Argentinians on Wednesday (December 30) marked the 16th anniversary of the Buenos Aires nightclub fire, which killed 194 people.

Relatives of victims and survivors gathered at the site of the incident to pay tribute to those who died on December 30, 2004.

SHOTLIST:

1. Various of the place of the tragedy
2. Various of survivors and relatives of victims perform a tribute
3. Various paintings in tribute on the walls of the venue
4. Various of survivors and relatives of victims perform a tribute
5. Various of the moments before the tragedy

STORYLINE:


December 30, 2004 will be remembered forever as one of the saddest days in the history of national rock and the country due to the Cromañón Tragedy, where 194 young people died who went to see the rock band "Callejeros" at the venue named "Republica de Cromañon".

The fire started near the start of the show after a spectator threw a flare at the ceiling, setting the fire in a half-shadow with flammable material. When the evacuation of the place began, the assistants found the emergency doors locked with a padlock.

Many began to breathe the toxic air and suffocation with gases such as carbon monoxide coming out of the half-shade and its flammable materials occurred.

Until then, the use of flares was a routine in Argentine rock concerts and many bands encouraged the use of fireworks. Hours after the tragedy, the then manager of Callejeros defined the band as "the most pyrotechnic in the country."

This tragedy, one of the most serious non-natural in Argentine history, represented important political and cultural changes since the establishment did not have the necessary authorizations, which is why several Buenos Aires officials were convicted.

On December 9, relatives of the victims and survivors of the Cromañón tragedy, asked the Buenos Aires Legislature for approval of the project that contemplates the patrimonialization of the building where, in December 2004, 194 people died.

Sixteen years after the massacre, the building remains closed, but relatives and survivors indicated that the owner of the premises initiated a series of interventions inside. Walls were painted and all the objects that remained there and that belonged to the young people who attended the recital that night were removed.

The relatives drew up a project so that the building where the massacre took place be expropriated in order to build a memory space there; however, from the Buenos Aires ruling party they transmitted to him that this was not viable for economic reasons, so they prepared a new file for the patrimonialization that contemplates a structural protection of the building.

For the case, Aníbal Ibarra, then head of the Buenos Aires government, was dismissed through impeachment and the deputy head of government, Jorge Telerman, assumed in his place. Three years later, Mauricio Macri would consecrate himself as mayor.

In the trial carried out for the fire and the death of 194 people, the owner of the venue Omar Chabán was sentenced to 20 years; Diego Argañaraz, manager of Callejeros, aged 18; Deputy Commissioner Carlos Díaz at 18 years old; officials Fabiana Fiszbin, Ana María Fernández at 2 years and 4 months; Raúl Villarreal, partner of Chabán for 1 year on hold.

The members of the band, Patricio Fontanet, Maximiliano Djerfy, Eduardo Vázquez, Juan Carbone, Christian Torrejón, Elio Delgado and Daniel Cardell, were acquitted.

In 2011 the Criminal Cassation Chamber understood that the band was co-organizer of the show together with Chabán and sentenced Fontanet to 7 years and 5 to the rest of the band. They also shortened the sentences of the rest of those convicted.

All of them served their sentences until they spent 2/3 of it behind bars - most of them with house arrest - and in May 2019 Fontanet was released from jail.