City, National gov’t clashes continue over land grabs in Avellaneda Park

The City government again questioned National government leaders, for the continuing land grab situation in the Bajo Flores neighbourhood, as squatters remain. They stated that the national administration “is not following the court order set by the judge.”

“If they had complied with the court order made by Judge Luis Armella (Quilmes) we wouldn’t even be discussing this. A court order was made by a federal judge to deal with the situation. We sent out the Metropolitan Police, but the Federal police didn’t appear,” said the City Cabinet Chief Horacio Rodríguez Larreta this morning.

At the same time, the City Minister for Social Development María Eugenia Vidal sustained that, “we would like for this to be resolved by way of political agreement. However, the National government cannot be breaking orders made by the court. The message is worrying”.

Quilmes Judge Luis Armella had ordered the evacuation of the premises and the return of the occupied properties to city authorities, but the National government announced that the Federal Police would not be present to complete the evacuation.

More than 90 people continue to occupy the area, since last weekend, having overtaken an area of more than 200 homes along Castañareas and Lafuente avenues, which were actually delegated to neighbours of the Riachuelo river bank, who are to be moved to the area.

City Mayor Mauricio Macri commented on the situation this morning, after publically disagreeing with Julio Alak yesterday and stated that, “it is not a problem between the National and City governments, it is a problem between the National government and a judge. Justice Minister Julio Alak is not following what the Federal judge ordered.”