Among all the solidarity impulses, there was one that nucleated a huge flow of assists from all over the country. The actor and screenwriter, Diego Alonso, lost his house in El Bolsón and became the visible face of this powerful solidarity campaign. What began as a reflection in response to the disaster, progressively transforms into a battle of stories between the fire Commission, which received donations, and the actor himself who questions the destiny they gave to money.
A clash of bells that caused strong stridency in the ears of a still lacerated community. What was done with silver? How much did he join, and in what state was the collection?
Fire, uncertainty and the origin of the campaign
On January 30, when the flames began to stalk the lands of El Bolsón, Diego Alonso received the news that his house was in danger. “At first it is difficult for you to assimilate it, you say ‘no, it’s far’. But later, the fire reaches where you don’t expect it. My two houses were consumed in minutes,” the actor recalled, visibly moved. Given the magnitude of the disaster, he decided to get fully involved in a collection campaign, appealing to his network of contacts in the artistic and media world.
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The proposal was simple and direct: everything collected would be the account of the volunteer firefighters of El Bolsón. “I thought, I am not going to use my personal account, I will do it through the fire station, which is the most transparent and they will know how to manage everything. In addition, they are in place and know what is needed,” he explained Alonso in contact with Adnsur. That first gesture ignited the spark. Artists, companies and citizens from all corners of the country began to donate. Solidarity, like a tide, grew rapidly.
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Photo: Capture Diego Alonso
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Disconnection and controversy
However, as the days progressed, which seemed to be an exemplary mobilization, it was falling apart as a castle of cards. The situation changed when Alonso, after weeks of uncertainty, considered that the money collected was not being used as it had been agreed, initially, between the parties.
“The plan was clear: first, a truck for firefighters, and with the leftover, help the victims. But firefighters bought four trucks and a lot of more things for the barracks. And that was not what had been agreed,” Alonso denounced. With a frustration tone, he added: “What surprised me was the lack of transparency. They never gave me a clear report of the collection. People were donating in the hope that money was going to serve to rebuild the lost, not only for machines or trucks. They still call me my phone asking me what happened to the silver of the collection.”
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Alonso insisted that his only interest was to help those who lost everything for the fire, confessed that he did not like the decision of the Fire Commission of El Bolsón to allocate all the money to the purchase of trucks, supplies and functional objects for the barracks. “People were asking for houses, not trucks. They could be a poorly understood, but I’m not sure,” he said.
How much money did you get together?
It is the great unknown. Officially, no document or screen capture was disseminated with the figures collected.
According to Diego Alonso, “days after the campaign I started, the Firefighters Commission went out to give a press conference. They said that, thanks to the contribution of all the neighbors, and others, 400 million got together. They also said that they had bought the fire truck and three other units that were yet to come.”
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The actor, disagreement, argues that “We agreed for a truck and bought four. Perfect. But the rest of that money was for the victims. In addition, I believe, because we have no role or anything, it was collected between 800 and 1100 million. ”
Along these lines, from the Fire Commission of El Bolsón, in the you of Juan Carlos Martínez, they confirmed to South DNA that the entire collection was 700 million pesos. In addition, he remarked that, practically, he is no longer entering more money by concluding this campaign, with that bulky figure.
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What do they say from the Fire Commission
Juan Carlos Martínez, gave his version about the facts. In his story, the fire demanded speed and specialization. The old barracks units could not enter the areas most affected by the abrupt terrain. That is why, urgently, the purchase of specialized forest trucks was decided.
“We never changed the goal. The campaign was to buy forest units, not to build houses. That was always the clear communication that was given to people, even in Diego’s first videos is that message,” Martínez explained.
Photo: Agency.unq
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Despite Alonso’s complaints, Martínez said that the actor was one of the many collaborators, but not the only. “Around 100 people worked in this campaign, it was not only Diego. From artists to neighbors, they all joined to help. We do not understand why Diego distanced himself from the cause.”
Martínez also clarified that, despite the doubts that arose, firefighters did not change the fate of the funds. “People donated for something specific. And we couldn’t do anything else with money.”
What bought the Fire Commission with the campaign money
In a press conference provided days after the Fire, the Fire Commission of El Bolsón reported that the 400 million pesos were used, together until that time, to acquire a pump with 32 -meter crane and three Forest trucks MAN 4 × 4, specially designed to operate on difficult access.
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Photo: Diario Río Negro
In addition, boots, mamelucos, gloves, chainsaws and motor pumps were incorporated, essential to strengthen the operational capacity of the barracks in front of great magnitude forest fires.
At the same time, the barracks invested more than 1,500,000 pesos in the acquisition of clothing for 20 new applicants, including mamelucos and gala suits, with the aim of strengthening the active body. A children’s mannequin was also incorporated for cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices (CPR).
As detailed by Martínez, the remaining money will be used to continue equipping the barracks and will be informed in a timely manner to take tranquility to the community.
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Paradise ashes
Today the controversy is stagnant, but, in the midst of the debris of the disaster, both Alonso and Martínez agree on something: the most painful of this story was not the disunity between the parts, but the loss of an opportunity to agree. A poorly understood, a lack of communication, or perhaps the clash between different perspectives on what was really more urgent.
“What hurts most is that in the end, we all end up losing,” Alonso concluded. And in this, it coincided with the head of the Fire Commission of El Bolsón: “It is an distressing issue for everyone because I think there was no bad will of any of the parties. I sincerely hope this does not affect, because the institution was always handled with transparency.”
