Hundreds of individuals have demonstrated this Friday within the middle of Buenos Aires to repudiate the loss of life of the militant Facundo Molares, who died the day earlier than after being decreased by the police whereas protesting towards the first elections which are being held this Sunday in Argentina. Molares, a former Argentine guerrilla member of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was 47 years outdated and had returned to the nation in 2020. “Facundo was killed by the State,” was one of many slogans raised by the protesters.
Within the place the place Molares was decreased the day earlier than, there have been a number of candles, carnations and posters that accused the police of being “murderers” this Friday morning. Round 1000’s of individuals from social teams, left-wing political events, unions, and pupil facilities had blocked 9 de Julio, one of many major avenues in Buenos Aires, and had been concentrating across the Obelisk. The police had been absent within the neighborhood of the focus till midday, apart from some brokers who organized the visitors. Later, after some incidents attributable to a small group that threw stones and Molotov cocktails, safety forces arrived.
“We’re going to avenge Facundo Molares with a picket [cortes de calles] and the final strike”, sang these summoned. Amongst bigger flags and slightly away from the drums had been this Friday the man militants of Molares, underneath a two-meter-wide black banner that learn Widespread Riot. The group was based by Molares a number of years in the past when he and different colleagues distanced themselves from the Argentine Communist Celebration. Eduardo Ibarra, a colleague from the group, lamented his loss of life this Friday: “His loss of life is irreparable. He was a real revolutionary, an upright revolutionary. His life was militancy to the individuals and to internationalism ”.
The focus this Friday was known as the evening earlier than after the loss of life of the militant. In keeping with the witnesses, round 100 individuals had gathered close to the Obelisk, with out blocking the streets, to repudiate “the electoral farce.” When the teams had been ending the act, the police intervened. The authorities defended that the brokers acted whereas the protesters had been attempting to “set an urn on fireplace.” Hernan Loyola, a militant who was on the rally the evening earlier than, denies it: “We had introduced a symbolic poll field three meters excessive to protest. However the poll field was by no means lit to keep away from what couldn’t be averted.
As seen within the recorded photos, Molares was decreased by the police, who held him on the ground till a reporter started to shout that the person was dying. The emergency companies tried to revive him however the man, aged 47 and diabetic, died in hospital. The authorities reported that the reason for loss of life was a cardiac arrest “product of danger components.” Loyola, who was subsequent to Molares and was arrested with 5 different individuals the evening earlier than – launched at daybreak – clarifies that Molares “didn’t collapse”: “They decreased him, threw him and pressed him to the ground.” The outcomes of the post-mortem are nonetheless unknown.
After the loss of life, the mayor of the capital, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, of the center-right alliance Juntos por el Cambio, defended the actions of the brokers. “I wish to spotlight and totally assist the actions of the Metropolis Police, which acted with professionalism, containing the acts of violence. Within the Metropolis, violence is the restrict, ”he wrote in a message broadcast on social networks Larreta, who’s presenting himself as a presidential candidate this Sunday. His opponent inside the primary opposition alliance, Patricia Bullrich, who has defended through the marketing campaign that “it should take a variety of power to revive order” within the nation, supported him: “I’m subsequent to Larreta.”
“It was brutal,” former legislator Alejandro Bodart, who’s a member of the Left Entrance alliance, mentioned on the rally. On the occasion, solely politicians from that get together had been seen, such because the vice-presidential candidates Nicolas del Cano or Vilma Ripoll. “It was a political act by a small group above the sidewalk that known as for a clean vote. It’s inexplicable that the police advance and repress. There’s an concept that you need to begin repressing. The police have a free hand as a result of it appears that evidently it’s useful to indicate your tooth. It’s in dispute to see who’s extra dangerous,” Bodart mentioned. “In Argentina, it’s underneath debate whether or not 40 years after the return of democracy, democratic rights are going to proceed standing,” he warned.
