Preparing for Trial While Saying Goodbyes
I write this blog post from the couch, surrounded by six people yelling at the television in front of us, and I wouldn’t ask to be anywhere else in the world. In the occasional lulls of action in the soccer matches we’ve been obsessively watching, we can hear the music from the street stream in through the open balcony and people bustling about in the street, enjoying the many days off this week.
With three national holidays (feriados), the only days left to work this week were Tuesday and Wednesday. As a result, I spent most of Monday walking around La Plata and meeting up with friends to watch the three Euro matches. The house is a war zone of differing team loyalties, and it will probably continue this way until the final match in July.
Tuesday and Wednesday featured lots of combing through cases, prison condition reports, and the background of a case set to begin retrial on July 4. I continue my research in international law but have begun incorporating Argentine law and policy into the mix. Beginning with Argentine cases that made their way to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, I eased my way into the different standards and practices of the laws and legal system. My discussions and research get more detailed with each passing day as we finish preparations and solidify tactics for the trial. Federico Rey was a young man who was murdered while being held in a penitentiary, and my team is tirelessly working to fight for this man’s family and against the impunity that state actors enjoy far too often.
As my time here ticks on, my personal and professional relationships continue to develop. It is hard to believe that I finished my fourth week when it seems I’ve only been in Argentina a few days. I am constantly reminded that we are nearing the end of the UNLP and UBA semesters, and many of my friends are beginning to leave back to their home countries. To say I am beyond grateful for the Argentinian friends remaining in La Plata is an understatement.
In the name of reunifying ourselves after this week of soccer-fueled tension, my friends and I went to Buenos Aires Thursday night to root for Argentina in the Copa América match against Canada. The entire street was packed with people watching the many screens that lined the windows of the bars. We had a wonderful time getting back to our usual state of cheering for the same team, and it was nice to spend some quality time together before they start heading home. After the match, we attended a party in Buenos Aires for many international students, and it was an excellent gathering underscored by the importance of maintaining friendships and saying farewell. These past few days have been filled with many escapades and very little sleep, and I hope life doesn’t change too much anytime soon.
