On December 30, 2004, it will be remembered forever as one of the saddest days in the history of national rock and the country for the Tragedy of Cromañón, where 194 young people died who went to see Callejeros at the bowling alley owned by Omar Chabán.That tragedy, one of the most serious unnatural in Argentine history, represented important political and cultural changes since the establishment did not have the necessary qualifications, which is why several Porteño officials were convicted.
In the case, Aníbal Ibarra, then head of government, was dismissed through the political trial and assumed instead the deputy head of government, Jorge Telerman. Three years later, Mauricio Macri became mayor. Culturally, the disaster over deaths and the wounded represented a major trend change that can still be seen today. The government of the City of Buenos Aires reviewed and closed several establishments as they did not meet the necessary qualifications. After the tragic December 30, 2004, fewer people began to witness the shows, which until then aimed to bring together as much as possible. Places like Cromañón, from where dozens of bands began their careers stopped working. >
The fire began near the start of the show after a spectator threw a flare on the roof, which caused fire in a half shadow with flammable material. When the evacuation of the site began, attendees encountered the locked emergency doors. Many began to breathe the toxic air and suffocated with gases such as carbon monoxide coming out of the mid-shade and its flammable materials. Until that time, the use of flares was a routine in Argentine rock recitals and many bands encouraged the use of pyrotechnics. Hours after the tragedy, the then manager of Callejeros defined the band as “the most pyrotechnic in the country”.
At the trial of the fire and the deaths of 194 people, Omar Chabán was sentenced to 20 years; Diego Argañaraz, manager of Callejeros, 18 years old; Deputy Communicar Carlos Díaz at 18; Fabiana Fiszbin officials, Ana María Fernández at 2 years and 4 months; Raúl Villarreal, partner of Chabán at 1 year in suspense. The band members, Patricio Fontanet, Maximiliano Djerfy, Eduardo Vázquez, Juan Carbone, Christian Torrejón, Elio Delgado and Daniel Cardell, were acquitted. In 2011 the Criminal Chamber of Casación understood that the band was co-organizer of the show along with Chabán and condemned Fontanet and 5 years to the rest of the band. They also shortened the sentences of the rest of the convicts. All of them served their sentence until they passed 2/3 of it behind bars – most with home prison – and in May 2019 Fontanet was released from prison.
