After a parade to celebrate the World Cup win on Tuesday ended with players including Lionel Messi being evacuated by helicopter, the Argentine government defended its security strategy and criticized local football leaders.
Given the projected five million spectators, Security Minister Anibal Fernandez claimed it was difficult to continue the march and that’s why he decided to remove the players using helicopters. Two guys attempted to jump from an overhanging bridge onto the double-decker, open-air bus transporting the World Cup champions, causing fans to throng the vehicle and forcing its evacuation.
“It was self evident that the operation wouldn’t get to its final destination,” Fernandez told reporters on Wednesday according to a video posted on the TN website. The minister also lashed out against the head of the country’s football federation, who hinted that the national government left the team bus without adequate security.
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The interruption of the celebration in Buenos Aires left millions without the chance to see their heroes, triggering a political blame-game in the football-craze nation. While World Cup winners, including Argentina’s past two titles, tend to share the celebration with the head of state, in this case the players were reluctant to meet top officials because, as Minister Fernandez said, they didn’t want to mix sports with politics.
In a separate radio interview on Wednesday, President Alberto Fernandez said he offered the iconic balcony at the presidential palace to the players in downtown Buenos Aires as a safe place to greet fans instead of a bus parade, but they were too tired, according to La Nacion. A government spokeswoman didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Argentina’s political situation is highly polarized and a picture of politicians with Messi, a local hero who is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, could have impact political standings ahead of general elections in October. The ruling Peronist coalition has seen approval ratings decline as annual inflation accelerates to close to 100%.
