Argentine Farm Protest Enters Third Week

The tough words only hardened the resolve of protesters.

"This country is fed up with taxes. Where does the tax money go?" retired flight attendant Karina Sagemuner said outside the president's Olivos residence. "What they are doing to the farmers is shameful by confiscating their money."

The president's speech also drew an unexpected new player into the crisis confronting a three-month-old administration: thousands of middle class Argentines, who took to the streets Tuesday night to support the farmers.

Argentines complain high inflation and taxes are universal problems still unanswered in Argentina despite a robust recovery from a 2002 economic meltdown.

The country's last major pot-banging protests, called "cacerolazos" in Spanish, helped bring down the government of President Fernando de la Rua during the December 2001 prelude to Argentina's economic free fall.