A rash of looting and ransacking of supermarkets in
Argentine major cities and several provinces left two people killed, dozens
injured and hundreds arrested. The looting and vandalizing of supermarkets
began in the Patagonian resort of Bariloche on Thursday and seemingly triggered
a knock-on effect across different provinces, as similar incidents began to
arise in Buenos Aires, Santa
Fe, Entre Ríos and Chaco
provinces.
Women and teenagers looting the food stalls
Looters loaded with electronic appliances flee from the
supermarket
Police with water cannons and tear gas clash with vandals
In Rosario one of the victims of
the clashes between looters and police, identified as Carina Paz, 36, was shot
in the head whilst entering a supermarket. She was pronounced dead at the
scene. Rosario police also said
that a man was killed after being shot in the chest in Villa Gobernador Gálvez,
a town located on the southern fringe of Rosario
City.
Argentina’s second largest city media reported that at least
25 attacks on supermarkets, furniture stores and small shops were being carried
out in the Rosario area.
Various local government officials spoke with reporters over
the action being taken in order to control the chaos caused in the different
towns and cities.
In Campana, the town’s cabinet chief Claudio Rodríguez,
assured that over one hundred people had been arrested. “We haven’t ruled out a
possible political connection,” to the crimes, the official added.
Even in the high income neighbourhood of San
Fernando famous for its marinas on the Parana
River 20 miles north of Buenos Aires
police forces had to fight back looters.
Meanwhile four hundred Border Guard officers, deployed by
the federal government to Bariloche on Friday to enforce police control after
Thursday's violent supermarket looting incidents, which saw more than 33 people
injured. Yesterday five large supermarkets were ransacked, leading to violent
clashes between police and looters.
According to official reports during night clashes as police
tried to restore order, thirty-three people were reported to have been injured
including 18 police officers and 15 teenagers.
From El Calafate in Santa Cruz
province, President Cristina Fernandez agenda to spend a quiet peaceful family
Christmas reunion has been altered. Since arriving on Thursday evening she has
been in contact with the cabinet and governors to try and contain the situation
from further spreading, and looking for culprits.
At first it was suspected that frictions and disputes inside
the ruling Victory Front in the province
of Rio Negro to which Bariloche
belongs could be behind the uprising or even police discontent following the
elimination of special riot units in the province.
However this was quickly discarded after the rival factions
closed ranks and the at times overwhelmed Rio Negro
police force was relieved to receive support from the gendarmerie.
Now the government guns are pointing to the dissident
organized labour led by Hugo Moyano and his allies but this still has to be
proved and obviously was rejected point blank by these organizations.
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