province governor Antonio Bonfatti and Rosario city mayor Monica Fein.

Later the presidential party and local authorities gathered at the Governor’s palace where apparently they discussed the tragedy and the gas safety procedures among other issues. The central administration has been coordinating efforts with municipal and provincial authorities in Santa Fe.

By the time Cristina Fernandez left the Santa Fe province government house, the crowd outside was clearly in support of the president and the protestors several lines behind silenced by the cheers.

In related news Kirchnerite and several opposition candidates running in Sunday's PASO primary elections have called off all closing campaign rallies scheduled for Thursday following the presidential decree declaring a 2-day national mourning.

In a press conference held at the Casa Patria Grande Néstor Kirchner in the city of Buenos Aires, Mayor of Lomas de Zamora and top Kirchnerite candidate in the province of Buenos Aires Martín Insaurralde confirmed the decision.

“We have talked with the President and decided to suspend all closing campaign rallies. We express our solidarity with the victims and their families,” Insaurralde said and called Argentineans to be “united and think about solidarity.”

Meanwhile, senator Daniel Filmus confirmed Victory Front electoral activities that were set for today’s afternoon in the Argentine capital city have also been suspended.

Opposition candidate Sergio Massa called off a rally he was planning on having in the Greater Buenos Aires area of San Martín. Other parties adopted a similar decision and cancelled all activities.

The Rosario tragedy that has claimed the lives of 10 people so far and left more than 60 injured occurred on Tuesday, five days ahead of the PASO primaries when Argentines will cast their vote and define which parties will get to run in October’s midterm elections and the candidates’ ballots representing each political force.