The Peronist mayor seeks to avoid conflict not by prohibiting an illegal activity; he merely disguises it as regulation
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With a split vote, the City Council approved the "regulation" project for street attendants, car minders, and windshield cleaners in Río Cuarto. The ordinance promoted by Guillermo De Rivas neither prohibits nor regulates this illegal and extortionate activity.
The initiative only redefines the issue in question with euphemisms and vague promises of social intervention. Councilwoman Antonella Nalli expressed it bluntly: "It's neither fish nor fowl. It neither prohibits nor regulates," voting against the official project.
Antonella Nalli, concejala de la ciudad
Scattered votes, weak arguments, and concessions without authority
The project only imposes sanctions if the activity is carried out in an "intimidating" manner, without eradicating compulsory charges in public spaces. Ignacio Biga, from the ruling party, said that "the power of municipal police" will be strengthened but requested time and resources that do not exist today. The removal of social benefits as punishment is considered, but the door is also opened to community work instead of firm sanctions.
The opposition demanded the inclusion of "social" clauses, which further diluted the initial objective: to guarantee free circulation without extortion. Radical Gabriel Abrile voted in favor but warned: "I don't think anything will change with this project, I hope I'm wrong," showing his skepticism. Meanwhile, the municipality still has not allocated sufficient funds to address issues such as drug addiction or urban marginalization.
The ruling party itself acknowledges that "it will take time" and that the process will be "gradual," without offering guarantees of effective compliance. The same council members admit that there will not be more municipal staff, that is, the lack of structure to implement the ordinance is acknowledged. The initiative includes ambiguous references to a "conversion" of the activity, without offering a real alternative or specific funds for it.
El proyecto aprobado no prohíbe la actividad ilegal en cuestión
The harshest criticisms: legal vacuum, disguised populism, and false solutions
Nalli was categorical: "They're selling the public a prohibition that in practice will not exist," questioning the fines imposed on the most vulnerable. "The administration is not working on real public policies," she said, recalling that the promised Addiction Center was not even activated. "The project is empty and differs from the real problems of Río Cuarto," the councilwoman concluded, highlighting the disconnect between rhetoric and reality.
Marisa Cariddi denounced the "stigmatization" in the text and asked: "Are we proposing this ordinance in this context?" referring to poverty. According to Cariddi, the project "seeks to remove the poor from public view" without truly addressing unemployment or informal work. Franco Miranda abstained, warning of a "witch hunt" and denouncing the meager budget allocated to addiction treatment.
Miranda stated that only 0.1% of the budget is allocated to this issue, of which $137 million is for salaries, not for real action. The police have intervened in recent conflicts with street attendants, showing that action can be taken without the need for new ineffective regulations. De Rivas preferred a cosmetic project that avoids direct conflict with groups engaged in illegal activities and who dominate public spaces in full view of everyone.
