I wonder if I will be able to convey what’s happening since Friday to non-argentinians, the general theory here is that it’s impossible but I’ll give it a try:
So, on Friday Carlos “El Indio” Solari, died in his house at the age of 77.
Outside Argentina, Uruguay and parts of neighbouring countries nobody knows who he was.
Inside Argentina, EVERYBODY knows who he was.
He was the frontman, singer and soul behind “Los Redonditos de Ricota”, the great (many say the greatest) rock band in Argentinean history.
It’s hard to properly transmit what this man represented, his esoteric, hard to understand lyrics were nonetheless beloved by many, may be even more in the poorer sectors of society than in the more comfortable classes (though he was beloved or at least admired / respected by most).
I think this video speaks more clearly about that than I could ever manage in writing:
If you can do yourself a favour and watch the whole thing.
Solari’s politics and his lyrics, always obscure and purposefully ambiguous, were nonetheless clearly on the left side of the political divide, as clearly demonstrated by the cover of one their best albums:
So, back to current affairs, when someone so beloved by millions dies, in Argentina, their funeral is an affair of state, for example when Diego Maradona died his wake was held at the Casa Rosada (Argentina’s equivalent of the White House).
But this time the government is in the hands of Milei and his ilk…
So, Pink House? forget it!, Congress? no siree “we cannot guarantee the safety of the event”.
So now Axel Kicilof (see here for more info) leftist governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, and Carlos Ferraresi mayor of Avellaneda (a city (inside? contained by?) greater Buenos Aires (so in the same urban conglomerate but in the Province, not the city of Buenos Aires proper) have taken the incredibly courageous decision to hold Solari’s wake in a park in Avellaneda.
Why courageous?
Well imagine an event that
- Will attract at the very least a million people
- People (“Ricoteros”) who are known to get rowdy on occasion (imagine if you can a well-intentioned and affable football hooligan)
- Organized in two days (the wake is today)
- That you have to manage with police forces that are also known to get rowdy more than occasionally (imagine a fascist, bad intentioned and badly disciplined football hooligan)
- With little to gain if everything goes well and sure to be blamed if things get out of hand.
And if you think Milei and company are above sending someone to try to infiltrate the event and make things get out of hand then I have a Mailbox to sell you…
Basically Kicilof and Ferraresi are betting on the masses to act responsibly (and taking some brilliant measures like having the local firemen manage security instead of the police)
I’m really proud of voting for both of them but a bit frightened their bet will not pay of.
Anyway so far so good, not a single incident in the wake.
I have probably bored you all to tears but I wanted to try and explain this.