MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Violent confrontation leaves five dead and five injured in Argentina

The authorities will rely on these recordings to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attack.

A brutal clash erupted on Sunday afternoon within an occupied area in the Buenos Aires town of González Catán, La Matanza, resulting in a massacre: five dead and five injured, two of them critically.

The incident occurred around 3:30 pm when, according to witnesses, three individuals began firing at a group participating in a neighborhood meeting, as detailed by spokespersons.

“It happened in a land takeover that has been under the scrutiny of the justice system for a long time. It is located in a quarry known as '20 de Junio.' There was a confrontation between different groups, one from the Bolivian community and another from the Paraguayan community, with ongoing tensions. There was an argument, but minor. There were not even punches, just some shouts until a very small group, as they were leaving, started shooting, leading to this tragedy,” explained one source to La Nación, still shocked by the brutality, captured in extremely graphic homemade videos that have circulated in recent hours.

#LaMatanza Así empezó el ataque a tiros contra una asamblea de familias en una toma de tierras en González Catán

Las familias se encontraban reunidas en terrenos de “La Tosquera” este domingo 14, cuando fueron atacadas a tiros por personas no identificadas. pic.twitter.com/p1prdO9A6c

— ANRed #25Años (@Red__Accion) January 15, 2024

Four people died on the scene, and six were injured. Later, one of the injured, a 16-year-old, succumbed to his injuries at Ballestrini Hospital in La Matanza.

The investigation is under the supervision of prosecutor Carlos Arribas, from the Functional Unit of Instruction (UFI) for Homicides in La Matanza. As of the latest update, he was at the scene with Buenos Aires provincial police officers, attempting to interview witnesses to reconstruct the gruesome criminal sequence.

The prosecutor also ordered the transfer of the bodies to the judicial morgue for the required autopsies.

In a video depicting the start of the massacre, at least a dozen shots can be heard. Amid the gunfire, a woman breaks into tears, pleading for the safety of children caught in the conflict.

“When the little group was removed from the place, the shooting started,” summarized one investigator analyzing the footage captured by neighbors, which will be crucial in identifying the perpetrators of the attack.

In one video capturing the moments before the lethal shots, neighbors can be seen pushing, insulting, and yelling at a small group to leave the quarry. The video shows at least fifty people witnessing the situation, referring to shots fired in the area the previous day without causing injuries.

“In the video that shows the moments before the lethal shots, you can hear and see that it is the locals pushing, insulting, and yelling at a small group of people to leave,” said one investigator. In the footage, at least four men who may be part of the group firing shots are visible and later seen fleeing.

The videos, now in the possession of the authorities, depict a horrifying scene of violence. The authorities will rely on these recordings to identify and prosecute those responsible for the attack.

Javier Milei's government response

The presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni, referred on Monday, January 15, to the shooting recorded on Sunday in the town of González Catán, La Matanza district, which left five dead and eight wounded, and pointed out that it is the responsibility of the Buenos Aires governor, Axel Kicillof, and the mayor Fernando Espinoza.

“Evidently, the State is not so present in those places”, said Javier Milei's spokesman in his usual press conference, from Casa Rosada. The event took place this Sunday in the neighborhood 8 de Diciembre, where there were gun shots and in the middle of the fight women and children were reported to be present.