More riots greet new Argentinian president
Eduardo Duhalde, Argentina’s fifth president in two weeks, was greeted by thousands of jeering, pot-banging demonstrators who swarmed the streets of the capital early this morning.
Confronting the country’s most serious political and economic crisis in decades, the new president from Argentina’s largest party - the Peronists - lashed out at free market policies, blaming them for the country’s economic chaos.
Hours after he was sworn in, more than 4,000 Argentinians, fed up with Argentina’s political class, streamed onto the city streets in a peaceful but raucous protest with many demanding a popular vote. The protests began tapering off before dawn.
‘‘Elections now’’ people chanted angrily as the crowd swelled rapidly near Congress and on major roads throughout the capital. Edgy riot police protected Congress, looking on as some protesters lit rubbish fires in the streets.
After being sworn in, Duhalde promised an abrupt, new course.
‘‘This is the moment of truth. Argentina is worn out. The country is broke,’’ he told Congress. The current economic model ‘‘destroyed our middle class, destroyed our industries and pulverised our work-force.’’
The Peronist-controlled Congress, which had voted 262-21 with 18 abstentions to appoint the new president, cheered wildly. Original plans for a March presidential vote were scrapped, and Duhalde was asked to serve until 2003.
Duhalde, a 60-year-old senator, was elected after five hours of congressional debate. He is to complete the unfinished term of Fernando de la Rua, who resigned on December 21 amid riots that left 28 people dead.
A former two-term governor of Buenos Aires province, who also served as Argentina’s vice president in the early 1990s, Duhalde is the country’s fourth new president since the rioting and looting forced de la Rua to resign.
‘‘Viva Argentina! Viva Peron!’’ hundreds of supporters chanted outside Congress as Duhalde rose to power.
He promised to protect the savings of the Argentinians who have had billions of dollars locked in bank accounts since weekly cash withdrawals were limited on December 1. He also said he would restore the peace after weeks of unrest, create 1 million jobs and provide a social safety net for the unemployed.
While Duhalde’s address drew cheers in Congress, the streets were tense.
Hundreds of supporters of extreme left-wing groups battled rival demonstrators backing Duhalde in a street brawl involving flying rocks and paving stones. At least two people were injured.
The violence was quelled by police tear gas and rubber bullets, but it was a clear sign of Argentinians’ simmering anger at their politicians, whom they blame for a crippling recession of nearly four years.
The abrupt resignation of interim President Adolfo Rodriguez Saa on Sunday left the country of 36 million without clear leadership and, even worse, without an economic plan to save Argentina.
Rodriguez Saa resigned on December 31 after political support withered after only one week in office. Protests in the capital continued as Argentinians grew increasingly angry over strict banking restrictions, political infighting, and his appointment of Cabinet members widely seen as corrupt.
Two other men have also served briefly as acting president since de la Rua’s resignation, both reluctantly: Former Senate leader Ramon Puerta inherited the job when de la Rua quit, and Chamber of Deputies leader Eduardo Camano took over on Monday from Rodriguez Saa.
