Olympic torch relay – food crisis – Buenos Aires, Argentina

I’ve been following the TV news on CNN, BBC World and the local channels also via the web with interest. Tomorrow the Olympic torch relay makes its dash through the streets of Buenos Aires.

After the “shambles” yesterday in San Francisco I’ve spent a good couple of hours today on Google plus some local sites trying to find out what’s going on here tomorrow. Google search results are clogged up with the news from San Francisco and it doesn’t help that I’m a native English speaker/reader when searching for stuff written in Latin America Spanish.

But here’s some results / snippets I thought would of interest:

The planned route – “Each one will take to the symbol about 180 meters throughout 13 kilometers by Port Log, Seat of May, the Obelisco, 9 of Julio, Avenue of Libertador and Figueroa Alcorta, passing by the Forests of Palermo, until the Equestrian Club.” The route itself is certainly a good one taking in some of the best and interesting spots in Buenos Aires.

Again policing appears of be heavy – “…Friday will count on 1500 cash of the Prefecture in the Port section and of 1200 men of the Federal Police for the rest of the route, in addition about 3000 volunteers who will help to control the transit during the passage of Antorcha.”

Both quotes are from the official Buenos Aires (city) Government site for the torch reply. (Translated via AltaVista – Babel Fish Translation) – for the full article including route locations and times, click here.

For further info including a download pdf map of the route, click here.

As the Olympic torch relay continues its way around the world the protests are broadening beyond the ‘Free Tibet’ movement into a wider cristism of China’s internal and foreign policy’s.

Today I called a couple of contacts within the international media. From the protest side of things I was informed that a protest of some kind is planned from 1 o’clock onwards – meeting point ‘the Obelisco‘. I’m not sure how reliable this is in terms of “change in plan” but having said that ‘the Obelisco’ is a regular meeting point for a protest and is very likely tomorrow as many local protests (actos) take place here. Otherwise in front of the ‘Pink Palace‘, in Plaza de Mayo. Both of which are along the Olympic torch relay route.

Just 2 weeks ago both these city landmarks where occupied in the recent spontaneous protest by city dwellers supporting the ongoing farmers protest. It erupted across the city streets after a contentious speech made by the recently elected President Cristina Fernandez. The countryside was in the middle of a protest because of the increase in retention to around 45% on Soya and other main produces before leaving the farm gate – then taxed on what’s left. They are also protesting for the lack of transparency as to where the money goes once in Government hands, no concessions or support if there is corp failure and internal price control of meat, milk and closed exportation of wheat – the farmers are increasingly feel squeezed in the middle. The farmers had rolled onto the highways from their farms cutting all food supplies and exports. After 21 days of protest the supermarket shelfs where empty, the butchers and parrilla’s (BBQ meat restaurants) closed across the cities and milk was rationed to 6 litres a family. The Government has refused to conceded to the farmers request to reduce the retention back to the original high of 35% retention. In return for talks the protest has been put on hold for 30 days, that was 8 days ago. The farmers also wished for food to flow back into the cities. Meat which is the main stable and what Argentina is famous for, is still thin on the shelfs at my local supermarkets. The country holds it breath while the international TV media report little if anything about the past goings on or potential forthcoming crisis while inflation on the street climbs way above official figures.

I’ve photographed a number of events here in Buenos Aires (will post photos soon) including the farmers protest and plan to get out the camera tomorrow to record what unfolds. The fact that “China is the main importer of soya, Argentina’s principal cash crop which brings in around US$24 billion a year” and the current food crisis in other parts of the world we hear reported alongside the saga of the Olympic torch relay puts an interesting spin of things for tomorrow and the future of the Games.

More interesting articles:

Buenos Aires braces for Olympic torch relay – The Straits Times

Olympic Torch Heads to Buenos Aires as Pressure Grows – Bloomberg

I’ll post this now – I can hear the local TV news in the background and the Olympic torch has arrived to Buenos Aires.

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