(for spanish version click here)
I feel a little bit like the Grinch while I write this post, but unfortunately I can't describe this situation any other way.
Those
who know me also know I'm not very keen on Christmas. I always knew that the
root of this feeling comes from growing up in Buenos Aires, where Christmas
spirit is a rare commodity. The atmosphere doesn't help, here Christmas is in
summertime, there's no snow, there's usually no money for gifts and you picture
yourself on the beach, not in front of the chimney. But these Christmas have
been by far the worst I've ever experienced.
How can there be Christmas spirit when…
…people
have been experiencing blackouts for more than 15 days at a 40ºC?
Some would say I have no right to
complain because I haven´t had a blackout (yet), and it's true that I´m very
lucky (because it seems that paying your electricity bills doesn´t guarantee a
good service). But ALL the people around me have suffered them, sometimes for
more than 48 hours in a row. They had to throw away everything they had in the
fridge (which, believe me, is not cheap at all with the inflation rates in this country). They had to climb the stairs, sometimes up to 10 flights, and above
all, suffer this unbearable heat with no access even to a fan, let alone air
conditioning.
People bear the heat on the shade
While the elder, children and people in hospitals are “dying” of
heat, the President and the leader of the opposition watch the situation from
their comfortable rooms in cool Patagonia, during what is known as the longest
heatwave in Argentina since 1906.
Hospitals don´t have paracetamol, linen and basic supplies.
After all, this is happening due to the
electricity companies lack of infrastructure that doesn´t match the growth of
the argentinian economy since 2003. This is the excuse given by the minister of
infrastructure Julio de Vido who, by the way, has been in the government for
the past 10 years (wouldn´t this have to do a little bit with his management as
well? I wonder…)
…there's extreme
violence on the streets?
During Christmas eve
and New Year's eve, Buenos Aires resembles the far west. One could almost hear
the sound of burdock rolling on the hot tarmac, but I could live with that. The
really scary thing is not knowing if when you go out on the streets you'll come back home alive. This year, the fear started almost a month before, with the violent spiral of pillaging in the city of Córdoba, which had a domino effect in other provinces of Argentina.
A few days later, the
“celebration” of the Boca Juniors supporter day meant another opportunity for
violence and unpunished robbery, looting and destruction of Buenos Aires city
centre.
This year, I
experienced fear second hand when my best friend was attacked by a gang of
armed men while she was driving in the car with her boyfriend. His first
instinct was to put on reverse gear at top speed for 300 meters to lose the
assailants. Ana María Castro (29) wasn´t so lucky, as she was shot while she
was getting out of her car with her husband on the way to her in laws. In fact,
pyrotechnics (which have always been the visible face of the Grim Reaper this
time of year), lost their position to guns and other weapons in the city of
Rosario, with over 20 deaths only on Christmas eve.
The insecurity
climate is no news, I have experienced it since I can remember. A Spanish
friend told me once that he didn´t know any Argentinian who didn´t have a
personal horror story to tell in this aspect. I have several anecdotes myself,
new and old ones. And I also have a great amount of stories from my loved ones
that still live here. But the escalating violence of these last few years is
unprecedented. Nevertheless, the government insists on calling it “a feeling of
insecurity”. To them, this is an invention by the people that are against their
policy with the aim to knock off balance the democracy system. A democracy that
little has to do with its original meaning.
Looting in the city of Córdoba
Boca Juniors supporter day celebration
…people are so
aggressive?
Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is
bright…it seems like a bad joke if you come to Buenos Aires in december. The
heat, the end of the year, the anxiety to go on vacation and leave behind the
reality suffered for the past 12 months, puts people in the worst mood
possible. It's as if we wanted the nightmare to finish once and for all, hoping
that next year will be a little less scary. The most common thing is to witness
(or sometimes suffer it in your own flesh) insults, aggressions, and sometimes
even physical violence. December is the most selfish month of the year. It seems
that one is unable to think of anybody else but oneself.
This year, I saw it clearer than ever with the
taxi drivers. A few days ago, I got on to a cab and, immediately, another one
pulled up next to it. The drivers started to argue before I could even say
“good morning”. After a while, and when the traffic lights had already changed
a couple of times without the car moving, my driver told me I had to get off
because his colleague said I should had been his passenger. Last night I had a
similar experience when I friend of mine stopped a taxi and politely asked if
the car had air conditioning (which was the main reason to take it due to the
unbearable heat). The driver took offence at this question and so, started to
insult my friend while stepping on the gas before my friend could even shut the
door. My friend's face was a picture. Coming from Europe, he couldn't understand why
he had been shouted at for no apparent reason.
We are unable to think of anybody else but ourselves
I understand why
Santa Claus erased Argentina from its usual christmas route. Maybe he's afraid
that his suit would be stolen and he´d have to do his work bare naked. Or worse
still, that his sledge will be robbed and he will remain in this jungle
forever. Maybe he's afraid that somebody will blame him for doing nothing all
year and now expecting everyone to be happy for a night. I understand Santa
Claus, he's used to going to houses where people leave food and drink for him
under the tree. If he comes here, he would have to bring food and drink,
instead of presents. And maybe he wouldn't even be able to give it to those who
really need it, because his sledge would be pillaged…I understand Santa Claus.
If I were him, I wouldn´t come either.
This is the only Santa we´ll see in Argentina
In this state of things, we prepare ourselves
to greet the New Year with a “celebration” in the city centre. The “drums” will be replaced by pots and pans (a native tradition we started in 2001) and the Christmas carols will be lyrics of anger and frustration, claims from the citizens that had enough of living in the dark, literally. People feel
abandoned by their government, and this year it´s been one too many times.
That´s how the year will end. With heat, with outrage, with a feeling of
impotence…Without access to electricity, water or basic services in hospitals
and homes. The worst thing is that it will start, once again, with the wrong
foot.
"If it´s not now, then when?"
It seems the government has a lot to celebrate
Photos by Jonathan Gonzalez Diez.
