Twelve-Year-Old Boy Beaten In Argentina’s Ongoing Cumbieros Versus Floggers Rivalry

Remember the clash between emos and punks that exploded all over Mexico City last year? A similar rivalry is happening in Argentina between “Cumbieros” and “Floggers.” One 12-year-old flogger was recently beat up so badly by a 14-year-old cumbiero that he had to be taken to a local hospital. Quadrophenia II: Electric Boogaloo.

Another 16-year-old flogger, Guillermo Caceres, was killed in Argentina by a group of cumbieros outside a record store amid taunts that he was a “fag.” The homophobia aimed at this subculture is definitely reminiscent of the attacks on Mexican emos, as well as the animosity aimed at emo kids in the U.S, who, while obnoxious, tend to be bullied because of their effeminate manner of dressing and emphasis on emotions.

Cumbieros, as mentioned, are kids who listen to cumbia. An Argentine site devoted to urban subcultures describes them thusly:

“Cumbieros” are a group that has gotten quite popular in Argentine and Latin America over the past few years. As the name suggests, this group is made up of people who mostly listen to cumbia, of which there are different types. Other types of cumbia include romatic cumbia, Santa Fe cumbia, Latin cumbia, Brazilian rap cumbia and more.

Cumbieros stereotypically dress in baggy clothing, caps, tracksuits, and the like. Of course, you could be a Kumbia Queer and dress like a mechanic. 

Floggers, meanwhile, dress a lot like their American, food court-wandering counterparts. Think M.I.A. and Santogold, but with a more emo taste in music: Tight, candy-colored pants, hoodies, big sunglasses, asymmetrical haircuts. …And various bruises from constantly being knocked the fuck out.

A lot of these kids - and many are usually tweens and teens, leaving older people to fall into more adult social groups like “drunk” and “unemployed”  ”artist” - self-promote through fotologs showcasing their hairstyles, clothes and friends. Some have reached levels of nano-celebrity in their social circles - like Augustina Vivero, “La flogger mas famosa del pais” and “Coqui,” who totally has his own cavalcade of teen fangirls:

One blog, Cumbia_Floggers’ fotolog, pitches a Flogger against a Cumbiero and allows fan to vote on who takes the best photos in their own bathrooms. And, when kids aren’t mercilessly beating the everloving pretty the crap out of another over such grave issues as pant bagginess, they engaged in fake dance-offs (which is, admittedly, a pretty funyn concept). Check it out:

For More Cumbieros & Floggers, Click Below

Banda de cumbieros deja en grave estado a un chico flogger luego de una feroz golpiza [Minuto Uno]