ajhaynes.net

Buenos Aires is a damaged city.

Pay attention long enough, and you’ll feel that here. Each day the city bearing still scabbing wounds of recent economic woes and reticent scars from past political disgrace. With a bit of careful observation and interaction, you can’t help sensing her subdued suffering.

A history littered with the cruel combination of decades filled with instability and at the same time no revolutionary breakthrough or widespread, lasting and convincing changes made, leave Buenos Aires - one of my favorite places on the planet - here… a city unsure of herself, not yet comfortable in her own skin.

What’s more bothersome about the subtle distress saturating Bs As, despite her understandable grievances, I don’t see any reason Buenos Aires (a city seemingly rife with latent opportunity) won’t soon end up miring amidst more political scandal or another economic crash… marred, aching, and in pain… all over again.

Governing in Argentina over the last 65 years has been an exercise in turbulence…

Peronism, government coups, and military dictatorships - a virtual cesspool of controversy, instability, and corruption giving rise to gross human rights violations during the Dirty War, and then hyperinflation, serious unemployment, and dire economic crisis.

Today, a severe lack of faith in the nation’s political and banking systems haunts Buenos Aires. 2001’s financial crisis saw the Argentine government put in motion measures (commonly known as the corralito) freezing all national bank accounts for twelve months and only allowing tiny withdrawal amounts. Following actions including the pesificación (peso-ification) - which converted all bank accounts denominated in U.S. dollars into Argentine pesos at an “official” rate - only made the situation direr. The peso plummeted on the open market losing 75% of its value, essentially destroying the savings of those with money in Argentine bank accounts.

Bank problems remain rampant in Buenos Aires.

Stories of foreigners’ money mysteriously going missing when transferring funds into Argentine banks (for sometimes months before turning up again) are all too common here. People, justifiably, have little confidence in keeping large sums of money in domestic banks. They openly don’t trust them.

Argentinos generally put much more stock in hard currency and even with cold hard cash, healthy doses of skepticism persist. Everything from automobile purchases to real estate transactions are done in cash here, that’s right - cash! Bags full of U.S. dollars - from $5,000 cars to million dollar properties, cash is king in Argentina.

Unfortunately, sometimes taking out your own cash can be an issue.

A couple months ago I experienced an upsetting few days unable to access my money from Buenos Aires ATMs. It drove me nuts, walking from bank to bank, I couldn’t take one penny/centavo out. Bumping into foreigners (and only foreigners it seemed) all over town struggling with the exact same problem, it struck me that I didn’t see a single Argentino stressing out over not being able to get their money out of the bank.

It didn’t take very long to realize intense distrust of local banking systems meant locals keeping giant cash reserves at home. A habit that only inflames the recent wave of home burglaries plaguing the city (one of Buenos Aires’ hot-topic crime-issues these days), emboldening thieves chasing fat cash stashes residents are too afraid to leave to bank custody.

Argentina is a remarkably beautiful country. Geographically stunning, from the glistening glaciers of Calafate to the breathtaking Iguazu Falls, the country’s rich in geographic diversity and natural resources. The citizenry (particularly Porteños) is highly educated, sporting one of the highest literacy rates in the world.

Culturally, the country beams with a brilliant social spirit… kissing, touching, hugging… loving to socialize, it’s more than the simple joy of getting together, you find a uniquely intimate closeness here. The sincere feeling of genuine care for one another unmistakably comes through between friends, family, and fellow residents. Call me soft, but it’s a damn neat thing and special to feel a part of.

It would seem Argentina, and its grand capital, Buenos Aires, could be so much more… should be a nation - and city - stable, brimming with optimistic possibilities (and on many levels, you sense it dreams to be).

But, would of, could of, should of… Buenos Aires in far too many ways still embodies the all-too-common tragic tale of unrealized potential.

What I can’t get over is the popular sentiment among Porteños, believing that not only are they inevitably headed for more gross governmental abuse, but - fears of future trouble looming and all - the vast majority will do nothing. Nothing to attempt to change the course, to steer their city, and their nation, towards a better direction. If only I had a nickel for every time the melancholic eyes of a Porteño friend fixed in on me before declaring, “It’s too painful to talk about” whenever the subject of politics arises… at first, the observable sentiment was very moving, but after six or seven different people gave me that exact same response, it began to strike me as a little bizarre.

Inaction by fear of political retribution?

Maybe merely deep-seeded feelings of helplessness…

I don’t know.

Whatever it is, there’s something heartbreaking about it. Something not right, inconsistent somewhere inside the human spirit - and in awkward and dispiriting ways, it disturbs me.

It’s not apathy, because emotion is far too apparent. Detecting the slightly under the surface sorrow in people here isn’t tough. You see it in their eyes, their gazes, you feel it in their embraces - an evident and shared Porteño pain. And at the same time exists this eerie acceptance, residents both believing the future holds continued abuse, accompanied right along with a “turn your head in the other direction and do nothing” type of inaction. It’s troubling.

Still, on some levels things appear to be getting better in Buenos Aires.

Unemployment is down, the peso is more stable. Though even in better times, citizens realize deep down no great structural or fundamental changes have been made. Somewhere internally they understand all isn’t well, and their good times might be a temporary illusion… a dream just waiting to be dashed.

So goes the weighty insecurity of sensing your castles might be built on sand, and neither you nor your neighbor are resolve to try to change those foundations.

For all its beauty, all its potential, all I love about this incredible city… Buenos Aires remains a glorious vision not yet realized, a daydream even her own citizens don’t quite believe in, a city still damaged… and yeah, it disturbs me.