The Buenos Aires City Legislature on Thursday approved a bill to rename the stretch of California street in Barracas between the 2100 and 3400 blocks as José Luis Cabezas, in tribute to the news photographer who was murdered in Pinamar while working for Editorial Perfil’s Noticias magazine.
The initiative was approved by 47 of the 56 lawmakers present, with the La Libertad Avanza caucus abstaining while paying tribute to Cabezas and describing his murder as an emblematic case that moved society.
The original bill was presented by Rodrigo Lloret, current director of the Perfil newspaper and chancellor of the Universidad del Sur de Buenos Aires (USBA), before being taken up by City Legislature Deputy Speaker Matías López.
The law also provides for the installation of a commemorative plaque at the corner of José Luis Cabezas and Santa Elena streets as part of the tribute.
The initiative seeks to honour a figure who became one of the main symbols of Argentine journalism and freedom of expression in democracy. Cabezas was murdered after taking one of the most emblematic photographs of power in 1990s Argentina, when he managed to photograph businessman Alfredo Yabrán, who had kept a low public profile until then.
The photograph had a major political and media impact, exposing tensions between business and political power and the press. Cabezas was kidnapped and murdered, and his body was later found inside a torched car in Pinamar.
Following the crime, thousands of journalists, citizens and NGOs mobilised under the slogan “Don’t forget Cabezas.” Over time, his name became associated with the defence of press freedom and the memory of journalists and other media workers who have been victims of violence.
The bill’s proponents argued that street names can also serve as a form of democratic memory, allowing the events and values of recent generations to be preserved and passed on. In that sense, the renaming seeks to establish a permanent and visible link between Cabezas and the journalistic profession.
During Thursday’s legislative session, lawmaker Sandra Rey explained La Libertad Avanza’s decision to abstain by noting that California is one of the most important streets in Barracas and has historically retained its name.
Nevertheless, she stressed that her caucus recognised the emblematic nature of the Cabezas case and that its decision to abstain did not mean disregarding the importance of the tribute.
– TIMES
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