“Wall of Discord” divides Argentines

The building of divisive barriers has been a hot issue for several communities whether it is along the U.S.-Mexico border or to separate wealthy areas and favelas in Rio de Janeiro.

The latest barrier battle is ocurring near the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. Gustavo Posse- the mayor of the wealthy suburb of San Isidro- announced plans to construct a one-mile wall between his area and the neighboring impoverished town of San Fernando. Much like the aforementioned case in Rio de Janeiro, Posse claimed that the wall is meant to combat crime. Posse’s counterpart from San Fernando replied that Posse’s plan is "discriminatory" and a judge yesterday ordered a stop to construction.

While the political bickering continues, residents of San Fernando have taken measures into their own hands against the so-called “Wall of Discord”:

Dozens of people pulled down metal poles and pummeled concrete blocks with sledgehammers on Thursday to destroy a wall being built to separate an impoverished neighborhood from a well-heeled district on the outskirts of the capital…

Congressional candidate Francisco de Narvaez compared the blocks of concrete being raised to the Berlin Wall — in this case an expression not of political divisions but of class tensions in a growing city where shantytowns spring up alongside wealthy neighborhoods…

The spat in Argentina comes as the country wrestles with a crime rate that has nearly doubled in the past two decades. One in every 32 Argentines reported being a crime victim in 2007, according to the Justice Ministry.

Image- AP (“A police officer stands on guard in front of a half-built wall, meant to separate an impoverished neighborhood from an upscale one on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Wednesday, April 8, 2009.”)
Online Sources- MSNBC, Reuters, LAHT, Buenos Aires Herald, statesman.com