los cartoneros

san cristobal, buenos aires

below the enchanting edificios and buzzing neon signs, in fashionable palermo and gritty la boca, can be found the most prominent reminder that this city is not paradise for all. los cartoneros patrol the sidewalks of this city searching for their namesake, cardboard. it is definitely disquieting to be in their presence, which is ubiquitous after the working day is done. however, there is something that separates los cartoneros from similar downtrodden urban collectors, something that was apparent even before our group attended a lecture on the topic last night.

the hyperinflation and economic crisis that the country experienced at the end of 2001 had far-reaching consequences, and the current prevalence of cartoneros is one. the people who used to work in supermercados, construction or other occupations at the lower end of the middle class are now the ones who scour the streets for cardboard. they find it in dumpsters and garbage bags, stack it in rickshaw-sized carts, and take it to one of the local factories that buys it at advertised prices. the wages generally amount to over us$100 per month, which is reasonable by world bank standards, but hardly promising of anything but a precarious existence. while there were cartoneros before the crisis of 2001, there were not so many as exist today. these people have obviously not been able to find work in the past seven years and are becoming ever more pigeonholed into this one occupation. even more disconcerting, many cartoneros can be seen accompanied by their hijos, apprenticing in an unstable trade instead of focusing on school.

the government, recoiling from the shocks of the economic crisis, has been very lenient towards the cartoneros and they are able to enjoy at least some freedom to earn their living. but, like all things in life (or things that right-wingers can influence), there is instability. the current conservative mayor has been quoted as saying that the cartoneros are robbing the trash of the people. not only insensitive, this is also against the spirit of what is happening as these people go so far as to retie garbage bags and clean up the trash when they are done with a pile. so, for now los cartoneros can continue with their trade. all it will take is more distance from the events that caused their hardships and a few more sheltered souls in power to further dehumanize so many hardworking people.

post scripto. for all the johnistas in the argentina tv market, look for my appearance and pidgin spanish on canal 7 at 2000hrs on an upcoming viernes. i will be butchering your language on a show called recursos ambiente.