I found this statement from Intendente Goye from the link presented in the Bariloche2000 above, a bit interesting:
En diálogo con Radio Seis, Goye informó que se reunirá con el ministerio del Interior Florencio Randazzo para solicitar algún tipo de intervención de las fuerzas federales en el territorio. Al mismo tiempo, adjudicó los hechos a cuestiones que no tienen que ver con una necesidad social genuina. Si bien reconoció que "había rumores -no desde el viernes sino- desde hace mucho tiempo" sostuvo que no se trataba de información sobre saqueos sino sobre "reclamos de alimentos" para las fiestas.
"Por eso estuvimos trantado [sic] de hacer la contención con la antelación suficiente pensando que la necesidad era alimentaria. Pero está claro que la intención es otra, de grupos radicalizados, con una ideología extrema que han provocado los desmanes que vimos todos. Nunca tuvimos la información de los saqueos, sí la del reclamo de canastas alimentarias. Cuando hay una situación que se rumorea hay que trabajarla y nosotros hicimos eso preventivamente", expresó.
In the first paragraph, it says Goye met with the minister of the interior Randazzo and asked for some type of federal intervention in the region. Then it says that he feels the facts (or events?) in question have nothing to do with a "genuine social need." He recognized there were rumors (but not since Friday!) for awhile that didn't have anything to do with looting, but rather about food complaints (or claims) for the "fiestas" (holidays I reckon).
Second paragraph he says that they were trying to do a containment or restraint with enough foresight, thinking that the necessity was food-related. He says it's clear that the intention [of the looters] is something else, from radical groups with an extreme ideology that has provoked the excesses that we all live. They never had information about looting, but they did have information about "food basket" complaints. He finishes with saying that when there's a rumored situation you have to work it and they did that preventatively.
What interests me is him saying these riots were provoked by radical groups. They apparently knew about unrest, and he says they were working to prevent issues, but I wonder what they did? Are they trying to take the possible normal unrest created by unhappy and worried poor folk and pin it on people who are against the government? He seems to be saying that whatever caused this, it wasn't something legitimate, such as lack of work, money and food, but rather due to these radical groups, who conveniently remain unnamed.
I also find it interesting that he was in Buenos Aires before the riots started, asking for federal intervention (if I'm reading it correctly).
In a previous paragraph (not shown above) it says that the intendente confirmed that there were rumors of looting to come when he asked the supermarkets, days before, to deliver 4000 food baskets at 500 pesos apiece. The statement is a bit loosely worded (to me), so I'm not sure exactly what this means. It seems to be saying the act of asking for the baskets from the supers was the act of confirmation itself, doesn't meantion that he came right out and said it. Yet either way, in his statement I note above, he says there were no rumors of actual looting, just some complaints.
They knew this was coming, seems to me. I don't know what they knew and what they thought, nor if anything happened with the food baskets, but something was up before this broke today. And his response at the time didn't seem to have anything to do with radical groups espousing extreme ideology...nor did the events that actually seemed to occur today.
I don't know, maybe I've got this all wrong. I have to admit that sometimes I understand the words, but the meanings seem to be obfuscated by a round-about way of speaking.
As far as going to Bariloche as a tourist - probably nothing would happen, but never be sure that you won't be caught up in something. I wouldn't plan on going unless it was fairly important to me.
