Namer delves deeply into this unique cemetery offering a thoughtful reflection on the legacy of modern utopia and providing a feminist re-interpretation of history all images by Federico Cairoli Ítala Fulvia Villa conceived the Sexto Panteón (find more here) in the context of post-WWII prosperity in Argentina Argentina was one of the world’s leading powers and the second-largest destination for European migrants after the US The population of Buenos Aires tripled between 1920 and 1960 growing from one to three million residents creating a need for more space in cemeteries The city entrusted Ítala Fulvia Villa who was then working for the city’s architecture and urbanism department with the task of addressing the urgent need to manage the increasing numbers of deceased Disrupting the tradition of past funerary architecture Villa proposed to reinvent the modern cemetery the Sexto Panteon stands as a unique experiment in applying modern architectural principles to the realm of funerary spaces on such a grand scale Ítala Fulvia Villa reimagined the Roman catacombs by designing a subterranean necropolis organized into two levels with the ground floor left open as a garden The access points are brutalist temples designed by Clorindo Testa (1923-2013) an Argentine pioneer of mid-20th-century Brutalist architecture symbolizing the entrance to the underworld The Sexto Panteon is a labyrinthine and futuristic world where funerary tunnels wind through the structure illuminated only by patios where concrete stairs unfold like escalators and coffins travel by elevators this Brutalist-style cemetery stands as the first and largest example of modern architecture in the funerary field the broader research project and series of exhibitions centered around Sexto Panteón ‘In my circle of Argentinian architect friends nobody seemed to know the Sexto Panteón The few people who could identify it didn’t seem to find any particular interest in it,’ shares the French architect and author ‘I tried to find information online: ‘Buenos Aires underground cemetery’: nothing ‘Chacarita brutalist cemetery’: nothing ‘Clorindo Testa Chacarita’: nothing. The French architect was able to acquire some information after visiting the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos located in the historic center of Buenos Aires The institution had a small library where one could consult architectural magazines published in Argentina since the 1930s A single search result appeared in the computer at the reception: Nuestra Arquitectura no This discovery kickstarted Namer’s extensive research journey thick concrete walls structure the cemetery Namer narrates her visit to the cemetery with eloquence and detail ‘Images of Greek mythology preoccupied me as I took the stairs leading to the underworld for the first time then a second… The light and sounds felt different The air temperature felt cooler and a strong smell entered my nostrils: the smell of death Thick walls of tomb niches surrounded me in the darkness of a funerary gallery The same box repeating itself ad infinitum This rationalisation of the space of death made me shudder and I suddenly feared getting lost in this macabre labyrinth in the distance I spotted the rays of sunshine crossing the depths of your necropolis which to me seemed like a modern reinterpretation of the Roman catacombs,’ Namer writes. The brilliance of its colors exploded in conjunction with the concrete lattices that surrounded it The shrill cries of parakeets echoed in the distance It felt like discovering a forgotten pre-Hispanic city in the jungle.’ the particular attention to details creates a sharp contrast with the massive scale of the project Sexto Panteón by Ítala Fulvia Villa varied textures and mysterious patterns ornate the volumes Itala Fulvia Villa conceived a subterranean necropolis organised on two levels the cemetery presents a labyrinthine interior the brutalist complex is illuminated by verdant patios the Sexto Panteón necropolis contains an impressive 150,000 burial plots Sexto Panteon is a labyrinthine and futuristic world happening now! partnering with antonio citterio, AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function, but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style, context, and personal expression. 29 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT?.css-1txiau5-AnswerContainer{color:var(--GlobalColorScheme-Text-secondaryText2);}Chacarita Juniors won 2–0 over Club Atlético Estudiantes on Sat Predicted lineups are available for the match a few days in advance while the actual lineup will be available about an hour ahead of the match The current head to head record for the teams are Club Atlético Estudiantes 5 win(s) Have scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches 29 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT?Chacarita Juniors won 2–0 over Club Atlético Estudiantes on Sat 29 Mar 2025 20:30:00 GMT.InsightsHave scored 4 goals in their last 5 matches Club Atlético Estudiantes is playing home against Chacarita Juniors at Estadio Ciudad de Caseros on Sat Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon The best of Buenos Aires straight to your inbox We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush) Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Buenos Aires his new neo-pulpería in ChacaritaOur experience with the cuisine of Leonardo “El Tucu” Govetto Sosa at this neo-pulpería with its own charcuterie A discreet door on Fraga Street in Chacarita which doesn't spoil what you're about to experience A journey back to the memories of our roots to the countryside that spans from north to south of this country and to the Spanish immigrant culture that Buenos Aires has hosted for centuries At the end of a hallway, another door appears. This one leads you to a dreamy Andalusian patio. Spacious, with the rusticity of the genuine and the delicacy of a well-crafted gastronomic proposal. On one side, there is a bar, and there, between orders at the start of the dinner service, is the chef of Abreboca the neo-pulpería that opened a few weeks ago in the heart of Chacarita Leonardo Govetto Sosa (Don Julio and Chila a nickname that obviously comes from his home province but also from his shy accent that blends with the porteño He steps away from the bar for a moment and sits at one of the tables to talk about the proposal which includes a variety of small sharing plates You may also be interested in: The 56 best restaurants in Buenos Aires Let's start with what brings us here: the food Some of the raciones—what we call the small dishes—that I most recommend are the blood sausage one of the most requested is the ribeye with chimichurri butter But I would also order the smoked dulce de leche pancake I can’t help but think that I would pair all this with a Cabernet Franc Why do you define Abreboca as a neo-pulpería A pulpería is a countryside restaurant that also functions as a general store in many towns in Argentina and here we bring that concept to the city adapting traditional flavors to contemporary dining If you go to a traditional pulpería we also offer small sharing plates and present everything in a more modern way Pulperías are also immigrant cuisine There are Italian pulperías and mainly Spanish pulperías And why are you drawn to countryside cuisine with Spanish inspiration I think it’s because here I’m basically cooking everything my grandmother used to make for me I’m bringing in the things I learned when we went to the countryside in Tucumán which I learned from chef Guido Tassi (El Preferido Don Julio) and have perfected over the years with ingredients truly found in the countryside That’s why we don’t have fish on the menu We also use techniques native to the countryside such as cooking with embers and even created a small stove on the fire pit to be able to cook using all that heat The whole menu was designed as if we were in the countryside and then we adapted the presentations to bring them to this table the vermouth and the olive before the meal It’s what opens your stomach and prepares you for what’s coming Why did you add your own charcuterie cellar That’s quite rare in Buenos Aires restaurants We wanted to have our own charcuterie cellar to control the entire preservation process we’re seeing the fruits of the work we’ve been doing for months because it takes a long time to make sausages How is the process of making the sausages served at Abreboca It requires a lot of patience and technique we are committed to the concept of nose-to-tail cooking which means using everything the animal or nature provides That’s why all our sausages are stuffed in natural casings; we don’t use synthetic casings because we don’t need them but it takes a lot of skill to do it this way which is why it’s a great added value we give to our sausages You may also be interested in: The Best steakhouses in Buenos Aires With the challenges that this technique presents I’m a chef who is very conscious of the fact that eating meat involves the sacrifice of an animal the least I can do is use the whole animal and not waste food Nature gives us everything; we don’t need synthetic casings and we’re not interested in that part of the industry What’s the most original thing on the menu which is a delicious and little-known cold cut that we bring to the table with the idea of highlighting those recipes that are no longer made but define us as Argentines Queso de chancho is made with the leftovers of the pig; it’s seasoned and it’s a true reflection of our countryside but those who have tried it have been fascinated so I always say you have to be daring and try it Bonus track: Here are two tips to get the most out of your experience at Abreboca: We recommend not missing out on the bread basket that comes with country bread and tortas fritas If the weather isn’t extreme (there are heaters) don’t miss the option to dine in the Andalusian patio it’s an invitation to transport yourself to another time and place Where: Fraga 541, Chacarita. Monday to Saturday from 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Reservations here Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! About us Contact us 'Chacarita Moderna: The Brutalist Necropolis of Buenos Aires' is a new book by Léa Namer; an ode to 20th-century architecture concrete and one of Argentina's first female architects When she found out the author of the scheme within Chacarita cemetery was one of Argentina's first female architects Namer recalls of her first visit there: 'In 2014 a French architect friend introduced me to the Sexto Panteón I was returning to Buenos Aires after having done a university exchange there a few years earlier (2010-2011) I still vividly recall the first time I descended the stairs into that underworld I felt like Orpheus entering the depths of Hell.' 'The experience had a profound impact on me I was deeply moved by the brutalist funerary aesthetics of the necropolis the prevailing light and silence in the subterranean world who appeared to me like a modern reinterpretation of the roman catacombs In all my architectural visits and travels no place had ever evoked such emotion in me I sensed I had discovered something significant and had the strange intuition that this discovery would change my life.' Sexto Panteón was built in 1949 in the Argentinian capital as an underground necropolis containing 150,000 burial plots Crafted out of textured concrete and stark sculptural volumes dug out of the earth and set among greenery this is claimed to be the first and largest experimentation of modernist architecture in its typology - and yet it remains largely unknown 'What surprised me most about the Sexto Panteón was my belief that I had discovered the most significant piece of modern architecture in Argentina yet no one seemed to know about it—not even my circle of Argentinian architect friends The few who did recognize it didn't seem to find it particularly interesting,' says Namer. 'I began searching for information on the building and its architect I was astonished to discover the name Itala Fulvia Villa who I later learned was one of Argentina's first female architects and urbanists It had never crossed my mind that such an incredible building could have been designed by a woman!' Villa (1913-1991) was a pioneering architect and urban planner from Argentina, who contributed to Le Corbusier’s master plan for Buenos Aires she introduced modernist teachings to her South American context which also contains texts by Ana Maria León and was supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Study in Fine Art is a luxurious and information-rich publication on the project escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox 'As detailed in the chapter "Letter to Itala" of the book my investigation about the Sexto Panteon and Itala Fulvia Villa has been filled with surprising discoveries over the ten last years while the idea of book was already launched I had the opportunity to explore a new archive in Buenos Aires which included photographs of the construction site and a sketch of the project I've been looking for years,' Namer adds. I think the most rewarding aspect of compiling this book has been realizing the international interest it attracted was willing to support me on such a niche topic the American grant support from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.' buildingbooks.fr Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006 visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas Ellie has also taken part in judging panels such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022) Until recently, the Sixth Pantheon of Chacarita was an icon of Argentine modern architecture that went unnoticed. Located in the heart of the city of Buenos Aires this pantheon represents one of the first and one of the largest experiments in modern funerary architecture of such magnitude in the world The project arises in a post-war context, marked by Juan Domingo Perón's rise to the presidency and a notable demographic growth in Buenos Aires The saturation of cemeteries became a necessity that public authorities had to address © Jeffry ParedesThe Chacarita Cemetery stands as a prominent urban entity in the Argentine capital. With its 95 hectares, it is one of the largest cemeteries in the world. It functions as a city within the city, offering a reflection of the historical and socio-economic strata of Buenos Aires. This necropolis displays an impressive architectural eclecticism, blending vaults, mausoleums, pantheons, graves, and galleries of niches. The chosen location for the construction of the Sixth Pantheon is particularly symbolic, as it is situated in the center of the layout designed by the cemetery's architect, Juan A. Buschiazzo, at the end of the 19th century. It is aligned with the main entrance and the crematorium. In the second phase, a dual ventilation system was designed, currently out of service, to ensure the elimination of odors from the decomposition of corpses. On one hand, the air escaping from the back of the crematories was treated with nitrogen before being released to the surface through ventilation grilles. On the other hand, circulation spaces had an air supply system to enhance natural ventilation. You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Get our news on your inbox! Suscribe x MercoPress, en Español Montevideo, May 6th 2025 - 01:58 UTC and more than 20 needed hospitalization after violent clashes between Argentine riot police and retirees demanding better wages with support from numerous groups of organized football fans from the main local clubs known as “barrabravas,” which could be roughly translated as “hooligans” representing Chacarita These organizations supporting the violent demonstrations broke up sidewalks to get stones to throw at law enforcement forces while brandishing Palestinian flags and other pennants in a colorful pastiche that was anything but artistic which in the end damaged the legitimate claim for the extension of a pension moratorium the full reinstatement of PAMI's (senior citizens healthcare provider) medical coverage and updated pays to cope with inflation that in reality is nowhere near the 2% or so the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Indec) claims to be The protest escalated when some demonstrators threw stones and set fire to garbage containers National Border Guard (Gendarmería Nacional) and Coast Guard (PNA) to enforce Security Minister Patricia Bullrich's anti-picketing protocol which included rubber bullets including 10 police officers and freelance photojournalist Pablo Grillo who was critically wounded after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister Grillo sustained severe skull fractures and underwent surgery Other injuries included a policewoman hit by a stone and another officer shot in the arm Also participating in the protest were unions such as the CGT and CTA and social organizations such as UTEP Bullrich banned “any person who is charged prosecuted or convicted” for crimes related to the disturbance of public order involved in Wednesday's protests from entering football stadiums a weekly event carried out in front of Congress for over eight years mirroring the historical protests of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo reflects the economic hardships facing the sector as 63.5% of them get minimum pension of AR$ 279,121 (around US$ 257) as of March The first columns of football fans arrived Wednesday afternoon to support the retirees' march as members of the Federal Police and the City Police were stationed in the vicinity to ensure compliance with the anti-picketing protocol Buenos Aires medical emergency service SAME and Red Cross personnel assisted some demonstrators who were injured during the protest by the use of pepper spray and water from hydrant trucks Grillo was hit by a tear gas pipe in the forehead causing multiple skull fractures with loss of encephalic mass due to which he was rushed to the nearby Ramos Mejía Hospital He was picturing the clashes when he was left unconscious His father Fabián Grillo told reporters that his son “was working independently.” His condition is critical a policewoman was injured by a stone in the head while another officer suffered a gunshot wound and a fracture Some demonstrators even set fire to a patrol car and several garbage containers some groups decided to camp at Plaza de Mayo early Thursday presumably to hold President Javier Milei accountable for the incidents the protesters were displaying no specific political signage Commenting for this story is now closed.If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page During a recent spring afternoon in Buenos Aires subterranean corridor straining to hear an actor in a blue dress “This place doesn’t exist in the annals of Argentinian architecture,” the actor informed them in Spanish motioning to two columbariums stacked 14 niches tall “And the architect’s signature isn’t hidden in any of this monument’s walls.” The group was gathered in the Sixth Pantheon and sunken gardens tucked within the city’s largest cemetery In 2019, a local drama company, the Mutant Woman, began staging immersive theater performances in this underground city of the dead. By the end of 2022, A More Realistic Work Than That of the World had become one of the hottest tickets in town fictional cemetery workers guide attendees through the Pantheon’s nine interlinked galleries and 40,000 vaults the female architect behind the midcentury marvel whose name and contributions were nearly forgotten—until now this striking work of modernist architecture was either overlooked entirely or attributed to Clorindo Testa The famed brutalist did indeed contribute to the Great Pantheon but the actor dressed as Villa wanted to make one thing clear—“Here The Pantheon is hidden in the very center of Chacarita Cemetery which covers some 230 acres (about a third the size of Central Park in New York City) in one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods Chacarita opened in 1871 partly because its predecessor Chacarita is laid out along boulevards lined with Art Deco and neo-gothic mausoleums housing everyone from ex-presidents to tango legends But walk past the ornate memorials and the cemetery opens onto a vast swath of grass Many tour guides simply cross this lawn not bothering to tell people about the subterranean mausoleum that lies beneath French architect Léa Namer, who has raised awareness of the Sixth Pantheon with a website “I had this feeling of being in mythology like Orpheus going down into the underworld,” she says of descending one of its colossal stairways The Pantheon was an attempt to accommodate an unprecedented number of dead after rural migrants and European immigrants flocked to booming Buenos Aires during the early 20th century With space for some 23,200 coffins and 17,000 urns the Pantheon was designed to meet the demand the first time Namer noticed sunlight from internal courtyards filtering through concrete latticework she saw the hand of someone who “tried to do his or her best to make the people visiting their dead focusing instead on a series of smaller subterranean pantheons near the cemetery’s entrance As Namer embarked on her own painstaking research she unearthed a 1961 issue of Nuestra Arquitectura that featured the newly built Pantheon It said the creators “sought to eliminate the sensation of a catacomb.” It described electric coffin elevators—still used today—and a state-of-the-art deodorizing system It also listed those involved in the project hidden in the magazine’s table of contents the project’s planner and director: Ítala Fulvia Villa it was a shock,” Namer said of discovering that the lead architect was a woman “because when I was downstairs in the Sexto Panteon I felt something I never felt before while visiting a building I think I can say I almost fell in love with the building.” Villa was only the sixth woman to enter the University of Buenos Aires’s architecture school she went on to become the sole woman among the 12 members of the Austral Group a collective that included the designers of the famed butterfly chair Villa was one of the group members who helped their modernist muse flesh out his master plan for Buenos Aires Though the plan was never officially adopted their vision of a waterfront “business city” eventually materialized in the form of Puerto Madero a waterfront neighborhood in the city’s central business district Villa would go on to dedicate her career almost exclusively to urbanism plan to modernize the isolated and underserved Bajo Flores neighborhood in Buenos Aires while working in the city’s Directorate General of Architecture and Urbanism she oversaw the building of several underground pantheons in Flores and Chacarita cemetery Very little has been written about Villa’s intentions behind the Sixth Pantheon, according to Argentinian researcher and architect Inés Moisset, who featured Villa on her site “Un Dia | Una Arquitecta.” But Moisset sees much in common with urban modernist interests—namely the idea of minimalist apartments and collective housing (in this case experimentation with materials like reinforced concrete and the idea of freeing up space for recreation “I think we can deduce that the same ideas that [modernists] used for the cities of the living she used for the cities of the dead,” Moisset said The Pantheon was the city’s “it” resting place when it first opened and yet it wasn’t included in Francisco Bullrich’s seminal 1963 survey Contemporary Argentinian Architecture a slight that Moisset believes must have been intentional “On the one hand female architects are always less recognized but on the other hand I suspect that there was something personal between Bullrich and her,” she says Even the exact date of her death in 1991 is unknown Whatever the cause of Bullrich’s omission Moisset believes it doomed the Pantheon to decades of obscurity To remedy this, Moisset, alongside Namer and others, launched a petition calling for Buenos Aires to recognize the Pantheon as “one of the most significant examples of modernist architecture and landscaping both locally and internationally.” The petition won the support of city legislator María Cecilia Ferrero and the Pantheon is expected to receive final approval as a cultural landmark sometime in 2023 Advocates hope the designation will help win funds to restore the complex much of the Sixth Pantheon’s upkeep has fallen on freelance caretakers hired by family members of the deceased During the 50 years he has worked in the cemetery who tends to the Pantheon’s oldest gallery has gone from cleaning and maintaining about 500 crypts to just 80 or so few from the younger generations visit the Pantheon as relatives of those interred also begin to die off has caused the Pantheon to become “very neglected,” Alvarez says He believes the city’s efforts to maintain it are just for show but they never do anything,” he says the ladders so people can climb up—the city doesn’t give me anything.” The show’s carefully choreographed trajectory doesn’t shy away from the Pantheon’s more unsightly areas. “Even though it’s sad, it’s also beautiful in a very weird way,” says co-creator of the production Victoria Roland. “If we’re talking about preservation and cultural patrimony, of course, this place should be much better taken care of,” she continues. “But for the play, which is an act of contemplation and an aesthetic event, you don’t judge these things. You just try to see what all these mixed sensations make you feel about death.” Roland believes the play has helped raise awareness of the Pantheon, and she and director Juan Coulasso have worked closely with its advocates. Among other things, they helped Namer install a ceramic plaque crediting Villa as the Pantheon’s architect and another plaque on Villa’s family mausoleum, located in the older part of the cemetery. Both have since been bleached by the sun, but Namer—true to her name—plans to replace them when she returns to Buenos Aires. Roland can no longer recall the plaque’s exact location, bringing to mind a line from the play. “It’s just like that,” an actor told the audience. “Once you go down, you get lost. It doesn’t matter where you walk or which corridor you choose, you always get lost. I think that’s what she wanted.” We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. 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The current head to head record for the teams are Chacarita Juniors 2 win(s) Chacarita Juniors is playing home against Agropecuario on Sun ArgentinaChevron Buenos AiresChevron Laura MaciasSave this storySaveSave this storySaveFor two decades, destination dining in Buenos Aires usually meant going traditional in Recoleta or visiting the latest sensation in always-trendy Palermo as sprawling Palermo spawned ever more restaurants its enclaves all got modish nicknames: Palermo Soho So when in recent years ambitious chefs began opening kitchens in Chacarita a leafy Palermo-adjacent residential neighborhood that's home to Argentina's largest cemetery locals jokingly dubbed the area Palermo Dead Chacarita has surpassed Palermo as the best dining neighborhood Restaurants here tend to be low-key but serious in their culinary goals offering eclectic combinations that often center on fresh vegetables Discussing recipes at the Mexican spot Ulúa chef Christina Sunae brings a 21st-century touch to her Filipina grandmother's cooking with mash-ups like the hipon taure langoustines with tofu cream “The neighborhood is like a cult of good eating and drinking,” says Florencia Ravioli preferably served with seltzer—is a welcome link to the Chacarita of old This article appeared in the April 2022 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Show Search Search Query Submit Search Don't Miss Print CHACARITA Costa Rica — Karol Vega remembers a time when her neighbors would spend long evenings outside together laughing and listening to salsa music as they shared ceviche Then crack cocaine started flooding this Costa Rican fishing town — and dealers began competing for turf Karol Vega in the bedroom that belonged to her son who was shot and killed in December in Chacarita (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As young men were gunned down in succession — one while playing soccer yet another while pedaling his bike — most residents stopped leaving their homes after dark to report that Kedwin had been shot in the head and killed Costa Rica was an island of peace in one of the most turbulent regions in the world millions of foreigners come to enjoy its pristine beaches But as violence has risen steadily here over the last decade — accelerating sharply during the last year — there is a growing sense that the nation of 5.2 million sandwiched between the world’s biggest producer of cocaine and the world’s largest drug market may be unable to escape the curse of its geography Soccer practice is held at a park alongside the beach near an entry point along the Rio Cieneguita where fishing boats carrying illicit drugs enter the small town from the Caribbean Sea (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) “We are in the most dangerous neighborhood in the world,” said former President Laura Chinchilla The rise in violent crime comes amid a backdrop of growing inequality high unemployment and an erosion of investment in education — a major shift in a country that long prided itself on its strong middle class and on producing “students Driving the bloodshed, officials say, is a surge in the global cocaine supply as well as the expansion of the drug market here, where crack is now sold for as little as $1 a dose. World & Nation U.S. prosecutors have filed motions claiming Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez helped move cocaine and said he wanted to “shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos.” “We’re being inundated by a tsunami of cocaine,” said Mauricio Boraschi, a federal prosecutor focused on drug crimes. He said the rapid growth of the drug trade and its attendant violence have been a source of soul-searching for many Costa Ricans, who are taught at a young age about their nation’s exceptionalism. “It’s making us question our identity,” Boraschi said. “We’re looking into a mirror saying: ‘Who are we? And how are we going to get out of this?’” At school, Vega’s teachers had taught her that Costa Rica was “a place of peace and tranquility.” In 1948, Costa Rican President Jose Figueres stood before the nation’s military headquarters and bashed its wall with a sledgehammer. Figueres, who had just led a guerrilla army to victory in a civil war, announced he was abolishing the armed forces — an act he viewed as a safeguard against the military coups that had so often derailed Central American democracies. Not having to fund a military meant Costa Rica could invest more in health, education and environmental protection. In the ensuing decades, the country boasted some of the highest standards of living in Latin America as well as some of its lowest crime rates — two phenomena that its leaders insisted were linked. “Threats are absent not because we lack tanks, but because there are few of us who are hungry, illiterate or unemployed,” President Oscar Arias said in a speech to the U.S. Congress in 1987. The pandemic made the poor of Latin America poorer and set back a fledgling middle class throughout the region But in recent years, as Costa Rica weathered the 2008 global economic crisis and then the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for education and social programs fell sharply. Poverty rose, and a gap widened between the prosperous capital of San Jose and more neglected regions on the country’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Unemployment now hovers at 11%, with 1 in 3 workers younger than 25 unable to find a job. Economic troubles have made the country fertile ground for the drug trade. For a long time, shipments of cocaine merely crossed through Costa Rican waters on their journey from Colombia to the United States, with traffickers paying locals cash to help refuel their boats along the way. Costa Ricans now entered the business of trafficking, smuggling drugs onto shipping containers packed with bananas and pineapples bound for the U.S. and Europe. And they forged a new domestic drug market, employing out-of-work teenagers as dealers — including in Chacarita, a town of 26,000 on the Pacific coast. Kedwin, who dropped out after seventh grade because his family couldn’t afford his bus fare to school, started selling drugs a few years ago, his mother said. It paid much better than the only other work he could find, cleaning a restaurant after it closed for the night. In Chacarita, Costa Rica, most residents have stopped leaving home after dark. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) His gang of dealers got into a beef with another. That’s when the killings started. The majority of the victims were like Kedwin, said his mother: “They’re just little boys. Little boys with guns.” The country saw a record 656 killings last year, up 61% from 407 in 2012 — one of the highest rates of growth in the Americas over the last decade. But this year Costa Rica is on track to smash all records for violence, with killings on pace to rise nearly 40% to more than 900, or 17 for every 100,000 people. While that is lower than the rates in Venezuela, Honduras and Mexico, it is more than double the U.S. homicide rate. With the proliferation of drugs has come a new narco culture. immigrants who’ve saved to retire there are reevaluating ties to home — and whether returning is worth the risk Young men now cruise around on luxury motorcycles and roadside vendors sell paintings of the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and Mexican counterpart Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán Officials say gangs of professional assassins carry out gruesome killings such as the seven people executed this year on a ranch or the decapitated body found floating in a marsh or the drug boss shot to death while dropping off his daughter at school Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero said such incidents are part of what he calls the “Mexicanization” of crime Local criminal groups have traded handguns for automatic rifles and adopted the brutal methods associated with drug cartels in Mexico “We’re now seeing things we used to only see on television,” Zamora said A vendor sells paintings of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in Limón (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Polls show that violence is now the top concern among Costa Ricans and some have questioned whether the country can continue to uphold its ideal of nonmilitarization in the face of such grave threats Many see a cautionary tale in nearby Ecuador, another once-peaceful country that in a short few years has become excessively violent, in part because of a deluge of cocaine. Costa Rica’s main business association recently asked the government to declare a state of emergency before the crime wave — which is largely contained to poor neighborhoods in several cities — starts to hurt the country’s $2-billion tourism industry. Fernando Villavicencio was killed by a gunman at a political rally in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where drug trafficking and violence have surged. Although few here propose the creation of an army, many have criticized the government of President Rodrigo Chaves for what they see as a tepid response. Chaves has proposed changes to the judicial system — to allow prosecutors to charge minors accused of homicide as adults and to make it easier to tap the communications of alleged gang members. He has also authorized the hiring of 700 new police officers, adding to the country’s relatively small force of 13,500. And in Limón, a city on the Caribbean coast that has become one of the biggest cocaine-trafficking hubs in Central America, police recently took over security at the main port, where the installation of new state-of-the-art scanners has led to several large drug busts in recent months. But without a military, the government lacks the force to engage in the kind of direct armed confrontation with criminals that is seen in many other countries. On a recent muggy evening in Limón, as dusk fell on the coastline, two police trucks crept onto the beach, directing their headlights onto choppy waves. A group of speedboats were returning to shore after a day at sea. Many were steered by fishermen bringing back the day’s catch. Others, the police said, might well be carrying cocaine. But the police were not there to chase down and inspect the boats — just to act as a visual deterrent. Eventually, the speedboats disappeared into the mouth of a river that snakes through the city and the police trucks pulled away. Zamora, the security minister, said there are plenty of examples in the region of why militarization is not the answer. He pointed to Mexico, where the government’s war on cartels from 2006 to 2018 failed to reduce drug trafficking and unleashed a bigger wave of violence that did not spare civilians. Despite strict gun laws, Mexico is in the grips of an arms race. “It is possible to confront crime ... without changing ourselves and suddenly losing our values and our identity,” Zamora said. “We’re going to resolve this problem the Costa Rican way.” For many, that means Costa Rica should return to its principles of more social development. “We don’t need more police, we need more opportunity,” said Miguel Diaz Vega, a lawyer in Chacarita who blames rising crime in part on the shutdown of the local shrimp trawling industry a few years ago over ecological concerns. 1. A bike peddles in front of the store where Kedwin Cordero Vega was shot and killed. 2. Attorney Miguel Alberto Diaz Vega. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times) Politicians in Latin America are adopting Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s style — aviator sunglasses “Our system pushes people into delinquency,” he said But others have begun clamoring for harsher security policies, with growing calls for a crackdown similar to the one conducted in El Salvador under President Nayib Bukele, who has dramatically lowered crime by rounding up tens of thousands of suspected gang members with little concern for due process. Karol Vega, 36, visits the tomb of son Kedwin, 17, in Chacarita, Costa Rica. He was shot and killed in December 2022. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) “We need a Bukele here,” said Celenia Alpizer, 47, a mother of three who has lived her whole life in Chacarita. “We need an iron fist,” she said. “Here the policing is too relaxed.” “Too pura vida,” interjected a friend, using a popular phrase that translates roughly to “relax, don’t worry about it.” They were speaking near the snack bar where Kedwin was slain in December. Alpizer pointed out that at the time of the killing, a police cruiser had been stationed nearby, yet officers didn’t intervene. Despite a heavy police presence in her neighborhood, she said, nine young men including Kedwin have been killed here over the last year. “Kids I watched being born are dead now,” she said. Kate Linthicum is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Mexico City. Subscribe for unlimited access Site Map The people of Buenos Aires are a wildly passionate bunch and being a fan of the national team is basically its own religious sect especially when it comes to beef and pizza Some porteños stick to specific cuts of steak grilled over a wood fire (never coal) and praise the city’s infamously fluffy pizza with minimal sauce and abundant cheese—forget a thin crust Dinner usually kicks off around 10pm and lingers until well after midnight That’s the case whether you’re sitting for multiple courses at a tasting menu spot in Colegiales nursing a malbec over small plates in one of Chacarita’s modern wine bars or loading up on grilled beef at any parrilla (classic steakhouse) in trendy Palermo or touristy San Telmo because many restaurants offer discounts if you don’t use a card C1426CVH">.css-56eu0z{width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;line-height:1em;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray100);vertical-align:middle;fill:currentColor;}Maure 3126 Colegiales the current hub for all the restaurants where the chefs use tweezers The menu has things like wild pig empanadas baked in a stone oven which are fried dough fritters with greens They use the best seasonal vegetables and fruits from local farmers and even whip up desserts with loquats harvested from the nearby trees Sit on the patio and you’ll likely see their pet hen named Catalina wandering around Narda Comedor Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre 664 Buenos Aires Argentinian Belgrano After you’ve eaten enough meat to feel like you could have personally shut down a dairy farm It’s run by a famous Argentine chef who opened the spot in 2017 and the menu has a number of solid plant-based options Palta que lo Parió is one of our favorite dishes and is made with toasted bread Definitely grab a spot outside when it’s nice out especially since they’ve got a great view of the park in Bajo Belgrano Roux Fusion Recoleta What looks like a cute little corner bistro in Recoleta is actually one of the most popular fine dining joints in Buenos Aires French-Argentine Roux is the place to order things that aren’t beef-centric like the octopus risotto and beet carpaccio This white-tablecloth spot is definitely on the more expensive side for Buenos Aires Mishiguene Jewish Palermo Treintasillas Freire 700 y Federico Lacroze Buenos Aires Colegiales are a unique Buenos Aires dining experience (think of them like secret supper clubs with home-cooked meals) Treintasillas has been around for more than a decade and makes you feel like your swanky chef friend invited you over for a romantic dinner in their dreamy courtyard but vegetables get to be the main character in many of the dishes you’ll try and you’ll need to make a reservation via WhatsApp La Fuerza Chacarita La Fuerza is a small bar located on a corner in Chacarita where you’ll eat your meal under dim lights and listen to music from the early 2000s It’s a great place to snack and drink—try their french fries “a caballo,” which has nothing to do with horses and simply means they come topped with two fried eggs You could also get their chickpea-based fainazzeta pizza if you want something closer to a full meal Pair it with their house vermouth that’s made with Andean botanicals Lado V Vegan Plaza Serrano and the surrounding streets are where everybody goes out for the night in Buenos Aires But instead of (solely) drinking malbec or eating choripan you should come to Lado V for vegan food like mushroom tacos and a lentil and carrot burger—oh and also to dive into a ball pit surrounded by neon lights It might sound like a vegan McDonald's from the ‘90s but this spot has good food and is extra fun Don Julio Steaks Don Julio is arguably the most famous restaurant in all of Buenos Aires It’s racked up more accolades than EGOT winner and fictional nun Whoopi Goldberg and ever since Messi ate here a few months after bagging the title for Argentina it’s impossible to get a table without making a reservation months in advance Start with the ground beef empanadas before getting into big plates of charred chorizo the tenderloins and strip steaks are the best Siga la Vaca Puerto Madero The neighborhood of Puerto Madero is lovely for laid-back walks at sundown After you’ve taken enough golden hour selfies to make your travel partner swear off being seen with you at dusk head straight to Siga La Vaca and look for the cow statues at the entrance—the name of the restaurant literally translates to “follow the cow.” Go for the grilled all-you-can-eat steak which costs around $35 and includes chorizo El Litoral Balvanera Since this steakhouse is located a few blocks away from the Parliament building you can expect a totally local crowd of government workers who come here for a meat charge between all that legislating Spring for either one of their huge steaks with fries or a bondiola sandwich filled with shredded pork loin There’s no better place to practice your Spanish and learn a word or two in lunfardo Los Chanchitos Villa Crespo Pizzería Güerrín Pizza San Nicolas This spot has been whipping up the best pizza in town since 1932 on the centrally-located Corrientes Avenue fluffier dough fully covered with cheese anywhere else Avoid the crowds by going for a very early dinner (or Argentine lunch) around 6pm the line moves quickly and the food comes out fast Don’t worry about trying everything on your first visit—you’ll most likely end up here more than once Las Cuartetas Estadio Luna Park The fugazza pizzas are our favorite—you’ll need a fork and knife to pull a slice out of the deep-dish pan and plenty of napkins in case all that stringy mozzarella and shredded onion finds its way on the table instead of your plate Do like the locals do and have your pizza with a cold Quilmes beer at one of the standing counters Banchero La Boca Banchero is a legendary pizza restaurant in La Boca that makes great fugazza slices oozing with cheese Come and have lunch after walking around the colorful Caminito the city’s iconic (and touristy) stretch of souvenirs and colorful historic houses of the first immigrants who came to Buenos Aires Banchero has big wooden doors that are hard to miss not to mention lots of old photos on the walls and a huge painting of the neighborhood’s port Pin Pun Almagro Pin Pun is a small and unpretentious restaurant with three locations in Buenos Aires This one is in the old neighborhood of Almagro on Corrientes Avenue but off the tourist track It’s easy to find—just look for the red wall and neon lights and follow the smell of fresh-baked dough and browned cheese It's a great place to come with a group and yell along with the locals during a Boca Juniors vs Don Ignacio Centro Asturiano Spanish Montserrat Once you walk into Centro Asturiano, you’ll feel like you’re in an old tavern in northern Spain with wine bottles, vintage photos, and antiques everywhere. Come for lunch after you tour the Barolo Palace and Parliament Square order one of their ridiculously large tortilla españolas and add on some gambas al ajillo that’s served sizzling in the traditional clay pot Close out your lunch with a cup of custard Larreta Enrique Larreta Museum of Spanish Art in Belgrano take a walk down nearby Cabildo Avenue—where you’ll find all different types of cute clothing shops—to digest your mollusks Los Galgos A post shared by Soccer Laduma (@soccer_laduma) SA News African News World News The Club House Podcasts & Videos More Premiership In a match between Tiro Federal and Chacarita a brawl broke out on the pitch in the 80th minute.Federal skipper Franco Nieto was attacked by a group "including a player from the opposing team an assistant coach and a hooligan," regional police chief Fabian Bordon told TN television He tried to defend himself but he was struck violently in the head According to non-governmental group Salvemos al Futbol there have been 15 soccer-related deaths in the country this year Cristián Suárez is a Chilean football defender who has a net worth of $10 million Cristián Fernando Suárez Figueroa (best known as Cristián Suárez) was born February 6 He currently plays for Universidad de Chile Cristián Suárez joined Chacarita Juniors of Argentina on July 31 He played the 2007 South American Youth Championship helping Chile qualify to the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup where he also participated and was tapped for a match between the Chile and Argentina senior national teams as well His chronological playing career began as a youth at the Chilean club Unión San Felipe (2006-11) From there he went (on loan) to the Corinthians (a Brazilian multi-sport club)(2008) where Suárez played three official matches-and one friendly-against CENE for Corinthians then (on loan) to Chacarita Jrs (an Argentine football club)(2008-09) then (on loan) to O'Higgins (a Chilean football club)(2009-10) then (on loan) to Olhanense (a Portuguese sports club) (2011) then Cobreloa (a Chilean football club) then on to the Club Universidad de Chile (a Santiago Chile football club which plays in the Primera División) His international career saw him playing for Chile U-20 (2007) and Chile (beginning in 2007) © 2025 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved