Argentina’s 2001 crisis produced hundreds of self-governing neighborhood assemblies

Evidence

IN DECEMBER 2001, THE GOVERNMENT of Argentina froze the bank accounts of its citizens after the International Monetary Fund halted loans to the country. In response people banged pots and pans, went on strike, ransacked private businesses, and blocked major roads across the country. After President Fernando de la Rúa resigned, Argentines (many made unemployed by the crisis) formed hundreds of neighborhood assemblies, filling the vacuum created by state collapse, discussing day-to-day problems, and occupying factories. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 150