Argentina: When Activism Strikes Local Government

This case study describes and analyzes a crisis faced by the Municipality of Córdoba following a strike launched by a public transport workers’ union that left more than 700,000 inhabitants of the city, the second largest in Argentina, without this essential service. The protest lasted ten days and went through multiple stages, becoming politicized and even being declared illegal by the courts and the protesting workers losing trade union status and protection. The analysis attempts to illustrate the relative power of government agencies and trade unions in Argentine society and their potential impact on the public sphere, highlighting several cultural factors that could show how organizations practice crisis communication in the country.