Five days away a new anniversary of the Iron Mountain tragedy, and when new prosecutions are expected in the case of the intentional fire of this documentation deposit, the sanctuary located where 10 firefighters and rescuers lost their lives appeared this Monday vandalized and the relatives they consider it to be one more attempt to silence them.
In addition, they denounced that two members of the families of the victims who usually act as spokespersons before the media every anniversary, “their cell phone was blocked” suddenly and inexplicably.
“Sad afternoon. The iron friends went to the Barracas sanctuary, where good-hearted people left things in honor of the 10 heroes and they found that it was vandalized, that they stole things that belonged to our children. They left it empty , they burned the tree on which the wall fell, a very important symbol for us,” Mimí Albornoz wrote on her Facebook along with photos that show the damage to the altar protected by Azara 1200 plates.
As can be seen in old photos of the place, a sign was attached to the trunk of the tree that said “Heroes of Barracas Present” in which a cross with dozens of rosaries stood out, and at whose feet there was a lectern with countless photos, letters, t-shirts and other belongings of the deceased firefighters
“A lot of anger and sadness. They vandalized and broke the altar of our fallen that was set up by relatives, friends and acquaintances; by people who came from many places and wanted to know the place where 10 public servants lost their lives. They all left things from the heart (rosaries, t-shirts, firefighter things, pictures, religious images, among other things) Unfortunately, all that was lost, but we are going to raise it back as we did almost 8 years ago, “posted another family member.
“A lot of anger and sadness. They vandalized and broke the altar of our fallen that was set up by relatives, friends and acquaintances”
In dialogue with Télam, the families’ lawyer, Javier Moral, assured that “every time we move forward (judicially) something happens” because “it is not the first time that strange and quite suspicious things happen” in coincidence with “an important judicial movement” such as the one expected in the coming days: the new prosecution of those accused of “arson followed by death” which could also change to “intentional”.
In that sense Sandra Barícola, the sister of rescuer Pedro Barícolawho died in the fire, told Télam that “with the previous government, we our phones were tapped and even one of my sisters was chased by a truck” when she was going to record an interview for the documentary “Iron Mountain, the fire” which premieres next Friday at 7:30 p.m. with an outdoor screening at Jovellanos and Quinquela Martín.
“We, as relatives and brothers of Pedro, have always been very active in the media, and that bothers us. Every time we go to give a story or access the media, something happens. And now there is a fire (in the sanctuary) like never happened in the 8 years that have passed. Clearly they want to silence us,” he said.
“It hurts because even in this sacred place they don’t leave us alone”
Barícola blamed officials of the government of the city of Buenos Aires and the previous national government directly for this attack.headed by former president Mauricio Macri.
“It hurts because even in this sacred place they don’t leave us alone,” he reflected.
