2 dead as Argentina supermarket looting spreads

People run away carrying electronic goods during looting at a supermarket in San Carlos de Bariloche, southwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Hooded people looted at least three supermarkets and set a car on fire in of Bariloche, part of Argentina's Patagonia region. The sign in background reads in Spanish, "Pay less, take more." / AP Photo/Diario Rio Negro

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Looters ransacked supermarkets in several Argentine cities Friday, causing two deaths and evoking memories of widespread theft and riots that killed dozens during the country's worst economic crisis a decade ago.

Santa Fe Province Security Minister Raul Lamberto described the attacks on stores as simple acts of vandalism and not social protests.

Lamberto said two people were killed by a sharp object and gunfire after attacks early Friday on about 20 supermarkets in the cities of Rosario and Villa Gobernador Galvez. He declined to identify the victims or the attackers, but said 25 people were injured and 130 arrested during the looting about 190 miles northeast of Buenos Aires.

Closer to the capital, riot police fired rubber bullets to drive off a mob that was trying to break into a supermarket in San Fernando, a town in Buenos Aires province.

A police lieutenant was hit on the head with a crowbar and suffered severe injuries during the clashes in San Fernando, authorities said. Officials said 378 people had been arrested in those confrontations.

Some shops closed in several cities despite the busy Christmas shopping season, worrying that the looting might spread.

The troubles followed a wave of sporadic looting that began Thursday when dozens of people broke into a supermarket and carried away televisions and other electronics in the Patagonian ski resort of Bariloche. The government responded by deploying 400 military police to that southern city.

The unrest brought back memories of violence during Argentina's economic crisis in 2001, when jobless people stormed supermarkets, shops and kiosks.

A policeman disperses looters after an attack to a supermarket in San Fernando, Buenos Aires province on December 21, 2012. Two people died Friday and two more were seriously injured as mobs looted supermarkets in Rosario, Argentina's third largest city, an official said.

/ JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images

Former President Fernando de la Rua resigned on Dec. 20, 2001, after days of protests against his handling of the crisis amid rioting that caused dozens of deaths and injuries across the country.

National Security Secretariat Sergio Berni and Cabinet Chief Juan Abal Medina said this week's looting in at least six Argentine towns was the act of "vandals" instigated by union leaders who oppose President Cristina Fernandez.

"All that people cared about was breaking into shopping malls and taking the LCDs and stereos," Berni said.

He said that while Argentina still has poverty, it is nowhere "like the Argentina of 2001."

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[exequiel_david]

And my comment was for americans, almost all. I'm sorry for your hatred, I'd wish we could take pacefully, with strong arguments, maybe we can for once be one and share ideas.

[exequiel_david]

Claudia, please I suggest you not to support your comments by supposing things, I have not problem in dialogue, but not by that way, I suggest you to make your comments with strong ideas, if you want to dialogue with me, and for your own image. You don't know me, so saying there someone or something that pays me, make you see ignorant, because you attack me 'cause I'm not thinking as you think. The traitor is you, because you support violence and anarquism in name of your hatred, that's not my problem, it's yours. Please try to make yourself respectable, and try to support your words amicably and with facts, because I'm not insulting you or anybody. I try to share a point of view, and you came here with hatred, well sorry girl that's your problem, not mine. I'd wish you to understand that violence is not the way, whetever you think president is right or not. People can progress offering something good, Try to read my comment next time, and use dialogue to refuse if you think you're right, you may have some argument to offer =)

[smitty836]

Why are they stealing expensive electronics if they are poor? i could understand food and clothing.

[vsmit]

Same thing happened after hurricane Katrina. I guess in New Orleans they took the stuff back to their flooded homes that had no electricity.

[john92021]

just some post apocalyptic bargain hunting. You'd think food would be more important than electronic goods.

[exequiel_david]

Americans, I'm from Argentina, and I want to tell you that this have nothing to do with taxes policies, your media is using this article to make you believe that is a good idea to let middle class pay the cost, and that is a good idea to let poor people die in hungry, for the good of America. Don't be fool, because the media here make that kind of stuff all the time, we have more than 200 front pages against goverment, those who have money are able to do whataever they want you can't deny that precept, even control the medias, even make YOU believe that is good to pay for somethings that they self have created, a crisis. Here in Argentina we are trying for years to have democracy, because when it makes stronger, this things happends. Nothing to do with your case, all our case is used maliciously to put in your minds ideas that nothing have to do with this looting. But something he have in common, the powerfull and rich ones wants to make believe that crisis is posible when you think really in your country and not in capital, those who created your crisis and control all the honest workers, who wants to live from the 98% of the honest one. Here they have the power to create this chaos, but the goverment is controlling the criminals. Don't you play into the hands, think in your sons and grandsons. One day the bubble has to explote if we are so stupid to be controlled by those who have they money in the caimans and the day they can't get more from you (and from us), are not feeling guilty in driving you to a new crisis, that day you will really blame to the actuals, and not who really have done this for years and on in the past. We have the power to change our reality, the want to create fear and maybe chaos, but we are even destroying the nature in name of capital, stupid things are done in name of capital.

[ClaudiaWalky]

Poor bastard! You are the gullible ones who believe the gov lies. These aren't the opponents to the government trying to pervert democracy. These delinquents are the gov employees. The gov has corrupted democracy while telling you the others are guilty of all the problems we are living in. You fool, we are heading to a worse scenario than 2001 and you are happy with the crooks in the gov. The international press doesn't need to kneel as most of our own. I'm sure you don't think what you read from the gov corp press. Thanks for ruining a great country,traitors!

[ClaudiaWalky]

Wait a minute! You are a traitor 100%! You are one of those who are always posting for the gov. I found your comments everywhere I look! I know beacuse I saw your same name several times. You traitor son of a gun!

[ClaudiaWalky]

Don't be fooled by the crooks in the gov. The people looting is theirs.

[ClaudiaWalky]

Don't be fooled by the crooks in the gov. The people looting is theirs.

[QueSeraSera]

This reminds me of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and looting in California.
Some were killed and injured in the LA Riots.

[Bob Fitz]

The media selected the worst of the protesters to report on. Many thousands more are upset about being taxed while the wealthy have loopholes and only assembled publicly. Those thousands did not loot. Revolt can be caused when those who had "it" lost it and when those who were promised "it" (by politicians and big corps.) never got it.

[stopkillingourwilderness]

what do you expect from giant multinational corporations who are both the beneficiaries of those loopholes and the propaganda machine?

[ClaudiaWalky]

Well, if we are talking about multinationals, let's say this gov has embrace everyone of them while they supply many millions to their bank accounts. As Barrick and all those hienas, that are poisoning our country and leaving only cents in taxes for the people.

[chatmandu7451]

Look what happens when you try the socialist ideas and then have to pay for them with other people's money. This will be the USA in a few years, when it runs out of other people's money.