Recently, Argentina witnessed a wave of looting incidents that left its citizens upset. As a nation known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful landscapes and passionate people, these incidents have cast a shadow on the collective spirit of the country. The motives behind these acts of looting, the consequences they bring, and the societal implications they bear are all topics that demand attention and reflection on behalf of the Argentine government. In this entry, I will delve into the recent looting incidents in Argentina, explore the factors at play and the impact on the nation's fragile fabric.
The reported incidents occurred in places like Cordoba, Mendoza, Neuquen and Buenos Aires. What started as looting of major supermarkets quickly escalated to stores throughout these cities. At first, the Argentine government denied these incidents were as bad as people claimed. Authorities also chalked them up to isolated occurrences of petty theft. But eventually, the government realized that the problem could not be ignored and offered financial assistance to store owners affected by the looting.
Generally speaking, Argentines don't go around shooting people like in the U.S. But I'm not saying Argentines are a gun-free society either, especially in these times of uncertainty. Sadly, the looting has forced some owners to take up arms to defend what's theirs.
Recently, one of my students shared security footage of their car being broken into. It turns out that thieves are familiar with a defect in the Ford Fiesta's central locking system. Essentially, damaging the lock to the driver side door unlocks all the doors to the vehicle. As you'll see when you watch this video, the thieves took advantage of this defect to open the trunk of my student's car to steal his spare tire, along with two chairs he was storing in there.
I was very surprised that they took such insignificant items instead of the entire car. But my student told me that car tires are very expensive in Argentina. On average, one tire is about $85,000 Argentine pesos ($243 USD). But a brand name tire like Michelin costs about $250,000 Argentine pesos ($715 USD).
While talking with yet another student, I learned that thieves are lurking in areas where people commonly park their cars. In their possession is a signal-blocking device that ensures a car owner's alarm won't activate when they press the button. Thus, making it easier to break into a car without all the noise.
Now, anyone who knows me or has been following my blog over the last 11 years, knows that I live in seclusion and rarely interact with the locals. So, I had no idea the surge of looting incidents were happening until a student mentioned them to me.
Most cases appear to have occurred during the month of August. Thankfully, the looting appears to have stopped for now. But I've been told that they may occur again as the Argentine elections in October draw near.
As to why the looting began in the first place, I can only assume that it has to do with the horrible Argentine economy. My students claim that it is also politically motivated. But the interesting thing about the looting is that the thieves that were caught claimed that they only stole to feed their families. However, many of them were caught on camera stealing non-essential items like alcohol, electronics and sneakers. This gave me flashbacks to the looting incident that occurred almost a decade ago in Cordoba City when cops went on strike.
But this recent spate of looting in Argentina serves as a stark reminder of the complex web of economic, social, and political factors that shape the nation's destiny. It is a call to action for both the Argentine government and its citizens to come together to find common ground and work towards creating a brighter future. By addressing the root causes and fostering a sense of unity and cooperation, Argentina can emerge from the challenging times stronger and more resilient than ever before. It is a journey that will require a great deal of determination, empathy, and a commitment to create a better tomorrow.
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