argentina
The woman identified as Laura Méndez pointed out that she is not like other bloggers who only speak “wonders” about the places she visits, but rather recognizes that reporting what is wrong there serves to improve.
26/3/2023
Indignation and mixed reactions have generated through social networks the viralization of a video recently published by a renowned Spanish ‘tiktoker’, known as Laura Méndez, popular for her reviews of the places she visits, who in a video left launching at the ready against the living conditions in Argentina.
The video starts with a piece of advice from the woman to all international travelers, who she recommends not to change their euros in official places, arguing that in the streets they are paid at a better price, a suggestion that can be taken well, as long as it contributes to improve the tourist experience.
However, the video does not start to be taken well when The woman decides to attack the Argentine government model, pointing out that although the current national administration is Peronist, and not communist as in Cuba, “in the end they are the same dogs with different collars.”
One of the main criticisms of the woman focused on the road conditions in that country, accusing that “the roads here are disgusting”, and warning that the local government is responsible for “the population does not develop and they build new roads”.
To the above, the tiktoker continues his attack by adding that “so they say that this is Argentina and it is a developed country, it is still South America”, an opinion that has aroused comments from followers in all corners of the region, who have described her as arrogant for undermining the virtues of this part of the continent, even suggesting that she return to her country.
Among the criticisms of women, this warns of the non-existence of security conditions in the road corridors, specifying that it has not found barriers or lights on the roads through which it has mobilized and affirming that “three hours can go by between town and town and there are no gas stations, there is not even coverage throughout the country”, expressing indignation at the telephone service.
“Yesterday I had a puncture twice; in my life I had been punctured twice in one day”, says the woman, who complains of not having been able to find the corresponding help; However, she also affirms that one of the businesses that she has been able to find on her trip are ‘gomerias’, the name by which the monallantas are known in Argentina.
“If you want tourism to come to Argentina, then fix the roads. We don’t come like this anymore, ”warns the woman, who in other videos has stated that the purpose of her videos is ‘promote tourism’ and that is why it says both the good and the bad things about the countries you visit.
“This is a third world country, don’t be fooled”
In the middle of her video, the woman also attacks the way in which the resources of the country she is visiting are allocated, affirming that the precariousness of Argentina is not the result of a lack of resources or money, and she referred to scenarios where nationals of that country have demonstrated ‘economic sufficiency’, so he returns to the political argument.
In the same sense, the woman referred to the migratory situation of this South American country, pointing out that “now I understand why Spain is full of Argentines, and I understand why everyone wants to ‘get out’ of here”, closing the video with a message for the local inhabitants: “keep voting for the Peronist government if this is what you want for your country, a development of the host”.
Due to direct criticisms made by the tiktokerand the reactions aroused in Argentina, the Spanish woman later decided to release a new video in which she tried to “clarify” the misunderstandings aroused by her blog, and to applaud those people who, instead of criticizing her for her observations, have recognized that she has reason.
In this sense, the woman affirmed that “I don’t want to criticize the country at all, but to promote it, that’s why I say good and bad things, and I understand that we would have liked someone to come from abroad to speak ill of the country”.
In this regard, the woman warned that perhaps many people were upset by the tone used in the first video, but she clarified that this is her way of speaking: “They are right if the tone used is not appropriate, It is true that we Spaniards speak directly, not as sweetly as you do”.
In the same sense, seeking to stoke the controversy, the tiktoker specified that “the best of this country are not the things to visit, but the people”, and recognized that his criticisms will not change the situation in Argentina either ‘overnight’, specifying that “I only believe that it is important to create awareness. If we say things, they can improve; if we keep quiet, things don’t get better”.
The user, who has also carried out the same blogging exercise in other countries that she visits, noted that she is not like “other ‘bloggers’ who come and say that everything is perfect; I think that’s hypocritical.” lamenting that within the people who have become his haters or opponents, some would even have called to “shoot him”.
In another of his videos, now from Uruguay, The ‘tiktoker’ attacked a user who, according to her, describes herself as a feminist, warning that, according to the practices observed, said ‘hater’ only operates as a defender of women “for business”.