Sabina Frederic blamed the City for the incidents at Diego Maradona's wake

11/27/2020 9:26 AM

• Clarín.com

• Politics

Updated 11/27/2020 9:52 AM

Diego Armando Maradona's farewell ended in the worst way, with scenes of violence in the streets and even inside the Casa Rosada, which forced the wake to conclude early, after it had been decided to extend it until 7:00 p.m. Thursday, three hours past the original closing time.

This situation generated a strong counterpoint between the national government and the City, which blamed each other on the responsibilities of the failure of the Security operation.

This Friday, the Minister of Security, Sabina Frederic,

and said that she spoke several times with Diego Santilli, Buenos Aires deputy head of government, during the incidents.

"I spoke twice with Santilli in the repression episodes and

and if he could not let people find their place. It

" said Frederic.

Speaking to Radio

the official said that "Santilli knows perfectly well that

because we were evaluating the way forward."

"An alternative was that, but it never became an order or a decision because

. We were trying to convince the family, thinking that the coffin would go through July 9 so that the people who I hoped he could say goodbye to Maradona, "he added.

Frederic also said that "

" and that Santilli insisted "that there was going to be pressure on the Casa Rosada."

"I told him to let people settle down, it would be worse. The second time we spoke, they stopped the repression," he said.

Incidents at the entrance to the Casa Rosada for the wake of Diego Maradona.

Photo: Foglia.

"We cannot order the City, we suggest.

. There were times in Casa Rosada when decisions had to be made, our security was there," the official concluded.

After eight hours of waiting, a procession and a line that went from Plaza de Mayo to 9 de Julio and reached Constitución, the weather began to tense.

And the first incidents occurred around 2 p.m., when the City Police tried to close public access so that at 4 p.m., the time originally scheduled to end, there would be no people waiting to enter.

Hundreds of fans, many of them who had traveled from afar, did not accept to be left out and the riots began that ended with stones, destruction and runs by fans and rubber bullets, tear gas and sticks from the police officers of the the City who were in charge of that sector.

What happened led to cross reproaches between the National Government and that of the City.

The first to point out was the Minister of the Interior, Wado de Pedro, who wrote on Twitter: “

.

This popular tribute cannot end in repression and bullfights to those who come to fire Maradona ”.

The comment generated controversy and anger in the City Government, which clarified that

.

And they referred to an official statement published by the government on Wednesday.

Later, the deputy head of the Buenos Aires Government, Diego Santilli, in charge of the City's Security area, told

: “

and it calls my attention that they are unaware of this and that politicize one of the saddest days for Argentines ”.

The police cut off the entrance to Avenida de Mayo and 9 Julio.

Photo: Guillermo Rodríguez Adami.

The end of the wake

But there was another important statement from the official, related to the anticipated end of the wake for Diego Maradona.

Is that in the midst of the tension and the incidents, at 5:32 p.m. on Thursday, the Presidency issued an official statement in which, after making a brief description of what had happened, they indicated that "once it was controlled in a peaceful way the situation, the family transmitted their desire and will to conclude the ceremony "and move the coffin to the cemetery of the town of Bella Vista, where it was finally buried.

However, Frederic assured that it

since they could not guarantee security.

"Is the reversal of closing the wake at 4 o'clock a decision of the national government, not of the Maradona family?" Was the question of the journalist María O'Donnell on Radio Metro.

"No no, the family agrees to extend it, but given the security conditions, the evaluation that we do, and given that

on Avenida de Mayo and 9 de Julio,

"the official said in statements to Radio Metro.

JPE