ROSARIO, (Reuters) – Argentina launched an offensive on gangs in the farm hub city of Rosario yesterday, bringing in some 575 security personnel after a spate of attacks including the killing of an 11-year-old boy and a threat against soccer star Lionel Messi.
The inland river port city, that has a history of gang violence, has seen around one murder a day this year, which has rattled the country and prompted a major national response.
“We have brought federal forces with enough might to take action all around the city,” Minister of Security Anibal Fernandez said at an event in Rosario, pledging to fight “to the bone” to deal with the gangs.
“We have come to do that, to work together and without ceasing to get to the root of the issue.”
On the streets of Rosario, Reuters reporters saw armored vehicles and patrols carrying out searches and document checks. Many people spoke of their fear of the gangs.
“If you go out you have to be aware of your children, older people,” said Roxana, 47, a resident of a poor neighborhood in Rosario. “There is always fear for the children and for ourselves, the people who work.”
