2024-02-11 03:35:05
“Do you ask me why those on motorcycles or those behind the shields hit, throw gas and rubber bullets?” he repeats before Page 12 a chief of the Federal Police. “First of all, because they know that, if they don’t do it, they have to leave the force. The one sitting in the back on the motorcycle earns, at least, 584,322 pesos basic, plus an additional for risk, seniority and additional hours . No less than 700 thousand or 800 thousand pesos per month. For them, a great salary. But, in addition -adds the boss-, seven out of ten voted for Javier Milei and they tend to tune in to that go against lefties. Yes indeed, one part, now says that Milei must be removed because he became a Jew.” In the Gendarmerie, something quite similar is repeated, although with a different profile. Behind the shields there is usually an alferez or subalferez who earns between 550,192 and 605,212 basic, to which additional additional 200 thousand pesos are added. In the Federal say that the most rustic, most quarrelsome and authoritarian troops go to these special forces.
Preparing for conflict
Both in the Ministry of Security, headed by Patricia Bullrich, and in the forces themselves, there is a climate that is a mixture of uncertainty and bravado: They think that there will be strong social conflict, not only in CABA, but in different places in the country. And there is no shortage of those who feel a certain delight with the idea of the shock, the friction, hitting with the tonfa (the stick), being imposed with sticks, gas or rubber bullets.
The Federal Motor Operations Group (GOMF) came to replace the Mounted Police. The transformation was carried out during the time of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner due to the risks that conflicts posed for people and also for horses.
“Those who are in that unit have various profiles,” says another head of the Federal. They are motorcycle fans, first of all. But also, They like fighting, the gym, tonfa and handling gases and rubber bullets. They do not have, not even remotely, the profile of those who want to be in research or science. Some say that they are the most brutal in the Federal and also that those who are sanctioned end up in those bodies.”
Left-handers, Jews and pandemic
According to everyone agrees, in these units, the motorized units and the Infantry, there is a lot of harmony with the “order” proposals of the Milei government, added to hatred of the left and social movements. and antisemitism. They talk about the Andinia Plan (a grotesque theory that the Jews want to keep Patagonia), and of course, that the Jews are the real power in the world. That fringe – the estimate is that they are two out of ten – is already angry and says that Milei must be removed because he became Jewish and you cannot be president if you are of that religion. As is known, the requirement was changed in the 1994 constitutional reform.
Something less surprising is the other point of agreement with La Libertad Avanza: a large part of these troops believe that “The pandemic thing was a big lie”a manipulation, also of “the lefties and Jews.”
“Don’t tax me”
It was no coincidence that among the federal police who repressed Congress, an officer, inspector or sub-inspector, appeared, wearing the libertarian symbol on a kind of patch on the chest, above the bulletproof vest. The Gadsden flag, yellow background, with a snake in the middle, is used by the right in many countries and the legend “Don’t tread on me”, “don’t tread on me”, is interpreted as “don’t tax me”, a of his great slogans.
According to what they say at the Federal, it was a lame of own cash against the lefties, not a concerted action with the boss in charge. But the outcome – a summary, said the minister – is not known. What corresponded was to make the individual available – party symbols are prohibited – and initiate the summary, but that was not what Bullrich reported. He clearly lowered his tone: he does not want to make any gesture that overshadows the repression and that could be interpreted as a sanction to those who hit people.
Sticks for silver
An inspector or sub-inspector usually rides on the motorcycle, with basic salaries ranging from 584,322 to 642,754 pesos, but sergeants also participate in the operation with basic salaries of 713,998. To these figures is added an additional for risk, seniority and what would be overtime. In a long day like those experienced in Congress, the troops total between 20 thousand and 35 thousand pesos. In short, almost no one takes less than 700 thousand pesos and many round up figures above 800 or 900 thousand pesos per month. The regime is 12 hours – work-training on the motorcycle and in the gym – for 36 hours of rest. In charge of the operation, there is generally a commissioner or a deputy commissioner: the monthly income depends on seniority, but is around 1,500,000 pesos. The high command, that is, those who have the decision-making power, are around 3,000,000 per month, despite the fact that they do not have much seniority: the Milei government carried out a fierce raid, retiring 18 general commissioners, with more experience and less docility for what is coming. He sin what they were blamed for was being collaborationists with the previous government, that is, they maintained a normal, correct relationship with the constitutional government.
hard green
As is known, those who enter the Gendarmerie They are mainly from the provinces and, sometimes, from small inland towns. They are supposed to be troops trained to guard the borders, that is, in places far from big cities. There is, therefore, no ideological process similar to that of the Federal nor do they give value to repression in itself: what’s more, some are worried about not getting caught in some judicial case. But non-ideologization makes them more docile and it is considered that “you can bank everything”. It is the force privileged by Bullrich, who usually uses it for the most thorny and gruesome missions. The clearest examples were the persecution that ended the life of Santiago Maldonado or the fraudulent expert opinion that was carried out regarding the suicide of Alberto Nisman.
This origin in inland towns and the non-ideological profile makes it gendarmes assess urban repression units, essentially because they allow them to live in big cities or near big cities. One of the myths (or truths) about this force is that gendarmes usually have a family in their town or small city of origin and another family in the areas in which they serve. It should be remembered that in the CFK governments, gendarmes began to be assigned for security functions in conflictive neighborhoods of Greater Buenos Aires and Greater Rosario. The myth of the two (or three) families started at that time.
A lot of money
But the other attraction is in the salaries, which are quite similar to those of the Federal. An alférez or subalferez, who are a good part of those behind the shields in the repressions, have basic salaries that range from 550,192 pesos to 605,212, but with additional ones for risk, seniority and service charge -when they are in front of a demonstration all day- they can round up figures that exceed 800 thousand or 900 thousand pesos per month. A service charge like last week, more than 5 hours, adds 13,433 pesos to what they will earn at the end of the month. The head of the operation added 20,130, although his salary is 1,200,000 pesos.
The most tempting thing for a gendarme is what they call Neighborhood Prevention Function, that is, standing guard in complicated neighborhoods. To his salary, an ensign adds 267,967 pesos, which brings him closer to one million pesos. The other myth that usually circulates is that the gendarmes do less business than the police – federal or Buenos Aires or Santa Fe or Cordoba – so their neighborhood prevention services would be more efficient. The businesses talked about are always the same: links to prostitution, quackery, gambling, bravas and, in the worst cases, drugs.
In the Prefecture and in the Airport Security Police (PSA) There are also infantry groups, although smaller. In the latest protests, the prefects were seen at the Pueyrredon Bridge, while the PSA agents, through the Airport Infantry Group, were involved in the repression in the vicinity of Congress. In general, they are bodies that their companions define like this: “It’s a brutal place”.
The increase in January and after
The January increase was 16 percent, because it supposedly follows the increases of UPCN, one of the state unions. Of course, with the increase in prices in December and January, they lost by a landslide against the inflation. And the outlook is that this will continue.
However, the rumor that they sent to the troops is that they are going to compensate them with additional ones that -supposedly- will add up. And the troops believe that rumor. They know that the situation is going to get increasingly heated and that Milei-Bullrich is not going to want to risk it. Perhaps in the government you remember that the biggest conflict in recent years between the security forces, gendarmes and prefects was in 2012 for salary reasons. They came to occupy the central buildings, the Sentinel and the Coast Guard, they quartered themselves and created anxiety throughout society. Of course, at that time CFK governed and the protest was led by far-right characters, with coverage from the major media. Now, those far-right characters tune in to the Casa Rosada. It is different.