Cacerolazos

Returning last night from Rosario, I walked around with Yamini looking for a place to grab some dinner, preferably something containing vegetables after a carb- and meat-heavy weekend. As we walked from one parrilla (restaurant serving a variety grilled meats) to another, we started hearing people throughout the neighborhood banging rhythmically on pots. Some were in the streets, but many were sitting at the windows or balconies of their upper floor apartments. Car horns added to the clamor as we wondered which side was expressing itself, since there had been both protests by the farmers against the government and protests from government supporters over the weekend. It was an impressive show of unity, but the precise message didn't come across very clearly, at least not to us. The same technique was used during the economic crash of 2001, and they became known as the cacerolazos (the resemblance to the word casserole is not coincidental.

In a happy conclusion to our restaurant search, we found a great place by Yamini's apartment called A Manger, in the style of a French sandwich shop with all sorts of homemade salamis and cheeses. Accompanied by Argentine artisenal beer, it wasn't exactly the vegetable-friendly meal we were looking for, but it was de-licious!

Today we have heard all sorts of additional warnings about protests planned for tomorrow. Within 4 blocks of each other there are protests in support of and against the government being planned--the Peronistas (government supporters) in Plaza de Mayo and the casaroles (pot-banging agricultural sector) at the Obelisco. In addition, all of the transportation workers
are purportedly planning to strike at noon, effectively shutting the city down, if no resolution has been reached by then. Many of the middle class and poor Portenos, who might usually sympathize with the complaints being expressed by the heavily taxed agricultural sector,
are getting fed-up with the increase in price and decrease in availability of certain foods, resulting from the road blocks preventing transport into the city. Therefore, the city's transport people support the government as members of the middle and poor classes are taking the side of the Peronist government.

I hope I got all that right.