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Causes of “Extortion” picketing and “ghost” kitchens: a unique opportunity for justice, politics and social movements - Infobae
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Causas por “Extorsión” piquetera y comedores “fantasma”: una oportunidad única para la justicia, la política y los movimientos sociales
Es hora de que los gobernantes dobleguen a la pobreza. Que se deje de utilizar electoralmente a los más humildes y que se transparente un sistema de ayuda social corrompido. Las organizaciones populares pueden servirse de la ocasión para expulsar de sus filas a los que abusaron de su poder...
www.infobae.com
May 19, 2024
It is time for rulers to defeat poverty. That the most humble be stopped from being used electorally and that a corrupted social aid system be made transparent. Popular organizations can use the occasion to expel from their ranks those who abused their power. Judges and prosecutors are obliged to get to the bottom of it regardless of the interests that are touched
By Andres Klipphan
March and protest of social movements
The climate of the time allows justice to advance on issues that several times landed in Comodoro Py, but that did not prosper.
The alleged extortion by piquetero leaders of the beneficiaries of the Potenciar Trabajo program , whom they held hostage, arises for several reasons. From the Ministry of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello explains it like this: “Until now there were no officials who acted as interlocutors. Now yes. We flood the courts and prosecutors' offices with information. Data, forms. We provide them with all the documentation they request. And if they don't request it, just in case, the Legal team, which works twenty-four by seven, sends it anyway." The Minister also states: “I am not a serial whistleblower. I gather evidence and go ahead with it. I do not name names, I do not mention leaders or former ministers. That is what judges are for .”
The causes that in recent weeks impacted public opinion hit the waterline of social organizations and picketers.
One of them is the alleged extortion, mostly of beneficiaries of the former Empower Work program, by leaders who claim to fight for the rights of the most humble. It is headed by Judge Julián Ercolini and prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita.
The other, the one that investigates the delivery of dry food by leftist and Peronist organizations to “ghost kitchens”, “non-existent”, “not validated” , according to the complaint made by the Government of La Libertad Avanza. This case is delegated to prosecutor Ramiro Gonzáles. The judge is Ariel Lijo.
The Government denounced "ghost eateries"
Leila Gianni, legal undersecretary of Human Capital, provided this week an Exel spreadsheet with the names and addresses of 1,201 places that no longer function as picnic areas, or never were. Or that they did until two years ago. There were also non-existent addresses. Places that closed because food was not delivered, or because the person in charge moved neighborhoods. But these were never discharged and their organizations could have continued receiving rations.
The causes have communicating vessels. The phone calls to a special line that the Government set up to denounce the “tightening” of piquetero leaders: “If you don't come to the march I will take you off the plan.”
At this point, a clarification is in order. The submission to which the victims were subjected was due to the fact that the government of Alberto Fernández left the control of the attendance of the Potenciar workers in the hands of the picketers - several of whom were his officials .
They had to do 20 hours of work per week. The places were the Management Units . Productive enterprises that, for the most part, depended on work cooperatives of social movements. Those responsible for these units had to “control” the presence of the beneficiaries and submit the forms to the Secretariat of Popular Economy , which was headed by Emilio Pérsico , leader of the most widespread social organization, the Evita Movement. He was on both sides of the counter.
The Control Units were the “intermediaries” between the State that paid and the people who received. This is where “lack of control” comes from.
With the power of the pen to put presents and absentees, they demanded that, instead of going to the cooperative to make pots, they attend the marches.
28 piqueteros leaders are denounced for alleged extortion of beneficiaries of social plans
Failure to do so meant absence. On the third blemish, the social portfolio was informed that the beneficiary should be discharged.
Warned of the situation, Pettovello eliminated 300 Management Units and took away from the leaders the authority to be owners of the social plan.
These cooperatives also received million-dollar financing from the State , a good part of these funds were authorized by the Secretariat in charge of the civil servant-piquetero . They were agreements for popular entrepreneurship, or to carry out courses or community activities.
According to the Casa Rosada, in 2023, US$34 million were transferred from the former Social Development portfolio .
The Polo Obrero took the lead when it came to marching against the policies of La Libertad Avanza. Ten days after taking office, on December 20, they called for a march to Plaza de Mayo.
Quick on reflexes, Patricia Bullrich, Minister of Security, announced the anti-picketing protocol. She, along with Pettovello and the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, promoted “he who cuts does not get paid” , he who leaves, loses the plan.
The former official of Mauricio Macri enabled line 134. In case of being “squeezed” or “extorted” to join forces behind the leaders of the Piquetera Unit under the motto “the Homeland is not for sale”, they could be reported anonymously. .
There were thousands of calls that arrived before December 20. After passing several filters, they were presented to justice.
Justice investigates non-existent dining rooms Maximiliano Luna
Those who conquered fear gave their testimony in court. Names, associations, places, chat screenshots, voice messages emerged. Facts. An “extortion organization chart” was put together . The task was crowned with wiretapping . Conversations were recorded: “Let them stop for a bit, because they are taking a plan, they are taking food, they are going to the dining room, and on top of that we have to give them more things? If they want to come, let them come and if not, let them all go and sh*t, period,” a leader of the Polo Obrero, a reference for a dining room, was heard saying, accused of pushing to cancel the plan for those who did not attend. the protests.
Another promised to think about what to do with the money they received in cash per capita, as a fine for not marching . His interlocutor was afraid of being investigated for “laundering” dirty money.
Thus was born the case that led to raids and charges. The main social leaders and picketers called a press conference in front of Congress.
Instead of taking the certifications of the destination they gave the food and depositing them in front of the Human Capital building, to refute Pettovello; or argue about alleged “lies from Pollicita and Bullrich”, and attack the criminal case, they protested because the police , under the order of a judge, raided when there was still no sun . The magistrate ordered it to find the suspect with his cell phone. One of the sources of evidence.
Some leaders, very few, were interested in knowing the name of the “ghost dining rooms” to “find out what happened there” or “corroborate” if “some leaders crossed the line,” to “convince the Potenciar Trabajo to go to the marches.”
Others, however, have not yet registered the paradigm shift. They insulted officials and journalists who described the maneuvers reported in a file. What's more, some social leader even blocked a journalist with whom he had a conversation from his phone because he didn't like what he read.
Gerardo Pollicita, the prosecutor investigating an alleged corrupt plot between piqueteros leaders Adrián Escandar 162
The two legal cases that put the social movements that arose in the 2001 crisis in check represent an opportunity for several groups:
For justice to demonstrate that they can go all out despite the pressures they will have to endure because there are social leaders of great weight: lawyers, former candidates for elective positions, former deputies, legislators, former guerrillas, former officials; Kirchnerists, Peronists, Montoneros, Trotskyists, socialists, anarchists. And, behind them, governors, former presidents, etc.
Until now no cause of this type, and there were many, reached this point. Still missing. The accused have not yet been investigated. They didn't defend themselves. The cell phones seized at dawn have not yet been assessed, nor have the documentation obtained during the operations been analyzed.
“This is the tip of the iceberg ,” says Minister Pettovello and remarks: “People, now that they are heard, have a lot to talk and denounce.”
Officials have the unique opportunity to make the aid system for the most vulnerable transparent.
Alberto Fernández outsourced the social plans and the control of their application through social movements
The hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to the weakest chain in the community did not fully reach the recipients. A good portion was lost in a black hole that must be covered.
Politics must demonstrate once and for all that it is determined to overcome poverty, to reduce “the poor” - they have a first and last name -, to ensure that children receive good quality food and not carbohydrates. and cooked mate. Without proteins there is no healthy, strong and educated youth.
The rulers are obliged to demonstrate that they do not create poor people so that they live on handouts and vote for them.
This is an unbeatable opportunity for social leaders to strengthen themselves. If there are “criminals” among their ranks, they must be reported and fired.
When an area of the human body becomes infected, the immune system tries to fight the infection. Leukocytes, or white blood cells, travel to the infected area, accumulate within the injured tissue, and cause inflammation. During this process pus is formed. Well, he is later expelled.
They should act that way. Sanitize the system. Get stronger and gain credibility. Its bad image is not because people stigmatize the poor , as was heard these days. Isn't it time to change some methods?
Although it may not seem like it a priori, the cases against the alleged “extortionist picketers” represent an invaluable opportunity for everyone . And with much more reason for the organizations themselves crusading for the aberrant complaints of submission against the people whose rights they claim to defend.
