‘Chaos’ – former president’s neighbour angry at Recoleta vigil

Ximena de Tezanos Pinto, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s neighbour in Recoleta, has complained about the chaotic scenes close to their home for the last weeks.

Ever since prosecutors requested a prison sentence for Argentina’s vice-president, her supporters have staged demonstrations and held vigils outside the building that houses her flat in the wealthy neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.

Speaking to the AM550 radio programme Más Allá de las Noticias this week, Pinto – who on various occasions has clashed with Kirchernerite militants in televised broadcasts – said that the scenes on Uruguay and Juncal streets were “not something spontaneous” and that everything had been organised.

“What happened here is that the worlds of murga carnival, barra bravas football hooliganism and rock music all got together while people who wanted to work had to make detours and life started to be complicated for everybody,” alleged Ximena, who admitted she was “falling in love with at being dubbed ‘Cristina’s neighbour.’”

Pinto said only one day had been overly problematic and complained about supporters letting off fireworks.

Quizzed about what it was like living next to the former president, she said that she had “no objections to her as a neighbour,” observing that both were “respecting co-existence in the building.” The last two weeks, however, had tested the limits.

After last Saturday’s incidents between the militants and the City Police, rumours that the vice-president might move house have begun to emerge. Pinto said she had heard whispers and that “the rumours that she could move to San Telmo to be closer to her daughter Florencia.”

Pinto is known for hanging various banners on her balcony and from her window, which is just above Cristina’s flat. During the vigils throughout last week, Ximena expressed her annoyance with the resulting chaos firmly: “We’re fed up.”