Interview with Marta Coco, an Argentinean Socialist, born in Buenos Aires, currently lecturing Spanish Language and Culture at London University Copyright- Workers Left unity- Iran Jan 2002
Can you explain the political and economic reasons behind the recent crisis in Argentina?- What about the new government and Peronist policies, do you think they have any chance of succeeding?
All of your questions touch on the very nature of the present and historical conflict in Argentina, and, I could say in a lot of so-called developing countries, but, I will try to give you a brief summary of the present situation. The director of the IMF said that they "did not have any responsibility for Argentina's recent crisis". President Bush stated the same: "It is Argentina's problem" However, it is widely known that the crisis is the consequence of the obedient policies of the ex president Fernando de la Rua in following the order of the IMF that has placed the country in an impossible situation, in which default could not be avoided. In the last three years the G.D.P per capita head has fallen by 10%, which as a consequence the Argentine debt has risen by 20% and the interest payments by 100%. Argentine export earnings collapsed. Cavallo, the minister of the economy launched a policy in which its main aim was to achieve a "Deficit Zero" in doing so he continued to pay the interest of the External Debt but he had to reduce the wages of the people, cutting pensions, frozen peoples banks accounts, allowing them only to withdraw 250 dollars a week. Many public sectors of the employees have not been paid for several months already. All these measures aggravated the situation, which resulted in a social explosion. Thousands of people in the provinces came on to the streets and began taking food by force from the super markets, looting became wide spread. Mainly, the super markets that were looted are owned by multi-national food chains, like for example Carrefour and Auchan owned by French companies. This spread rapidly from the provinces to the capital itself, and within hours the repression began. This was a qualitative step forward from the general up rising that had been building up for a period of time. The new element in all of this was that the middle classes now joined in, being completely impoverished following the governments freeze on their bank accounts. New middle class sectors are joining the protest. Cacerolazo, (which is a form of protest where people bang their pots and pans for hours) young people broke into the Congress building and tried to burn it down and there was a General strike.
The government of the UCR (The Radical Party) was forced to resign when President de la Rua called on the Peronist party to form a government of National Unity, But the Peronists refused; they had their own cards to play. In the first few hours of the new government the provisional President Saa promised many things: quick measures to release money from the banks to pay people their salaries. But people didn't believe him and in few days they returned to the streets to protest again against corruption. I cannot see how they will work out some of the problems. The situation in which Argentina is today is because the reforms of the last 10-year by President Mennen (persist) practically sold all the resources of the country to international Companies. They tied the country to terrible financial commitments with the IMF and which Bush calls euphemistically "international creditors". Whoever from the traditional parties comes to rule Argentina the crisis will continue. There is not an alternative. The Americans are waiting for Argentinean political leaders to resolve their own problems, to re-negotiate another financial packet which will be nothing more than Devaluation, a new currency or dolarization.
What most worries me at the moment is that always in a situation likes this it creates the conditions for the forces of repression to exercise their skills.
So far the conflict has produced 32 deaths, hundreds of injured and hundreds of people in jail. These are the official figures but there are much more incidents. The police in Argentina has the practice of what is called "Gatillo Facil" (The easy kill) We heard from the press that two days ago three young people in the neighbourhood of Floresta had been shoot dead by a policeman just because they had a discussion in a bar. In my opinion the police is acting with absolute impunity, like during the time of the last dictatorship, especially in working class suburbs and neighbourhoods. However, protests are very massive and strong, therefore the government is forced to behave and is trying to avoid problems. In the last 48 hours we have heard that the policeman who killed these young people has been dismissed.
Another example was that of a young man who was taken in a police car and tortured with impunity until, the car crashed into a Taxi and the local people freed him and took him to hospital, where the doctor denounced what had happened to him to governmental institutions and they had to intervene. I know that following the demonstrations people in the neighbourhoods were looking for people who had disappeared. Luckily there is a lot experience in Argentina of people and activists with the police, and there is great solidarity in this situation.
2- Do you have any information about the left in Argentina ?
This year the Left had a very good parliamentary election; in total they gained more than 1 millions votes. This has never happened before; the left in Argentina was always very small. But their presence in this conflict is not relevant. The Protests and demonstrations have been very spontaneous; tens of thousands of people struggling without any significant role from the left. However, there is a new situation, new movements have emerged. For example, unemployed workers which numbers in their tens of thousands and who have named themselves "Piqueteros" (Which means flying Pickets) have organised themselves on a national scale and have been organising block aids of national motorways in order to stop the internal movement of goods which itself has significantly intensified the governments crisis. The organisation " Frente contra la pobreza", (Front against Poverty ) the are based mainly in spontaneous organizations of the struggle of people. Sections of the left are discussing this new situation; their opinion is that the Argentinean people find a way to organise themselves. They think that this is a moment of self-determination, of people building their own democracy, representation, and direct action.