Photo via Télam Two attacks with explosive devices took place in the City of Buenos Aires on Thursday evening. The first one took place at the Recoleta Cemetery, in the mausoleum of former Police Chief Ramón Falcón, and the second in the house of Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio. At the moment this article was written, 12 people have been detained, suspected of being involved with either one or both attacks. Police indicated that all identify themselves as anarchists.
The woman who detonated the device in the cemetery, 34-year-old Anahí Salcedi, is badly wounded as a result of her actions: she had her face and the superior part of her body burned, and lost three phalanges. She is being treated in a public hospital and her husband, who reportedly plotted the attack with her and was also present in the cemetery, is in police custody.
The possible reason why the grave was attacked has to do with the fact that yesterday marked the anniversary of Falcón’s assassination at the hands of an anarchist worker, Simón Radowitzky, in 1909. At the moment of his death, Falcón was the City of Buenos Aires’ Police Chief. He also founded the City’s school of cadets, which carried his name until 2011.
Police found a message on the grave that read: “Simón is alive in the fight of all insurgents.”
Under Falcón’s leadership, City police fiercely repressed workers – many of whom were anarchists – in different occasions when they protested against extremely poor working and housing conditions. In one of them, which took place on May 1, 1909, police killed 11 protesters and injured more than 100. And days later, officials attacked a crowd that had gathered in the Chacarita cemetery for the funeral of those killed.
Perfil recounted that “after several days of strikes and repression, the government of José Figueroa Alcorta started negotiating with unions, but was intransigent with demands to fire Falcón, who became a target of these groups.” On November 14, 1909, when leaving a funeral at the Recoleta Cemetery, Falcón was killed by Radowitzky, who threw a homemade bomb at his carriage. Radowitzky was imprisoned and pardoned by then-President Hipólito Yrigoyen in 1929.
Ever since, the mausoleum in which he was buried has been the target of attacks, especially on the anniversary of his killing.
The other attack took place a few hours later, at the house of Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio, in the neighborhood of Belgrano. The device was thrown over the fence and fell near the car of the judge who oversees some of the most sensitive cases in the country, such as the so-called “notebooks scandal.” The suspect was detained by Bonadio’s security detail.
In an interview with Radio La Red, Federal Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli, in charge of the “notebooks scandal,” assured the attack was tied to the fact that Bonadio is the judge in the case. “I have no doubts,” he said. However, Bonadio told Noticias Argentinas that “he would not speculate” on the reasons behind the attack.
In the early hours of the morning, police detained 10 suspects living in a house located in the neighborhood of San Cristóbal. Different elements that can be used to build devices of the kind were found.
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