Friday, September 5, 2008

Argies burn down trains…again

Commuters upset with continued problems in their train service rebelled in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Police arrested a dozen people who set fire to a pair of trains which broke down at the Merlo and Castelar stations.

Government officials tried to blame extreme leftist political groups for sabotaging the trains and subsequently torching them. It was premeditated” said Justice Minister Anibal Fernandez though he has yet to publicly release specific details.

Protestors have previously rebelled against Argentina’s train system; metro service in Buenos Aires was paralyzed on May 16, 2007 as “enraged commuters started to destroy and set fire to ticket offices.”

As a New Yorker I cannot help but empathize a bit with the irked Bonarense commuters. Though if substandard service is an excuse for setting trains ablaze then half the subway system would be burnt down during the morning rush.

Image- PRESS TV

Sources- The Latin Americanist, PRESS TV, Reuters, AHN, BBC News

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