The Government of Buenos Aires tried this Tuesday again demolish a community space that works in a square in the neighborhood of Villa Ortúzarbut the neighbors and the neighbors managed to stop the operation promoted by the management of Horacio Rodríguez Larreta who seeks to install a dog kennel there.
The operation began at 5 in “El Galpón de Ortúzar”, located on the corner of Heredia and Charlonein charge of the City Police and the Buenos Aires Government Control Agency, to disarm the metal structure that was part of the site managed by the community and a group of organizations.
“Once again the Buenos Aires government began to destroy the shed without a court order. While we are waiting for a mediation in the Prosecutor’s Office, a truck with 30 workers appeared to try to continue demolishing with the excuse of a danger of collapse “, they pointed out from the neighborhood group to Télam.
After learning of the deployment of the Buenos Aires government, they moved to Plaza 25 de Agosto to prevent the demolition of the site, in which Until last week, a popular high school, a library, cultural workshops, a community pot and a retirement center worked.
There, they managed to stop the works by the workers for a few hours, until mid-morning, when there was a moment of tension since the workers received the official order to resume the disassembly tasks.
It was then that the neighborhood group intervened in the advance and occupied the facilities that were left standing, where its members remained until noon, when they received a notification from the Northern Fiscal Unit to open a dialogue instance.
“The Prosecutor’s Office again ordered the cessation of work and the withdrawal of the companies in charge of the demolition tasks,” said Juan Chippano, a neighborhood leader, adding that the parties were called to mediation, although there is no date yet.
Chippano reported that, with a view to the meeting, they will work “on a judicial strategy so that they do not touch anything else in the Shed.”
María, a Berta Cáceres high school student, said that “now we don’t know where we are going to be able to study because many people came here to study at night.”
“This shed is a big family, there are no distinctions, there are activities here every day for the community, there are also folklore classes and school support”Susan said.
Strictly speaking, last Friday, the Buenos Aires government tried to evict the community space, but the situation was stopped after the intervention of the neighbors.
At that time, the president of Communal Board 15, Martín Garcilazo, confirmed to Télam that it was the Buenos Aires government that “made the political decision”, through the Commune, to “seek a new destination for the place and make a kennel , which is an important demand from the neighbors”.
“We are in order and doing what we have to do and that is to regularize the situation of this place that dates from many years ago, but that has lost the essence that it had.“, he pointed.
