Latinnews Daily - 4 January 2005

Significance: The protestors have two principal targets: the owner of the República Cromagnon club where the fire occurred, Omar Chabán, and the mayor of Buenos Aires, Aní­bal Ibarra. They are demanding that Chabán face criminal charges after it was discovered that the discotheque's emergency exits had been locked in order to prevent any more people entering the club when it was already filled well above capacity. The demonstrators want Ibarra to resign because the club did not meet a number of safety requirements.

President Néstor Kirchner has also come in for criticism for refusing to return from his holiday in Patagonia to deal with the crisis. Further hurting Kirchner is the fact that his support was crucial in enabling Ibarra to win a second term as mayor in 2003. Even though relations between the two have not been strong since, the president's links to Ibarra will tarnish his image, which in turn may benefit Eduardo Duhalde, Kirchner's only major rival and the most powerful politician in the province of Buenos Aires.

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