The Argentinean county of San Isidro [1] located in the northern part of Grand Buenos Aires started the construction of a wall spanning 16-blocks and measuring 3 meters in height creating a barrier with the neighboring location of San Fernando. According to the authorities in San Isidro, the reason behind the wall is to provide more security to their population, who affirm they're getting robbed by people who then run to the neighboring district.
The beginning of the construction caused several reactions of protest, and groups of neighbors of this county tore down the wall and destroyed many of the concrete blocks that were going to be used. The construction was defended by San Isidro's mayor, Gustavo Posse, after much criticism appeared in the media. Even the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, talked about the subject: “The wall is an involution. I am amazed, it's a separatist measure. Instead of separating, we have to build”.
According to Econoblog [es] [2], the request to build the wall “was made by the neighbors of La Horqueta to stop the thieves”, and that “the wall will stop the people from Villa Jardin neighborhood from crossing the streets towards the neighborhood of La Horqueta”. This location is one of the most expensive ones in San Isidro.
At Siete Crisantemos [es] [3] they analyze the results of a survey in La Nacion newspaper, where most voters support the construction of the wall, adding:
Yo no vivo ni en San Isidro ni en San Fernando, y no puedo decir que tan insegura es esa zona en particular; pero ya con lo que es Capital Federal me doy una idea. Sin embargo me parece vergonzoso plantear como solución un muro que en realidad no terminaría de resolver nada, como tampoco lo haría la pena de muerte, pero ese ya es otro tema. Cada vez más escucho en todos lados que este tipo de soluciones son las que realmente podrían ser efectivas, y que ese sea el pensamiento de la mayoría realmente me resulta triste.
At La Runfla [es] [4] they state with irony that we are not talking about the West Bank in Palestine, but two localities in Buenos Aires. At Listao [es] [5], they make fun of the mayor Posse, saying he copied his ideas from Micky Vanilla, a humor character from argentinian actor Diego Capusotto, that “makes pop music just for fun” and in this way tries to disguise the racist contents of his lyrics. Video of Micky Vanilla, with english subtitles [6]
Finally, the Clarin newspaper blog Que Parezca un Accidente [es] [7] reports that the neighbors opposed to the wall tore down what was left leaving behind a project that just spent important public funds, and Alex Piedo sarcastically writes:
Ahí lo tienen. Una simpática construcción, un muro cuyo único fin era mostrar al resto del mundo y sus alrededores, la capacidad y habilidad de los constructores de San Isidro, destruído, derribado, demolido inmediatamente por la desidia de aquellos que se oponen al progreso y al engrandecimiento de la Argentina toda. Un montón de dinero tirado a la basura por la mano de aquellos que se oponen al desafiante reto de la Argentina potencia.