Buenos Aires, 18 February 2015.
Background: La Marcha del Silencio was called to honor Alberto Nisman, a federal prosecutor who was investigating a 20-year-old terrorist attack and, more recently, alleged wrong-doing by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He died in his apartment on January 18 under suspicious circumstances the day before he was to testify before Congress. With it’s long and gruesome history of political violence, Argentina has been on edge ever since.
One month later, hundreds of thousands of citizens took to the streets.
Avenida de Mayo. Marching from Congress to La Casa Rosada. Umbrellas everywhere. Usually Argentines stay inside at the first sign of rain. Not this day.
Avenida de Mayo was bursting with so many people you couldn’t move, so the crowd moved toward the Plaza de Mayo along side streets.
Former President Nestor Kirchner greets the marchers.
A river of umbrellas.
Political myths are written large in Argentina. Evita looks down on the march.
No march is complete without a fleet of flag sellers and rolling barbecue stands.
After two hours in the rain, the call of something hot off the grill was irresistible.
Before: Earlier in the day I snapped this picture as I crossed the Plaza de Mayo.
After: Heading home after the march, I took this picture. Everything is peaceful. Little seems to have changed, but in the world of Argentine politics, many things changed today.
Leave a Reply