Contested Streets. Narratives on the Legitimate and Illegitimate Uses of Public Space in Buenos Aires City

Abstract

1 In the City of Buenos Aires, the sale of popular consumption goods in public spaces, carried out by the so-called “manteros” (street vendors), emerged during the social, economic and political Argentine crisis of 2001. Given the deterioration of living and employment conditions of the population, public spaces became a place of economic access for a large number of people excluded from the formal labour market, particularly unemployed migrants. In this article, we analyse the narratives of various political and social actors — the City of Buenos Aires Government, SMEs chambers, neighbourhood associations and the media — on the legitimate and illegitimate uses of the public space since the “manteros” first appeared in the city centre. Throughout the analysis, we see that behind these narratives lies a logic of space regulation with an expulsion and eviction focus, aimed at those subjects considered “intruders” and “invaders” of the street.