A fatal incident occurred this Thursday in Buenos Aires when a man, reported to be in his early forties, collapsed during a protest that local police moved to disperse near the Obelisk, a landmark on the city’s central artery. As crowds gathered, tensions rose and authorities intervened to quell the demonstration, which news outlets described as a significant but controlled interruption aimed at restoring order along a route that is often the stage for public gatherings and civic expressions.
According to information released by the Buenos Aires City Government, the deceased protester, identified by officials as Facundo Molares, and several other participants were detained during the confrontations after attempting to ignite a ballot box. In that moment, witnesses say, the crowd’s action triggered a rapid police response. Emergency personnel were quickly on scene and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation in an effort to stabilize him, but the individual appeared to suffer a sudden decompensation—an event that prompted immediate medical attention on the spot as well as subsequent transport to a hospital for further treatment. The authorities have noted that the CPR efforts were carried out under standard emergency procedures, with officials stressing the seriousness of the situation given the high-stakes environment of a public demonstration and the presence of crowd control measures.
Once at Ramos Mejía Hospital, medical teams continued life-sustaining efforts, including advanced resuscitation techniques, yet were unable to reverse the progression to cardiorespiratory arrest. Hospital officials and city health authorities cited preexisting health risks in their official briefing, underscoring that the death occurred amid the complex interplay of acute stress, potential underlying cardiovascular factors, and the physical exertion associated with the event. The hospital’s medical staff and municipal health authorities pledged a transparent review of the sequence of events to determine whether any factors linked to the protest or the enforcement actions contributed to the outcome, while refraining from speculation until the administrative processes are complete. The incident has prompted a broader dialogue about public safety protocols, the management of large gatherings, and the welfare of participants in demonstrations that unfold in densely populated urban centers.