Buenos Aires’ communes or comunas, represent the 15 separate districts that were outlined after the city’s reassignment to autonomous status. Despite being designated in 1996, the city’s comunas are just now beginning to wield power.

They held their first elections in 2011, and are mainly responsible for secondary roads, public parks, sidewalks and local maintenance issues. The decentralisation of power is meant to democratise the city’s funds, and allow neighbours, social organisations and NGOs to weigh in and propose community and cultural projects.

What do the locals think of the redistribution of power? Do they think that the city’s barrios should have more access to funds? Also, what does this say about the nature of participative democracy in Argentina? Will it work?

The Indy’s reporters set out to see how the people feel about handing power over to the people.

Photos by Allison Kate Cherkis

Dora Tamara, Accountant, Palermo

I think the neighbourhoods should have more power over the funds. For example I just got a 200% raise on my taxes. They (the government) always take your money to fix other things. It turns out that here in Palermo, it’s more advanced than the neighbourhoods in the southern area. But there are things here that also need to be fixed and maintained. So why would I have to pay for people from other neighbourhoods and even from the province? I’m not lacking money, but I also don’t have money to spare.

Unfortunately, my generation could not participate as much [in politics] because of all of the military governments. There was a short lapse of democratic government. When democracy came back in 1983, I was just over 30, and wanted to participate. But, of course, they gave more room to older people, those who had experience, and those who had been in jail during the Peronist years. I’m talking about the socialist party. Now they prefer to have young people that they can manipulate over older people with more political activism. So they don’t give room for “cult” older people to participate.

I never found room to participate in the party. They have younger people who are not even from the neighbourhood.

Julieta Ginter, 25, Student, Palermo

I think that each neighbourhood should have at least a small budget, because there are some neighbourhoods that are very abandoned and left behind. The [centralised budget] may only fix a park but that’s it. But yes, each neighbourhood should manage at least a small budget.

I think participative democracy will work in this case, for the same reason that the budget will work. This neighbourhood (Palermo) is pretty well looked after because it’s more touristy, and the mayor pays a lot more attention to touristy neighbourhoods, and not so much to the other ones.

Brenda Asuscfli, 25, Student, Palermo

I think that the neighbourhoods should have a base budget that they can count on, to develop different touristy parks, and other places. So that people can also make the most [of the city] not only in the more centrally located and touristy places, and also so that everyone can look after [public places].

Participation of the people will be good. People will learn to look after things, to have a budget, and develop activities with that budget.

Ariel Zichichi, 37, Clerk, Caballito

[Having a budget in the neighbourhood] will be more equitative and will give people the opportunity to participate. People could have more participation, and have their opinions heard more by the government. It will be good if there is a representative for each neighbourhood, who will know the specific problems of their neighbourhood. Whereas, government doesn’t know the specific problem of each neighbourhood. I think that in the future, this could work.

Flavia Galdo, 38, Lawyer, Caballito

I don’t know whether the funds should be centralised, or whether more access to the funds will help. I’m not sure about the funding, because that’s a more delicate economic issue. I don’t really have a clear opinion on whether it will be better for the budget to be decentralised, or centralised and managed by the government. But I do believe in more participation for the people.

We are still very far away from a participative democracy. I think there is a tendency towards decentralisation, but we’re still far away from that in Argentina. There’s a lot of talking about it, but we can’t actually see it in action.

Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli stated today that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will make a decision regarding her candidacy for re-election in her own time. He also assured that there would be “a great support for her to continue her work.”

The governor announced: “Out of respect for her, we await for her to make her decision,” insisting that the president is “doing a great job.”

Furthermore he emphasised the good relationship that he has with the president and mentioned that he feels “a great amount of respect, and gratitude’’ for the support Fernández de Kirchner is giving him.

Scioli concluded his speech: “no national government has done as much for the province of Buenos Aires as the current administration.”

“I’m thinking how the province can move ahead and a great goal for me is the decentralisation and regionalisation of the province to reach a new demographic balance,” Scioli said in declarations to radio ‘La Red’.

The governor explained that with 65% of the population of Buenos Aires province living in only 1% of the territory, the local and national governments have to find a way to guide new demographic flows towards the interior, by creating industrial parks and bringing the state to different parts of the province.

Other infrastructure plans highlighted by Scioli include the expansion of the airport in the provincial capital, La Plata, to become a hub for national and international cargo and passengers.