Since the 13 January, local TV channels showed almost nothing else but terryfying footage of the tragic fate of the Costa Concordia. Much debate about the cowardly captain of the cruise ship, including the tape of the heated interchange between the Italian Coast Guard Captain and the Cruiser's Captain. Interviews with Latin American Survivors, footage of underwater rescue operations, satellite coverage of the ship's track, infra red videos of the midnight evacuation down the exposed side of the ship, films of flooding staircases and restaurants inside the vessel...Shocking, sobering. A tragic loss of many lives, caused by a moment of irresponsible show of bravado.
Now, almost a week later, Sisco (Canadian Mining Company) is under the public microscope. A small village of about 300 agricultural families, scratching out a simple but contented living, is protesting and demonstrating with the support of most of Argentina against the intended open pit gold mine. Well, the search for El Dorado, in process since Cortez set foot on this continent, is still in process - under a little more 'civilized' guise.
Almost the entire local water supply will be affected, not to mention pollution with a number of toxic chemicals used in the mining process. The citizens of Famatina, in the Province of La Rioja, don't want their environment and their very living space extinguished - it is their backyard, and their very livelyhood depends on clean water - orchards, fields, fishing in their lakes, drinking water...
It would be interesting to contemplate what the local reaction would be if this situation would happen in a pristine area of British Columbia.
And the Falklands (Malvinas in Argentina) are making news again, or better, the British Prime Minister's pronouncements about the Falkland situation. Argentinians consider the Malvina's their territory, never mind that almost every one of the Falkland residents is a died in the wool Brit, living in a pretty convincing facsimile of England - English idiom, red telephone booth, royal mailboxes, Thatcher Drive and all.
One Cruise Ship with Argentinians aboard was denied entry by the Falkland Officials. Argentina had mounted an embargo on ships flying the British Flag. Both countries blame each other for Colonialist maneuvres...
And at the home front...
The manteros (street vendors) have divided into two camps - the Artesanios (willing to be relocated into a city park) and the true Manteros (illegally selling imported or mass produced wares, possibly with Mafia connections). The latter are drumming, whistling, waving flags, speechefying every day. The locale is changing, from the actual Pedestrian Calle Florida, to Avenida Corriente (a major city artery crossing Calle Florida). There, the demonstrators first blocked all of the many traffic lines, causing traffic chaos during rush hour. Now they are being contained to half of the street - lots of police and riot squad presence, and of course the local sensationalist TV channels are out with their trucks.
Deafening noise from drums, whistles, horns...
Police keeping the demonstrators restricted to one half of Avenida Corriente.
One of the manteros, sitting defeated on the now cleared out Calle Florida pavement.
Actually it is very pleasant now on the pedestrian street Florida, regular shop owners are relieved, and one can actually move from one side of the street to the other..the whole situation is less congested.
And the Subway - here one of the 1913 wooden subway cars - has been judged to be legally entitled to raise fares by 117% to 2.50 (55 cents). Buses and commuter trains are taking notice.
34 -36 degrees for the rest of the week - gasp! Now I understand why Argentinians are such icecream fans. 'Helado' shops, stands, bicycle vendors everywhere...
