Argentinian leaders appeal for calm after deadly riots

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/argentina-riots-police-strikes

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At least seven people have been killed in a week of chaos in Argentina sparked by police strikes over pay and other issues.

On Tuesday as the nation celebrated 30 years of uninterrupted democracy, politicians from the left and right appealed for calm as looters continued their rampage and business owners fought with roving mobs.

Among the dead were a police officer in northern Chaco province who was struck by a bullet below his protective vest on Tuesday, and a store owner whose burned body was found in the remains of his looted market in Buenos Aires province last week.

The others allegedly died while looting. One man was electrocuted while stealing from an appliance store in a rainstorm. Another fell off a motorcycle while carting off a television, and a third died in a brawl inside a ruined store.

Hundreds of other people have been injured and thousands of businesses damaged in the scattered violence. In some cities public transportation was shut down and public hospitals were turning away non-emergency patients for fear of being looted.

The governor of Buenos Aires, Daniel Scioli, reached a deal with police on Monday night including an amnesty that would wipe out sanctions for many rule-breaking officers and make them eligible for 14,000 promised promotions this month. It also enables officers who retired on 90% pay to return to work, effectively doubling their old salaries.

The president, Cristina Fernández, has not commented on the violence, leaving Jorge Capitanich, who took leave as Chaco's governor to become her cabinet chief, to publicly shoulder the responsibility. Initially he blamed one of her political rivals, Cordoba's governor, Jose de la Sota, for failing to contain the trouble.

But as the officer died in Capitanich's home city on Tuesday, it was clear that no politician was immune. Capitanich joined De la Sota for a news conference condemning what they called treasonous acts by a minority of officers.

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