JONONLINE – chroniques géographiques…

Last week-end, my « museum visiting streak » was hampered by the first round of the local elections. Indeed, most official buildings and museums are then shut for the week-end, or some even until the second round. So I thought I’d write a few lines on my understanding of local politics.

First of all one of the major characteristics of the Porteno (Buenos Aires inhabitant) is its total mistrust in Politicians: « All of them are the same rubbish. »

Ask a Porteno to mention one unanimously respected Head of State in Argentine History and check the result. Therefore, difficult for them to trust the newly appointed Nestor Kirchner, who faces a very tough challenge.

The result is therefore anecdotic to most, with the Peronist (some will say
Menemist, and that is really not a compliment) candidate finished with a slight
lead over the candidate supported by the President. Interestingly, the Peronist
was ahead in the richest and the poorest barrios, leaving the ones in between
to his opponent.

After that I went to the Museum of Argentine History, to see virtually all the street names of Buenos Aires in paintings, as so many important Generals,
Commanders or Governors of the 19th century. Were they of the same quality and
respect as the ones of the past fifty years? Just to say that it was relatively
interesting, and surprisingly nearly did not mention any of the 20th century
history. Or I did not find the room. Nothing on Peron, nothing on the
Militaries, on the Disappeared.

The sole exception being a small room dedicated to the Falklands/Malvinas War of 1982, the comments openly not daring to take position on the motives of the war. Indeed, it is acknowledged that even if Argentina always claimed the islands, the war was declared by the militaries mainly as a desperate act to maintain them in power. It didn’t work out that way.