The Argentine city of Rosario woke up on Monday again paralyzed by the fear of gang violence. Police in Santa Fe province, north of Buenos Aires, are investigating an incident of threats against the family of soccer player Angel Di Maria. Early Monday morning, a message was dropped on the door of the private property where the player lives. Local media said the message was thrown from a moving car. He told the soccer player, “Never come back.'' […] We don't throw pieces of paper. We throw bullets and dead people. ”
Rosario has been experiencing weeks of stress. In response to the government's decision to tighten the crackdown on gang leaders in prisons, criminal gangs have stepped up their violence in the city. While the Di Maria family faced the threat, violence against bus drivers paralyzed transport in the city for the second time in a month.
On Sunday, March 10, 39-year-old Marcos Dalloia died in hospital after three days of fighting. He was shot at close range by a hitman while driving a bus. He became the fourth worker killed by hitmen in Rosario in the past week. Between March 5 and 11, two taxi drivers and a gas station were also killed. The past week has been one of terror in Rosario, with public transportation, school classes and even suspensions. Garbage collection after another worker is threatened. The violence prompted authorities to deploy a large contingent of federal security forces to the most violent areas between the south and northwest parts of the city. Last Thursday, President Javier Millay's government introduced an amendment to the internal security law that would allow the military to take action.
The threat against Di Maria, who was born in Rosario in 1988 and played for local club Rosario Central until the age of 19, is not the first footballer to be targeted by a criminal organization. Last March, a group of hitmen attacked a supermarket owned by the in-laws of Rosario-born soccer player Lionel Messi. They reportedly fired 14 shots into a property owned by the family of the footballer's wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. The attackers also left the following message for the player: “Messi, we are waiting for you. [The mayor, Pablo] Jabkin won't protect you because he's a drug dealer. ”
As with Messi, the threats against Di Maria come amid speculation that he may return to Rosario to play for his hometown club.
The message to Di Maria was aimed at Santa Fe Governor Maximiliano Puraro. A few weeks ago, Praro's Cabinet shared images on social media of drug-trafficking criminals being taken out of their cells during a raid at a local jail. The “Boucle-esque” photo, which refers to the exceptional regime of El Salvador's president that has managed to bring gangs under control, has infuriated criminal organizations. Violence has plagued Rosario for decades, but it has not reached the city center as much as it has in recent weeks.
Rosario, located 310 miles from Buenos Aires, is Argentina's most violent city. Its murder rate (22 per 100,000 residents) is five times the national average. This violence is fueled by conflicts between rival gangs related to the drug trade. Rosario is a port city that exports most of Argentina's agricultural products. International drug lords maintain a low profile, unlike the dozens of local drug gangs that compete with each other for power. These turf wars are believed to be responsible for most of the 200 murders recorded each year in Rosario.
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