polo writes "Not even in death, will they stop us! (¡Ni muertos,nos detendran!) Buenos Aires, 26th June 2003.



Paul Chatterton reports from the first anniversary of the killing of 2 piqueteros at Avallaneda, Buenos Aires, Argentina.



On 26th June 2002, Dario Santillan and Maxi Kostekiwere were murdered by the Argentinian police. They were amongst the 4000 other piqueteros -– the unemployed workers of Argentina -- who blocked and demonstrated on the Pueyrredon Bridge in Avallaneda on the southern edge of Buenos Aires demanding food and work and an end to political corruption. Around midday, over 400armed police officers advanced in two columns towards the bridge. What exactly happened next is still subject to much debate. However, Maxi was shot and mortally wounded as he ran for cover towards a nearby train station, where shortly after he died. Dario was determined to stay with his dying friend, one hand grapsing Maxi´s, the other outstretched towards the police who aimed at him. Ordered to leave, Dario ran towards the exit where he was shot.



A year later, 26th June 2003. 40,000 people gather on the bridge at Avallaneda for the anniversary of the massacre and again block the major arterial route intothe city. Maxi and Dario, both 23 years old piqueteros with the Movimiento TrabajadoresDesocupados (MTD) Anibal Veron, were the first victims of the new Argentinian regime after the popular rebellion of December 2001. Dario and Maxi were heros, brothers, friends, companeros and workers. The demo was a show of strength and defiance of great importance in the face of ongoing state repression and an economic crisis which isn´t letting up for the unemployed, who number 50% of the people. A dizzying array of groups –- piqueteros, desocupados, artists, students,community assemblies, independent media –- were present on the anniversary: the Coordinadora deTrabajabores Desocupados Anibal Veron (CTD) which coordinates several MTD's, or unemployed irregulars, Movimiento Territorial Liberación (MTL), MovimientoTeresa Rodríguez (MTR), Polo Obrero, CoordinadoraUnidad Barrial (CUBA), Movimiento sin Trabajo (MST), Frente Trabajadores Combativos (MTC) and Movimiento Independiente de Jubilados y Desocupados (MIJD) all joined in.


As the crisis and popular rebellion of December 2001 begins to fade into the past, the groups assembled for the anniversary this week are a reminder that they are as strong, determined and organised as ever to build a new social and economic reality outside the corruption of the Argentinian government, the crippling demands of the International Monetary Fund, deep-seated military and police repression, and US-led imperialism. In tune with the style of the popular uprising in Argentina, the 40,000 assembled participated in a ´juicio popular´ (people´s court) to serve justice on those who killed Dario and Maxi. Several eye witness accounts of the massacre were presented along with a statement denouncing the impunity of government and police officials and demanding work and justice. As cries of ´¡piqueteroscarajo!´(We are Piqueteros!), and ´Dario y Maxi presente´ (Dario and Maxi are with us) filled the air, one eyewitness stated ´we don´t want a ceasefire with yankie imperalism, the only justice is the people´s justice´. The popular conclusions to this 40,000 strong open air trial were numerous –- death, blood and jail were amongt the final demands.



Eyewitnesses described how a plan by the government and police had been orchestrated at Avallaneda to attempt to break the piqueteros in June 2002. At that time, President Duhalde had a crucial meeting with the IMF. The Fund were getting nervous about the $150,000 million Argentinian debt and there were rumours in Washington that Duhalde's was a weak government which couldn't control its social movements. Eager to oblige, the president flexed the muscles of his police force to prove he could put an end to the tactic of ´cortes´ (road blocks) by the piqueteros and crush the power of the desocupados (the unemployed). Hence the massacre -– a familiar characteristic of corrupt regimes. Further, according to the 90 injured who arrived at a nearby hospital, the hospital director ordered the doors locked meaning all were denied treatment, they were later intimidated by the police! Official government reports the following day claimed only rubber bullets were used and any deaths were accidental.



While many people are being lulled by the relative stablisation of the peso, and the valiant attempts by the incoming president Nestor Kirschner to clean the country´s major institutions and provide work programmes, a large majority remain unconvinced and continue building another world. A short walk from Buenos Aires`s prosperous waterfront, office towers and luxury apartments, exists a growing social experiment which continues to expand and in which people are finding more ways to meet their own needs. On most blocks, and many street corners, community assemblies, community kitchens, unemployed workers, occupied factories, many with social centres, and squatted houses continue their activities, providing food and shelter for the most needy, making and selling goods ranging from jam and clothes to candles and cleaning products, running classes for kids, baking bread, growing vegetables and running health commissions. At the same time a vast community printing infrastructure produces and disseminates pamphlets and books, many explaining the movements aims and offering advise on how to join in the popular, self-managed revolution. The MTD’s are playing a key organising role in this, providing focal social services and organising socially useful production. Here autonomy and horizontal decision making is the flavour of the day, and one is reminded of the Zapatista autonomous communities in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, thousands of communities, schools, clinics and commercial centres across five zones, outside of, and openly hostile to, Mexican capitalist society and government.



Clearly fewer people are involved in popular struggle subsequent to the peak of the Argentinian revolutionary moment in December 2001. The ever risk averse middle-class retreated to a comfortable distance, giving back their faith to politicians and the democratic system rather thanself-management and people power. However, for well over half the country´s population, many living in the´Villas Miserias´ (shanty towns) and impoverished and de-industrialised outer province of Buenos Aires, the daily struggle continues - out of necessity. While they have their enemies in sight and they have the skills and the dedication to build a different world, they have to face the constant threat of police violence, renewed social stigmatisation, and deepening economic crisis from new IMF structural reforms. Violent evictions also continue -- the recent one at the Brukman textile factory is only the most visible amongst countless cases of intimidations, lockouts and forced removals. And impunity for the ruling elite continues as police responsible for deaths in 2002 walk free. Maxi and Dario have become martyrs, heros for the movement and their communities. Unfortunately, there are likely to be others. On the26th of every month, people continue to gather on the bridge to remember them. But more importantly to remind themselves why they are struggling and what they are up against, and to provide each other with inspiration and hope. In Dario and Maxi, the MovimientoTrabajadores Desocupados (MTD) has lost two brave, inspirational, dedicated workers and companeros. However, the movement takes strength from the fact that these two voices are part of the growing thousands who are continuing the popular, autonomous revolution in this corner of Latin America. As graffiti and murals across the city dedicated to Dario and Maxi tell us -not even in death, will they stop us!"