Several people received injuries from rubber bullets and tear gas after police violently suppressed a protest in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán last night.
Thousands of people had gathered in the heart of the provincial capital to protest against allegations of fraud and widespread irregularities in Sunday’s gubernatorial election.
The largely peaceful protest turned violent at around 10.30pm when police attempted to forcibly clear the Plaza de Independencia by firing rubber bullets and tear gas indiscriminately at protesters. Many protesters ran, while a small minority threw rocks and oranges at the police.
Several people were injured in the ensuing chaos, which also saw mounted police ride into the square. The crowd dispersed but a smaller number returned to the square to continue protesting peacefully against the police brutality, the election result, and outgoing Governor José Alperovich.
The police action was widely condemned in the media and on social networks. The opposition candidate for Acuerdo Para el Bicentenario, José Cano, claimed that members of the Civil Police had infiltrated the crowd and provoked the repression. “The public protested last night and there was a provocation by civil police that caused the repression. We will report this [to the judiciary] today because they acted like thugs – it was filmed, and there were people hurt,” said Cano on local radio.
This morning, Alperovich admitted that the police used “excessive” force, and promised an investigation. In Buenos Aires, Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández criticism the police repression, but said the opposition was instigating a climate of violence by trying to discredit the electoral system.
A Contested Vote
Frente para la Victoria (FpV)’s Juan Manzur won the election comfortably with a provisional 54.4% of the vote, ahead of Cano who obtained 40,76%.
However, Sunday’s vote was marred by outbreaks of violence and allegations of fraud in the vote count. In addition, 42 ballot boxes were burned and one box was found to contain 30 sealed ballots before voting had even began.
Cano, who was backed by an alliance of opposition parties, refused to accept Manzur’s victory and demanded a full recount.
Presidential candidate for Cambiemos, Mauricio Macri, also criticised the voting procedure and Manzur for declaring victory: “It was imprudent of the FpV candidate to say that he had won and that it had been a normal election. It can never be normal when there are burned ballot boxes, detained electoral supervisors, and forged vote count certificates.”
“We must wait for the final count and see what happens. Cambiemos will recognise the result if it falls in favour of Manzur,” added Macri.
The definitive vote count will start at 6pm today, with officials warning that it could take up to three weeks.
Speaking with Pagina 12 before last night’s violence, Manzur said that he “condemned” the irregularities registered on Sunday, but said they were in a small minority of places.
“In Tucumán there are nearly 3,500 voting tables, and around 40 were observed [with problems]. So around 0.8% of the total,” said Manzur. “But let it be clear that each ballot box and each vote is important, so today we have asked the judiciary for complimentary [local] elections in the places where these incidents occurred.”
Manzur also criticised the opposition for making repeated claims of fraud. “We lost in some towns that were ours, that’s true. We have to be self-critical, and we will be, and we recognised that they [the opposition] won those districts. But, on the other hand, when the opposition win they dance and throw balloon; when they lose they call fraud.
“You have to know how to win and know how to lose.”
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