Los Diablos Rojos
Encyclopedia
La Barra Del Rojo is the name of the barra brava
of the Club Atlético Independiente
. It is considered as the largest and strongest barra brava in Argentina
. The existence of this group has been publicly known since the 1950s. Many members of the barra brava identify with the political left-wing. Besides attending Independiente matches, since 1982, the core members of the group attend the national team
's World Cups
. They also attended some times the Copa América
.
, the rest of the Greater Buenos Aires
, Buenos Aires
, La Plata
and the Greater La Plata
. These sub-groups generally carry the names of their neighborhoods or cities of origin, or the nicknames of their bosses. The most important are: Fiorito, La Tranquila, La Banda de San Justo, Los Polacos, Los camioneros, Villa Corina, Los Rana, Los Bera, Los Narigones, Los Gerlis, La 4 de Julio, La Pepsi, etc.; all of them come from the most dangerous villas miserias
and poor neighborhoods of cities like Avellaneda
, Buenos Aires
, San Justo
, Berazategui
, Sarandí
, Merlo
, Villa Domínico
, Wilde
, Lanús
, Claypole
, Quilmes, Villa Fiorito
, Lomas de Zamora
, Banfield, La Plata
, etc.
Within the barra brava, there is a pecking order. The "first line", consisting in fewer than 10 persons, is formed by the bosses (headed by the leader), who are the chiefs of the major sub-groups. A requisite for becoming a boss is to have been a member of the group for at least 10 years. They are responsible for the organization and the distribution of money and tasks within the barra brava. The "second line", ranging from 15 to 30 people, is formed by the chiefs and important members of the rest of the sub-groups. They take care of recruiting people, study the area and the movements of the enemy barras bravas, and hire buses for the transfer of group members. The "third line", consisting of about 400 people, it consists of the following members in the range, behind the leaders in each sub-groups. They already have some years in the barra brava, but are not yet part of the core. They handle the drums and flags. The "fourth line", or rest of the barra brava, (over 1000 people), is responsible simply to follow the above "lines", and can not make decisions. Everybody is in a sub-group and when there is a fight against another barra brava; all the "lines" must participate.
Most members of La Barra Del Rojo form part of the working class
. The current leader of the barra brava is Pablo "Bebote" ("Big Baby") Álvarez, who took the lead in 2004.
and the Syndicate of Truck Drivers), and threatening the directors and players of the club.
According 2006 research reports, "Polaco" (the chief of the sub-group Los Polacos and one of the leaders of Los Diablos Rojos) was the bodyguard of Hugo Moyano
(the secretary general of the CGT) 15 years ago and still holds that role.
In 2003, an investigation said that the barra brava earned between 40000 and 45000 pesos
per month.
(La Guardia Imperial), Independiente's main football rival; it also had major confrontations with the barras bravas of Boca Juniors (La 12), River Plate (Los Borrachos del Tablón
) and San Lorenzo de Almagro (La Gloriosa), also rivals of the club. However, any barra brava of other team is targeted as an enemy, even if there is no football-related rivalry.
On 17 October 2006, during the procession for the transfer of the coffin of ex-president Juan Domingo Perón from the La Chacarita
cemetery (in the city of Buenos Aires
) to a mausoleum in a summer residence in San Vicente
, some members of Los Diablos Rojos became involved (among them Jorge "Madonna" Quiroz) in a fight instigated by Peronist trade unions over access to the ceremony (some sub-groups of the barra brava belong to the CGT and the Syndicate of Truck Drivers, both Peronist). Is believed that the fight started because there were several members of the barras bravas of Estudiantes de La Plata
and Defensores de Cambaceres in the UOCRA (another Peronist union then present). The police were able to contain the violence enough for the ceremony to finish.
In 1997, a member of La Barra Del Rojo was indicted for the murder of Walter Rodríguez, and in 2001, the death of another fan of Racing Club was attributed to the barra brava. Both victims were members of La Guardia Imperial.
In 2004 in Quito
, Ecuador
, the barra brava fought the Ecuadorian police during a Copa Libertadores match between El Nacional
and Independente in the Atahualpa
stadium. As a result of the incident, two supporters of Independiente was arrested. They were released two days later.
Barra Brava
Barra brava is a name for organized supporter groups of football teams in Latin America. This style of supporting is very similar to European ultras. It includes standing throughout the match, singing and other enthusiastic behavior. Some barras bravas have developed reputations for hooliganism...
of the Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
. It is considered as the largest and strongest barra brava in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The existence of this group has been publicly known since the 1950s. Many members of the barra brava identify with the political left-wing. Besides attending Independiente matches, since 1982, the core members of the group attend the national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
's World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. They also attended some times the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
.
Composition
Although La Barra Del Rojo work as a united group, it consists of a large number of sub-groups, which come from neighborhoods throughout AvellanedaAvellaneda
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
, the rest of the Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires
Greater Buenos Aires is the generic denomination to refer to the megalopolis comprising the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the conurbation around it, over the province of Buenos Aires—namely the adjacent 24 partidos or municipalities—which nonetheless do not constitute a single administrative...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
and the Greater La Plata
Greater La Plata
Gran La Plata is an urban agglomeration formed around the city of La Plata in the Buenos Aires Province of Argentina. It covers territory in the La Plata, Berisso and Ensenada partidos.-Location:...
. These sub-groups generally carry the names of their neighborhoods or cities of origin, or the nicknames of their bosses. The most important are: Fiorito, La Tranquila, La Banda de San Justo, Los Polacos, Los camioneros, Villa Corina, Los Rana, Los Bera, Los Narigones, Los Gerlis, La 4 de Julio, La Pepsi, etc.; all of them come from the most dangerous villas miserias
Villa miseria
A villa miseria is a form of shanty town or slum found in Argentina, mostly around the largest urban settlements. The term is a compound noun made of the Spanish words villa "village, small town" and miseria "misery, dejection"...
and poor neighborhoods of cities like Avellaneda
Avellaneda
Avellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, San Justo
San Justo, Buenos Aires
San Justo is a city and the seat of government of La Matanza Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.On the initiative of Judge Lino Lagos, the settlement was founded on December 25th, 1858 on land requisitioned from Justo Villegas, a prominent landowner...
, Berazategui
Berazategui
* This page contains information about the town of Berazategui. See also Berazategui Partido for the wider neighbourhood.Berazategui is a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, located to the south-east of Quilmes. It is the head town of the Berazategui Partido...
, Sarandí
Sarandí
Sarandí is a city of the Avellaneda Partido in the Gran Buenos Aires metropolitan area, Argentina. Sarandí is located to the south of the Capital Federal district....
, Merlo
Merlo, Buenos Aires
Merlo is the head town of the eponymous partido of Merlo and seat of the municipal government, located in the Greater Buenos Aires urban area.The city was founded by Francisco de Merlo in 1755 and rebuilt by Juan Dillon in 1859....
, Villa Domínico
Villa Domínico
Villa Domínico is a district of the Avellaneda Partido. Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It belongs to the Greater Buenos Aires urban agglomeration....
, Wilde
Wilde, Buenos Aires
Wilde is a town in the Avellaneda Partido of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban agglomeration.Wilde is the most populous district in Avellaneda, with 65,881 inhabitants. Originating with the estancia founded by Luis Gaitán around 1600, the settlement...
, Lanús
Lanús
Lanús is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The city has a population of 212,152 , and the Partido de Lanús has a total population of 453,500.A major industrial centre,...
, Claypole
Claypole, Buenos Aires
Claypole is a city in southern Almirante Brown Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina with a population of 41,176 .-History:The lands were purchased by the Franciscan Congregation to establish a farm and provide produce to their convent in Buenos Aires...
, Quilmes, Villa Fiorito
Villa Fiorito
Fiorito is a suburb in the Lomas de Zamora Partido of Buenos Aires Province, to the south of central Buenos Aires, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban conurbation. Many Italian and Spanish descendants live there, but in recent decades people from other provinces have come to...
, Lomas de Zamora
Lomas de Zamora
Lomas de Zamora is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located next to the border of Buenos Aires City and within the metropolitan area of Greater Buenos Aires.It is the capital of Lomas de Zamora Partido and has a population of 111,897....
, Banfield, La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
, etc.
Within the barra brava, there is a pecking order. The "first line", consisting in fewer than 10 persons, is formed by the bosses (headed by the leader), who are the chiefs of the major sub-groups. A requisite for becoming a boss is to have been a member of the group for at least 10 years. They are responsible for the organization and the distribution of money and tasks within the barra brava. The "second line", ranging from 15 to 30 people, is formed by the chiefs and important members of the rest of the sub-groups. They take care of recruiting people, study the area and the movements of the enemy barras bravas, and hire buses for the transfer of group members. The "third line", consisting of about 400 people, it consists of the following members in the range, behind the leaders in each sub-groups. They already have some years in the barra brava, but are not yet part of the core. They handle the drums and flags. The "fourth line", or rest of the barra brava, (over 1000 people), is responsible simply to follow the above "lines", and can not make decisions. Everybody is in a sub-group and when there is a fight against another barra brava; all the "lines" must participate.
Most members of La Barra Del Rojo form part of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
. The current leader of the barra brava is Pablo "Bebote" ("Big Baby") Álvarez, who took the lead in 2004.
Financing
Their main means of financing include the resale of tickets, drugs, the role of one sub-group as "shock troop" for some political unions (CGTGeneral Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
and the Syndicate of Truck Drivers), and threatening the directors and players of the club.
According 2006 research reports, "Polaco" (the chief of the sub-group Los Polacos and one of the leaders of Los Diablos Rojos) was the bodyguard of Hugo Moyano
Hugo Moyano
Hugo Moyano is an Argentine labor leader and Secretary General of the CGT, the nation's largest trade union.-Early life and career:...
(the secretary general of the CGT) 15 years ago and still holds that role.
In 2003, an investigation said that the barra brava earned between 40000 and 45000 pesos
Argentine peso
The peso is the currency of Argentina, identified by the symbol $ preceding the amount in the same way as many countries using dollar currencies. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. Its ISO 4217 code is ARS...
per month.
Violence
During its existence, the barra brava has had several fights and altercations with the Argentine police and with other barras bravas, especially with that of Racing de AvellanedaRacing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
(La Guardia Imperial), Independiente's main football rival; it also had major confrontations with the barras bravas of Boca Juniors (La 12), River Plate (Los Borrachos del Tablón
Los Borrachos del Tablón
Los Borrachos del Tablón is the barra brava of the Club Atlético River Plate. They are considered one of the most violent and feared barra brava group in Argentina, and one of the four most powerful, alongside those of Independiente , Boca Juniors and Newell's Old Boys...
) and San Lorenzo de Almagro (La Gloriosa), also rivals of the club. However, any barra brava of other team is targeted as an enemy, even if there is no football-related rivalry.
On 17 October 2006, during the procession for the transfer of the coffin of ex-president Juan Domingo Perón from the La Chacarita
La Chacarita Cemetery
Cementerio de la Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the National Cemetery and is the largest in Argentina.-Location:The cemetery is in the barrio or district of Chacarita, in the northern part of Buenos Aires...
cemetery (in the city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
) to a mausoleum in a summer residence in San Vicente
San Vicente, Buenos Aires
San Vicente is the head town of the San Vicente Partido in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located within the Gran Buenos Aires metropolitan area and has about 44,500 inhabitants as per the ....
, some members of Los Diablos Rojos became involved (among them Jorge "Madonna" Quiroz) in a fight instigated by Peronist trade unions over access to the ceremony (some sub-groups of the barra brava belong to the CGT and the Syndicate of Truck Drivers, both Peronist). Is believed that the fight started because there were several members of the barras bravas of Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
and Defensores de Cambaceres in the UOCRA (another Peronist union then present). The police were able to contain the violence enough for the ceremony to finish.
In 1997, a member of La Barra Del Rojo was indicted for the murder of Walter Rodríguez, and in 2001, the death of another fan of Racing Club was attributed to the barra brava. Both victims were members of La Guardia Imperial.
In 2004 in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, the barra brava fought the Ecuadorian police during a Copa Libertadores match between El Nacional
Club Deportivo El Nacional
Club Deportivo "El Nacional" is a Ecuadorian sports club from Quito, known best for their professional football team. The team currently plays in the Serie A, the top-flight football league in the country....
and Independente in the Atahualpa
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa is a multi-purpose stadium in Quito, Ecuador. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity of 39,816. Built in 1951, it sits at the intersection of the Avenida 6 de Diciembre and Avenida Naciones Unidas, two major streets in Ecuador's...
stadium. As a result of the incident, two supporters of Independiente was arrested. They were released two days later.