Today there was a different feeling in the air in Buenos Aires. For a start, it was raining. The temperature was 10 degrees below the previous hot, humid days, signalling the start of autumn. Secondly, it was quiet and traffic free because it was a national holiday, which commemorates the Argentinean invasion of the Falkland Islands (or Malvinas as they call them here).
Interestingly enough, I read here in the paper that ‘nobody in Argentina thinks of the Malvinas any more when the name of Great Britain is mentioned’. Certainly, the President Cristina Kirchner is trying desperately to avoid upsetting Gordon Brown too much, because they share the same objectives in the economic crises, that is to make credit more readily available to their near-bankrupt nations. As such they’ve become allies.
Probably the most meaningful proof that things have changed was provided here in the city last week during a performance from the British veteran heavy metal group, Iron Maiden. During one song, ‘The Trooper’, the bands singer, Bruce Dickenson always waves a giant union jack on the stage. Seven years ago the band played in Buenos Aires, Dickenson brandished his flag and was booed. This week he did the same and was enthusiastically applauded by 40,000 head banging Argies.
So, today being a national holiday, I lazily turned on the TV and saw the news coverage of the burial of Raul Alfonsin, who had been Argentina’s President immediately after the return to democracy in the 1980s. Thousands of people lined the streets and military guards accompanied the coffin.
Alfonsin was one of that rare breed, a universally respected politician. A brave left-winger, who spoke out during the 1978-1983 military dictatorship against the ‘Death Squads’ who rounded up and killed thousands of left-wing activists, he went on to serve as President. He then stood down having lost democratic elections, with the economy in freefall. In a great show of humility he was reported to have said “There are limits in a democracy to the suffering which any politician can inflict on their people”.
Only a true believer in democracy could be so philosophical after loosing at the ballot box. Many people tell me, and they might well be right, that I’m extremely critical of my Argentine hosts in this blog. Well, I’m going to surprise you now by paying the Argentineans a compliment. Following defeat, they are capable of great humility. Like in the case of Alfonsin, he didn’t look for someone to blame, or make excuses. He’d lost, fair and square.
The wake-like atmosphere in town was compounded by yesterdays’ incredible football result, in which the Argentina national team, managed by Diego Maradona and packed full of superstars, was thrashed 6-1 by Bolivia in La Paz in a World Cup Qualifier. After the match it was Maradona’s turn to display commendable humility, refusing to blame the effects of altitude for the result-the Bolivian capital lies at an altitude of 3,600 metres-but instead complimenting the winners for their performance and underlining that they had been superior in every department. He had previously made a point of going up to each and every Argentinean player and kissing or hugging them as they trudged forlornly off the pitch, certainly not taking a leaf from the Brian Clough book of how to treat your players after they get thrashed.
I’ve greatly enjoyed the South American World Cup qualifiers. I had been feeling depressed about the lack of quality in the Argentinean league, and even finding the Copa Libertadores-the South American Champions’ League-devoid of interest. However, the World Cup Qualifiers have renewed my interest in South American football.
It seems that just about anyone can beat anyone. For example, Columbia played Bolivia in Bogotá last Saturday and the Colombians were dreadful and the Bolivians even worse. It was like watching Exeter City in a bad year. Colombia just about deserved to win 2-0. Meanwhile, a Messi-inspired Argentina were thrashing Venezuala 4-0 in Buenos Aires.
Four days later, this form was turned on its head. Venezuela put up a gritty performance to beat Colombia 2-0 in Caracas and Bolivia played like world-beaters in handing Argentina their worse defeat in 60 years of internationals.
Four teams qualify automatically with the fifth placed team going into a play off. Presently Paraguay , Brazil, Chile and Argentina fill the top four positions, with Uruguay in the play off spot closely followed by Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela who all still hope to qualify. Peru languishes in final place.
Should be interesting.
Interestingly enough, I read here in the paper that ‘nobody in Argentina thinks of the Malvinas any more when the name of Great Britain is mentioned’. Certainly, the President Cristina Kirchner is trying desperately to avoid upsetting Gordon Brown too much, because they share the same objectives in the economic crises, that is to make credit more readily available to their near-bankrupt nations. As such they’ve become allies.
Probably the most meaningful proof that things have changed was provided here in the city last week during a performance from the British veteran heavy metal group, Iron Maiden. During one song, ‘The Trooper’, the bands singer, Bruce Dickenson always waves a giant union jack on the stage. Seven years ago the band played in Buenos Aires, Dickenson brandished his flag and was booed. This week he did the same and was enthusiastically applauded by 40,000 head banging Argies.
So, today being a national holiday, I lazily turned on the TV and saw the news coverage of the burial of Raul Alfonsin, who had been Argentina’s President immediately after the return to democracy in the 1980s. Thousands of people lined the streets and military guards accompanied the coffin.
Alfonsin was one of that rare breed, a universally respected politician. A brave left-winger, who spoke out during the 1978-1983 military dictatorship against the ‘Death Squads’ who rounded up and killed thousands of left-wing activists, he went on to serve as President. He then stood down having lost democratic elections, with the economy in freefall. In a great show of humility he was reported to have said “There are limits in a democracy to the suffering which any politician can inflict on their people”.
Only a true believer in democracy could be so philosophical after loosing at the ballot box. Many people tell me, and they might well be right, that I’m extremely critical of my Argentine hosts in this blog. Well, I’m going to surprise you now by paying the Argentineans a compliment. Following defeat, they are capable of great humility. Like in the case of Alfonsin, he didn’t look for someone to blame, or make excuses. He’d lost, fair and square.
The wake-like atmosphere in town was compounded by yesterdays’ incredible football result, in which the Argentina national team, managed by Diego Maradona and packed full of superstars, was thrashed 6-1 by Bolivia in La Paz in a World Cup Qualifier. After the match it was Maradona’s turn to display commendable humility, refusing to blame the effects of altitude for the result-the Bolivian capital lies at an altitude of 3,600 metres-but instead complimenting the winners for their performance and underlining that they had been superior in every department. He had previously made a point of going up to each and every Argentinean player and kissing or hugging them as they trudged forlornly off the pitch, certainly not taking a leaf from the Brian Clough book of how to treat your players after they get thrashed.
I’ve greatly enjoyed the South American World Cup qualifiers. I had been feeling depressed about the lack of quality in the Argentinean league, and even finding the Copa Libertadores-the South American Champions’ League-devoid of interest. However, the World Cup Qualifiers have renewed my interest in South American football.
It seems that just about anyone can beat anyone. For example, Columbia played Bolivia in Bogotá last Saturday and the Colombians were dreadful and the Bolivians even worse. It was like watching Exeter City in a bad year. Colombia just about deserved to win 2-0. Meanwhile, a Messi-inspired Argentina were thrashing Venezuala 4-0 in Buenos Aires.
Four days later, this form was turned on its head. Venezuela put up a gritty performance to beat Colombia 2-0 in Caracas and Bolivia played like world-beaters in handing Argentina their worse defeat in 60 years of internationals.
Four teams qualify automatically with the fifth placed team going into a play off. Presently Paraguay , Brazil, Chile and Argentina fill the top four positions, with Uruguay in the play off spot closely followed by Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Venezuela who all still hope to qualify. Peru languishes in final place.
Should be interesting.
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