The economic crisis here boiled over into full-blown chaos Dec. 19 when riots and looting broke out in Buenos Aires and many other areas. A 30-day state of emergency was imposed that limits constitutional guarantees and gives the government additional powers including the right to impose curfews, arrest people based on suspicion and call out the army. The unrest was the worst in a decade and testament to the public’s deep frustration with the government’s inability to fix the economy. Such public disorder could affect medical services, access to banks and ATMs, and airlines or other public transportation.
