The provincial Ministry of Security is trying to place on the parliamentary agenda the possible definitive prohibition of illegal car minders. Minister Juan Pablo Quinteros is considering using legislator Hernández Maqueda's proposal as a basis to eradicate this extortionate system. It is imperative to regain full control of public space and stop delegating security to civilian groups without authority.
The original initiative proposes that no private individual may arbitrarily demand money from drivers for using public roads. There are currently cooperatives that operate as a legalization scheme for an activity that was born out of informality and coercion. Many citizens report physical assaults and constant threats when they decide not to hand over money to these individuals who operate illegally.
At the end of the previous legislative period, pressure from certain ecclesiastical sectors managed to freeze this necessary urban planning project. Córdoba society demands a forceful solution that doesn't consist of regulating crime but of eliminating it at the root forever in the city. Peronism is now assessing whether it will support a total ban or whether it will insist on a registration model that, essentially, only prolongs the conflict.
En enero ya fueron arrestado 63 cuidacoches ilegales en Córdoba
End of cooperatives and informality
The firmest position keeps that any payment for parking must be administered exclusively by the municipality through official agents. For many taxpayers, the existence of car minder cooperatives represents a form of legalized extortion that undermines social peace. "There can be a call for bids for that and, if a 'naranjita' applies, that person can stay," Hernández Maqueda stated regarding possible incorporation into the formal system.
The bill under discussion also contemplates including windshield cleaners within the restrictions in order to guarantee a much safer urban environment. The fear of vehicle owners who are forced to pay for an illegal service that they never requested or wished to receive must come to an end. Citizens' freedom to park without being harassed is a basic pillar that the provincial government must guarantee without further delay.
Córdoba has the historic opportunity to send a strong message of authority to those who appropriate the streets through daily intimidation. A lukewarm regulation will only serve to maintain the power structure of organizations that live off others' efforts and extortion. It is time for the law to protect those who work and respect the rules instead of shielding activities that constantly border on criminality.
