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Buenos Aires Mayor criticized by predecessor over Ecoparque entry fees for non-residents
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Buenos Aires Mayor criticized by predecessor over Ecoparque entry fees for non-residents

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri announced a new policy charging non-residents for entry into the Ecoparque.
  • The policy aims to prioritize access for city residents and was criticized by former Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta.
  • Non-residents will pay significantly more than residents, with different rates for Argentines and foreigners.

Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri has implemented a new entry policy for the Ecoparque, a popular recreational space in the Palermo neighborhood, which now charges non-residents for admission. The administration announced the change on June 17, stating the goal is to "prioritize access for the neighbors" to public spaces.

A good number of those who care for you, cure you, and educate you have to pay. What madness!

— Horacio Rodríguez LarretaFormer Buenos Aires Mayor criticizing the new Ecoparque entry policy.

Macri shared a promotional image on social media with the caption: "City priority. Entry is free." He added, "City priority at the Ecoparque. Non-residents pay." This post drew a sharp response from former Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, who questioned the decision. "A good number of those who care for you, cure you, and educate you have to pay. What madness!" Larreta posted, implying that essential workers who may not reside in the city would be unfairly burdened.

The new directive, announced on June 12, allows individuals who can prove residency in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) to enter for free and with preferential access. Minors under 12, individuals over 65, and those with a disability certificate also receive free entry. In contrast, Argentines and residents of the country living outside CABA will pay a general admission fee of $9,871. Foreign visitors face a higher tariff of $19,741, with foreign children under 12 paying $15,793.

City priority in the Ecoparque. Non-residents pay.

— Jorge MacriCurrent Buenos Aires Mayor announcing the new entry policy.

Larreta's criticism sparked debate, with some interpreting his remarks as a jab at residents of Buenos Aires Province, a region Macri once characterized as "barbarism." Millions commute daily from the province into the city for work. The Ecoparque, formerly the Buenos Aires Zoo, has undergone extensive transformation over the past decade into a center for wildlife rescue, species conservation, and environmental education, with renewed facilities and new conservation programs.

Prioritizing city residents also means being more orderly in the City and that every peso paid by neighbors in taxes returns in quality services.

— Jorge MacriBuenos Aires Mayor explaining the rationale behind the Ecoparque entry policy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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