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National genadarmeríe (Photo via Prensa Argentina)
The nationwide security state of emergency – issued by decree yesterday – will allow a “strong control of air space” according to President Mauricio Macri.
The principal focus of the measure will be stricter controls at borders, ports of entry, airspace, including the possibility to shoot aircraft deemed as hostile.
According to an official statement, the decree will allow the armed forces to: “identify, warn, intimidate and use force (as a last resort) against intruders in the Argentine airspace.” It adds that aircraft will be declared “hostile” if they have the capabilities to “disrupt, put in danger, or cause damage to” Argentine territory.
Security Minster Patricia Bullrich declared that the measure will “tighten the security around air traffic control.”
In contrast, Paula Litvachky, Director in the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS ) stated that: “Although the full decree is not known, it is very worrying that the issue of bringing down planes should be introduced, because there appears to be a blurring of boundaries between internal security and national defence, without the matter being discussed by Congress, because the decision is made by decree.”
Opposition leader and ex-presidential candidate Margarita Stolbizer also criticised the measure, saying on Twitter: “Approving by decree the power to shoot down planes is a major institutional error that could bring irreversible consequences. And much worse without any debate.”
The government stated that it will impose this decree in order to combat the surge in the drugs trade, with special focus on production, trafficking and commercialisation. The official communication describes the objective as “to reverse the situation of collective danger created by crime, organised crime and drug trafficking”.
The measure will also target other criminal activities ranging from public fraud, underage prostitution, child pornography, financing terrorism, and extortion.
The decree will allow retired officers to be reintegrated in back into the the Federal Police, Maritime Border Guard, Gendarmerie and Airport Security Police, provided they have not been convicted with crimes against humanity or are currently charged with any crime.
The decree will initially be in place for one year, but could be extended as deemed necessary.
Last February Pope Francis encouraged the Kirchner government to avoid the ‘Mexicanisation of Argentina’, which subsequently prompted a letter of compliant from the Mexican Foreign Ministry to the Vatican.
Many smugglers often use Rosario as the transit point for Andean cocaine, as they seek to gain higher revenues for their product in Europe.
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