Argentina Seals Off Buenos Aires Slum as COVID-19 Cases Surge

By Democracy Now

 

HAVANA TIMES – In Argentina, security forces have sealed off one of the poorest neighborhoods in the outskirts of the capital Buenos Aires, preventing people from entering or leaving, after more than half of the slum’s 300 residents tested earlier in the week tested positive for COVID-19.

Local activists and some members of Argentina’s leftist government condemned the move, saying it felt like the country was building “ghettos for poor people.”

Argentina’s slums are often overcrowded and lack proper sewerage or running water, making it nearly impossible for residents to isolate or maintain proper hygiene.