studiodio: protest....

I spent another week inside due to cold weather and the end of the flu....reflecting on the current news events. I am certainly no expert on the politics down here (or anywhere else for that matter), but President Christina and her guys have me worried....It was bad enough that her declared personal income has more than tippled since taking office, that her new policies for export have driven farmers to sell off much of their breeding stock of cattle and use feed lots now instead of range feeding, but now she appears to want to curtail freedom of the press. There is only one paper mill in Argentina, jointly owned by the two main newspapers in the country and with a smaller share held by the government. This week it was announced that due to paper being "of national concern" the government wants to take over the mill and control who gets the paper. Ever since the two main papers (Clarin and La Nation) came out against the government's handling of the farmer crisis, the government seems to be out to get 'em. Also last week, the government ordered Fibertel ,the largest internet server down here, to shut down. Is it a coincidence that Fibertel is owned by newspaper group Clarin? I keep having images of Venezuela and Chavez......

On the micro level, below is a shot I took from our balcony of a protest group in front of the hospital across the street. The hospital workers are striking for higher wages.....Public protest is alive and frequent, despite the average Porteno being somewhat fatalistic about government and the possibility of change (no wonder, they have been through the wringer for the last 20 years).. Every Porteno I have had a political conversation with wants a new head of government, but when I ask WHO they want instead of another 4 years of a Kirchner, they don't have an answer...Next year and the election could be interesting times down here.....

Well, now onto lighter stuff...My big outing this week was down the street a bit to a neighborhood restaurant for lunch....Cabillito on Las Heras...my new neighborhood is much more upscale than past barrios, and this woman in her white cashmere coat caught my eye...(a white coat for me would last less than a day I bet)...