A judge’s ruling Robert Gallardo suspended the biometric system used by the City of Buenos Aires to follow criminals, and triggered controversy, especially on Twitter, between those who approve of the use of this technology and those who question it, arguing human rights violations, and illegal monitoring of politicians and journalists.
“Since the implementation of the Facial Recognition System, the @Policia_Ciudad detained 1,695 fugitives. Among them rapists and murderers. The precautionary measure of Judge Gallardo, which suspends the SRF, is one more guarantee for criminals, ”he claimed from his account on the social network. Eduardo Machiavelli (@edumacchiavelli), Secretary of Strategic Affairs of the City of Buenos Aires.
For his part, the Buenos Aires Minister of Security, Marcelo D’Alessandrodefended the facial recognition system implemented by his portfolio with a thread on Twitter in which he wrote: “In relation to the malicious precautionary measure issued on @SeguridadBA by the Gallardo Judge, which suspends the Facial Recognition System, it is important to take into account some considerations (…). Since April 2020 it has not been active due to the pandemic. It worked with a database that is public and what it did is identify ONLY the people who had an arrest warrant from the Justice”.
D’Alessandro’s explanation is linked to Gallardo’s accusation that the Fugitive Facial Recognition System (SRFP) was used to obtain biometric data from the president. Alberto Fernandezfrom the vice president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and the head of Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, Estela Carlotto.
John Grabois wrote: “The PSA raided the caves of the Buenos Aires police because it was found that the JxC government illegally used biometric data from RENAPER to continue with some of its 80,000 cameras with facial recognition capacity on leaders, from the president and vice president on down” .
In that “down” are the deputies Sergio Massa; Myriam Bregman, Ricardo Lopez Murphy; Jose Luis Espert and Javier Milei; as it appears from the file. “Espionage on the relatives of ARA San Juan and Santiago Maldonado, the anti-union judicial table, espionage on the Patria Institute, “wiring” in prisons, espionage on those of us who were protesting the WTO summit, use of biometric recognition… Very active self-employed”, he tweeted on purpose Myriam Bregmann.
And till Javier Milei questioned the system, being crossed on Twitter by the deputy head of the Buenos Aires Government, emmanuel ferraro: “This is @jmilei. A politician who once again joins a rogue operation orchestrated by Kirchnerism. I insist: reseller of populism. That is where the information did not reach him that in CABA more than 2,000 murderers and rapists were arrested by the facial recognition”.
And the former Buenos Aires Minister of Transport, Juanjo Mendez, supported: “As always, @JMilei chooses to be on the side of the problem and not the solution. Just as he attacks the opposition for the benefit of Kirchnerism, he now questions the City’s facial recognition system that has helped detain thousands of fugitives from justice.”
From the Buenos Aires government, Gallardo is accused of being functional to the national government, coming out with a ruling that “muddies the court” on the eve of the publication of the data of the march inflationwhich will be one of the highest in the last decade: it even exceeds the jump from April 2016.
The judge, in office since 2000, is the same one who put Check the start of classes in the City in February 2021. Close to Pope Franciscowhom he has known since 2004, when he intervened in a conflict between the cartoneros, also ruled in the closure of La Rural and the closure of the Floating Casino.
Gallardo, they point out, is an admirer of the deceased Venezuelan and Cuban leaders, Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castroand with both he has anecdotes dating back to the time when Nestor Kirchner assumed the presidency (2003). “It was for me a gift of life”, he said remembering the episode in which he was able to greet the former Cuban dictator.
by RN
