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Sci buys rat-house in ruins (Org) in Buenos Aires

Anonycat

Crusader
The millionaire landing Buenos Aires of Scientology

The religion of Hollywood actors Buenos Aires bought a historic building. Martian, millions, faithful and enemies.


There are cults that can not wait. For Scientology-registered since 2008 in the Department of Worship and the Church of Scientology of Argentina, the time to move is now, and move big. On the street Sarmiento 1300, the old building of the Unione Operai Italiani, which used to be owned by the association of Italian immigrants and Benevolenza Unione, is still a shadow of the old venerable Buenos Aires: renovated in 1913 by the Italian architect Virginio Colombo , is one of the clearest examples of art nouveau with legendary dance hall, a building revered by generations of students of architecture and protected by the Heritage Act Buenos Aires. After decades of disuse, the facade began to fall apart, the place suffered landslides, fires and advancement of rats and pigeons. He decided to sell it. Today, in front of the place, a new work poster announces the name of the new owner, the Church of Scientology.

cienciologia-compro-un-antiguo-edificio-porte%C3%B1o.jpg


The deal closed in December 2012 . The final price of the property : a million and a half dollars . Refurbishment costs amount to almost two million more . This is part of a global expansion plan . David Miscavige , the top leader of the cult , from California ordered the creation of 70 new centers around the world. " Organizations ideals" is the euphemism used for a number of temples and headquarters of Scientology in key areas recognized by the general public for the final release of the cult of society. The old Sarmiento Street building will be one of them . It is then a new headquarters in Argentina , a new temple dedicated to a faith unusual , controversial and full of fierce and dramatic accusations .

In the last twenty years , Scientology became a wild question for global religious life . Tom Cruise and John Travolta are its greatest champions and bent their faces in millions of dollars to defend the cult , marked by scams, VIP members preferential treatment , psychological breakdown and generating a drain of money to their faithful to separate them from their families . It is the least complex : it seems an amalgam of psychology and self with statements of salvation at first, nothing surprising . Then the spiritual component is felt , with original myth that looks like a feverish episode of " Star Trek " . The science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology in the '50s and became a prophet unexpected when writing the 18 basic books of religion, " Dianetics " is the most important that details the main group psychological technique .

Present in the country since the mid-'80s , with a few followers, the Church opened its first center in Argentina in 2006 a building of Ayacucho and Santa Fe The reception is filled with books and leaflets . NEWS visited him on the evening of Tuesday 22 . A cry of a girl came from an upper floor , answered by a chorus almost martial : no cult member present at the input flinch. Minutes later , the counter Gustavo Libardi , local president of the Church, convinced stated : " Scientology is something new . There was never a practical philosophy from the spiritual point of view to man on the planet " . If the construction of a new temple due to an international plan , it stands to reason that the American Central sends money worship . Libardi surprised to say : " There is a single weight of the head office. We have been saving since 2004 " . The leader says that it's almost 7,500 members in the country , with strong areas such as Cordoba , Tucuman and Santa Fe , more groups in San Juan and Patagonia. And for the leader , the agenda is clear : "We intend to insert ourselves into the community."

HISTORICAL . Scientology bought the old building of the Unione Operai Italiani , protected by law and now in ruins .

Something pharaohs. The provision No. 1.652 , dated October 2012 the Government of Buenos Aires that gave the visa for modification and expansion plans for Sarmiento Street building 's fate rather explicit : "Cult " . But it is not easy to reconstruct a historical place . The bureaucracy is felt. Engineer Jose Kohon , in charge of the work, explains : " From the place they stole everything they could with time. I was in a state of near- demolition when it was purchased. Let's leave it as in the nineteenth century . The intention is to restore as is ". The building legislation that protects their historical imprint , is an obstacle in the development of the work. The installation of a handicap ramp was the last hurdle . Today the beginning of the renovation is just legal steps to materialize : become a megaedificio of 5,600 square meters . Alongside Kohon , two specialists in reforming eminent classical buildings were also hired by the Church: the architect Fabio Grementieri , speaking at the Alvear Palace Hotel and the Palace La Prensa and restorative Cristina Lancellotti . But beyond the construction itself , the Church plans another rarity in Argentina history : its first launch event . It would be December 13 . "They will invite politicians and important artists ," says someone close to the cult . Libardi slides that yes, there are artists and recognizable names near the church , but will not admit who they are. "It is on them to say ," he says

(Video in Spanish)

[video=youtube;xtk_Sf2e6_E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtk_Sf2e6_E[/video]

Article in Spanish: http://noticias.perfil.com/2013-10-30-40065-el-millonario-desembarco-porteno-de-cienciologia/
 

Dean Blair

Silver Meritorious Patron
The building, once restored, will be beautiful. There is such fine detail and magnificent architecture. I can't believe that they would ever be able to staff it with so few Scientologists in Argentina. There may be other places that have fewer active Scientologists but there certainly aren't a lot of people in Argentina that believe in what Hubbard was promoting.
 

In present time

Gold Meritorious Patron
The building, once restored, will be beautiful. There is such fine detail and magnificent architecture. I can't believe that they would ever be able to staff it with so few Scientologists in Argentina. There may be other places that have fewer active Scientologists but there certainly aren't a lot of people in Argentina that believe in what Hubbard was promoting.
i wish i could wrap my head around this real estate scheme.
i know in bankrupcy real estate is protected.
somehow i think davey has talked this all through with his myriad of lawyers.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
No problem. They have tons of slaves in the RPF. :omg: All they really have to pay for is the materials.

True enough! I'm with a friend who has scraped old (lead) paint for free, and of course no masks provided. If you wanted an OSHA approved filter, it's BYO.

Another thing I consider a factor, is that in Buenos Aires, one can go to a rehab for free, funded by the government. So they have a Narconon there, and they advertize that it's "all natural" and other alluring words. The treatment is advertized as a 3-6 month program (I'm going to bet it's always 6), and they get paid directly from the Government. I wonder if they use "creative billing" like they do in the U.S.?


This place looks big enough to me:

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Excerpt from an article published last May:

In Buenos Aires, a church convicted of fraud in France offers "anti-drug" courses whose content has no scientific basis. The courses are free because the Macri government pays for them. The church also has a treatment center that uses questionable methods.

Siria, an employee of the Church of Scientology, proudly confirms what a huge sign at the entrance to the local Scientology center says: "Yes, yes. We are giving courses about drugs sponsored by the government of Buenos Aires, so they are free." The seminar that began last April 5, offers a very particular viewpoint and is run by Gustavo Libardi, head of the Church of Scientology in Argentina. This "specialist" maintains that all drugs accumulate in body fat and that, if a person goes out and runs, this chemical residue is released by the burning of body fat and its effect is reactivated. This "dry trip," as Libardi calls it, "is very common among addicts," he says in a promotional video for the courses that was posted on the Internet. One of Scientology's own organizations, Narconon, operates a treatment center which uses methods that, in other countries, are considered fraudulent and unscientific, and which violate Argentina's Mental Health Act and the laws that regulate the practice of medicine.

The seminar consists of six sessions that last an hour and a half each and is entitled "The Truth About Drugs." It is given on Fridays at 6 p.m. at the church's building at 1050 Ayacucho Street in the Barrio Norte area. The entrance hall offers stress, personality, and ability tests and invitations to a film about "Dianetics," which is "The Modern Science of Mental Health" or the "spiritual healing technology" based on a book by the founder of Scientology, the controversial L. Ron Hubbard.

Lecturer Libardi's philosophy on the consumption of illegal drugs is derived from the manuals used by Narconon, one of the myriad sub-labels of this church. The videos say that "nothing is known about this," that there is no "stable data," and that there is only "confusion" because of a powerful group that says, "Hey, drugs aren't that bad," and leaves society in a state of "helplessness." The hegemonic model that Libardi adheres to is absolute prohibition. Accordingly, Libardi criticizes Argentina's Mental Health Act because, he says, it allows the national government to avoid providing "very expensive" treatment by just dispensing "more drugs".
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Here's the rest of the article, translated, in case anyone is interested:

"When you have specific data, you come out of confusion and start to take control. When there is confusion, others have control... This is what happens," adds the Head of Scientology in Argentina. Next comes the "data" — five or six points — because you don't need much more to understand the subject, according to Libardi. First, this so-called specialist resorts to classic stigmatization, even though he tries to mitigate the statement: "An addict is not a criminal, we are in total agreement, but he ends up committing criminal acts."

Among other "proven" data, this so-called specialist says that "one addict out of seven or ten manages to enter a rehab facility, but only one or one and a half out of ten get rehabilitated. So, in practice, if we add up the result, only 2 percent get rehabilitated." The effective solution is found in the materials distributed by Scientology, whose particular approach supposedly insures recovery for "6 or 8 of every 10" patients”. "And what is one of the lessons from the data?" he asks. At this point, he starts talking about the "dry trip."

"This is the situation in which a person has stopped using a drug for some time, say two or three months or four years and, one day, the person has the same effects as if drugged," he says. The explanation is supposedly physiological: "If I take a blood sample from a person who doesn't take drugs, I won't find anything. That's fine. But if I take a biopsy from body fat, something does appear, because drugs stay trapped in body fat. Later, if that person goes jogging, body fat is burned and passes into the bloodstream, and the person re-experiences the feeling of being drugged."

Asked about this, the Head of Toxicology at the Fernández Hospital replied that this theory is "nonsense." He explained that only marijuana remains lodged for a time in body fat, while cocaine, LSD and ecstasy leave traces in the blood that later disappear if the user doesn't continue taking them. "By no means can these remnants produce effects. There is something called a flashback, similar to the dry trip they talk about, in cases of LSD use, but the cause is still not clear, possibly triggered by marijuana use," says Carlos Damín.

The courses that Libardi gives are co-organized by Honoring Life (Honrando la Vida), an NGO headed by Gloria Martínez, who belongs to a conservative faction of Mothers Against the Paco (1). In July, last year, during the Congressional Committee hearings into decriminalizing the possession of drugs for personal use, Gloria Martínez stated that: "A paco addict has no freedom of choice and so can't be considered a holder of rights as the Mental Health Act does." On that occasion, Martínez was accompanied by the Federal Peronism member of parliament Eduardo Amadeo.

"Gloria is a person whose manners can be very violent. She's always with Javier Rodríguez, a journalist who works for Scientology and is also aggressive toward those who think differently. They're part of the lobby that opposes decriminalization and supports therapeutic communities, which we audit and denounce. At one point, she and other mothers against paco were offered the chance to audit Sedronar (the government's agency for drug treatment, prevention and enforcement) and they refused," says a member of Mothers Against Paco, who requested that her identity be concealed to avoid "more fights with Gloria."


In the same promotional video for the course, Martínez thanks the Government of the City of Buenos Aires for having "accepted the project" to sponsor the seminar. Página/12 contacted the Office for the Strengthening of Civil Society and an agency specializing in addictions, but they neither denied nor confirmed this sponsorship. The second of the two replied: "This kind of information is not generally disclosed." Both belong to the Ministry of Social Development for Buenos Aires, and they requested time for verification, but did not respond back.

Gustavo Libardi, Gloria Mart photo Gustavo_Libardi_Gloria_Martinez_Maria_Eugenia_Vidal_By_Javier_Rodriguez_zpsda032654.jpg
Gustavo Libardi, Gloria Martínez, and
Deputy Mayor María Eugenia Vidal
The relationship between Mayor Mauricio Macri's "Macrismo" and New Age religiosity is well-known: there has already been a sponsorship for Luis Palau and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and it now appears they've added Scientology without even blushing, after hanging Vatican flags from the City Government Building and the Obelisk. Martínez and Libardi show off a photo of themselves with the Deputy Mayor María Eugenia Vidal taken during the Congressional hearings on decriminalization. They also met with the evangelical member of parliament Cynthia Hotton and her colleague Elisa Carrio.


In addition to courses, Scientology has a treatment center that operates under the sub-label Narconon. The person who answers the telephone there is Angel Antúnez. He says that the center has only one court-ordered patient, that treatment can last between 4 and 6 months, that the center's doors are closed, but visits are allowed on weekends, and patients may receive calls in the evening. What if a patient doesn't want to enter rehab? "Well, someone can bring him in for a consultation, and he stays over here. Then you can bring along a change of clothes. We have staff to keep him inside, if he resists."

A week later, the phone is answered by a person who says that his name is Pablo. He seems more knowledgeable: he denies that anyone can be admitted against their will because it violates the principles of the Mental Health Act. However, he does confirm other things that Antúnez said: treatment costs around 10 thousand pesos per month, including accommodation, food and detoxification without drugs: the withdrawal period is dealt with using vitamins. "It's an educational system. We don't have any psychologists. We don't use drugs because people then become addicted to those drugs," says Pablo. Neither the social networks plans [Obras Sociales] nor private health insurance [Medicinas Prepagas] are accepted.

Narconon Argentina is located in the municipality of San Isidro, at 984 Del Barco Centenera Street. Its Facebook page says that the treatment is based on a "natural-holistic approach to this problem" and promises "strict confidentiality." The official website, www.narconon.org, states that the effectiveness of the program is 86.5 percent, a violation of Argentina's law on medical practice, which prohibits "false advertising about the success of therapy," as Leonardo Gorbacz, the author of the Mental Health Act, points out. He goes on to make other remarks about the "offerings" of this organization.

"The website mentions that this is an educational program, and it talks about "students," not patients, but the home page is all about a treatment program. Article 4 of Argentina's Mental Health Act states that persons whose legal or illegal drug use is problematic have all the rights and guarantees established in this Act with respect to health services. This means that, in terms of Argentina's legislation, addictions are centrally a health issue, and thus no one can offer an "educational" treatment for addiction, unless it's complementary. Despite this, they offer in-patient treatment and detoxification," says Gorbacz.

Gorbacz considers it "serious" that Narconon states it has no interdisciplinary team in addition to the "educators," and he warns that prohibiting medication as a standard procedure is not correct, just as it would be wrong to set a rule whereby everyone must be medicated. "There are patients who may need medication and others who don't. It's impossible to presume beforehand that no one needs it." Gorbacz adds that persons whose drug use is problematic have the right to receive care based on scientific principles balanced with ethical principles.

"The only way to be sure is to have a health inspection to evaluate its treatment plan," says Gorbacz. The simple assertion that "students" will receive vitamins because alcohol and illegal drugs cause the user to lose them was also considered "nonsense" by Toxicologist Carlos Damín. According to Doctor Damín: "The body never loses vitamins, except in cases of severe kidney disease that aren't caused by the intake of substances or by an excess that the body eliminates."
 

Helena Handbasket

Gold Meritorious Patron
This all figures. RONS Org is opening a Buenos Aires branch, so the church has to open an org there, too.

And we can expect LOTS of Sea Orgers to suddenly need RPFing, because the building the church bought is in such a state of disrepair.

Helena
 

Anonycat

Crusader
This all figures. RONS Org is opening a Buenos Aires branch, so the church has to open an org there, too.

And we can expect LOTS of Sea Orgers to suddenly need RPFing, because the building the church bought is in such a state of disrepair.

Helena

I didn't know they were competing with free zone so fiercely. How did you conclude that they are?
 

Idle Morgue

Gold Meritorious Patron
i wish i could wrap my head around this real estate scheme.
i know in bankrupcy real estate is protected.
somehow i think davey has talked this all through with his myriad of lawyers.

Let me clear up the real estate scheme for you. David Miscavige is at the end of his road as the leader of Scientology. He has fleeced his membership dry of their money and will try to keep the charade up a few more years with the "Idle Morgue" project.

The reality is - he now has assets he can liquidate as he discards - without sorrow - all the ED's and fund raisers that fleeced their members dry - all the old timers who now know Miscavige is changing the TEK and he hopes to try to get some "raw meat" in the Cult so he can man up the empty buildings and have someone new to blame as to why the cult is not expanding!

David Miscavige has no where to turn! He is aware that the world is coming after him and he is a paranoid mess!

L Ron Hubbard did the same thing - raised the prices and kept commiting crimes then ended up hiding in a trailer wearing disguises as he slowly went insane! ALL THE MONEY he bilked out of his clubbed seals did not put humpty dumpty back together again!

This is David Miscavige's future and the only hope this cult can survive is if there are new members to drink the koolaid. Of course, with abortions SOP in the SEA ORG and no children to replace the SP's - there really is no hope for this dying cult!

The real estate purchasing is simply assets to liquidate $$$$$$$ for Miscavige's lavish lifestyle disguised as "help" for humanity! That is why they sell the Idle Morgue's. Slappy needs cash! Fighting off 99.99999999999999999999999% of the population cuz only .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000001% are Scientologist's and are SP's or PTS to Slappy!
 

freethinker

Sponsor
I would be willing to bet that if Dave left the country for his retirement that he is collecting the rents on these orgs that are renovated or a portion. This way he has positive cash flow in his retirement.

Even though the parishioners paid for them and renovate them, the deed goes uplines and the orgs continue to pay for the use of the buildings. I'm sure Dave has legal syphoning paperwork as the masked landlord.

i wish i could wrap my head around this real estate scheme.
i know in bankrupcy real estate is protected.
somehow i think davey has talked this all through with his myriad of lawyers.
 

Helena Handbasket

Gold Meritorious Patron
I didn't know they were competing with free zone so fiercely. How did you conclude that they are?
Someone told me that's what they did in Reno and other places (opened an org right near a freezone group). I have no links or other references, so don't ask me for them.

Helena
 

Anonycat

Crusader
From the Sci Argentina Facebook page:

Life is stable and rewarding when you can control it, and this is the simple and practical way to know how.
Life is seven-tenths work, one-tenth family, one tenth policy and one-tenth relaxation. Here it is, thus, Scientology applied to these seven tenths crucial parts of the existence.
The efficient staff course contains principles and superior laws which apply to each task, each problem of the work. Because these principles and laws are the discoveries that leave unveiled the core of these problems and explain the same fabric of life itself. The discoveries listed here include: the anatomy of Confusion and its remedy.
The doctrine of the stable Datum: the most fundamental law of work and living.
The Anatomy of the Control, and how "bad control" become good.
The efficiency of "secreto".
The most fundamental elements of life: affinity, reality and communication.
The eight dynamics, and how life can be understood by partitioning it into eight main divisions.
And the true underlying cause to exhaustion, with powerful Scientology processes that restore the energy of youth.
Here, not only is technology to bring stability to the workplace, but the magical processes to restore the joy itself to life. Because this is Scientology.

And:

COMPLETE YOUR CONGRESS AND ENJOY THEM WITH YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS.

THE CONGRESS OF THE WEST

• What has to do the "acceptance level" with the amount of money that a person does, and how increase it? (2 Conference, the basic theory of definitions) • how can adjust the anchor in a points of the vertebrae of a person forming its backbone? (10 Conference, SOP 8-C: processes for groups) • what was the original form of the pyramids of Egypt? (Conference 6, design of SOP 8-C)

• Learns by trying to stop a person who smokes causes you want smoking with greater obsession, and which is the exact technique so that they can stop (Conference 12, talk on the end)

• Why an individual which have left him suffering from a decline? (10 Conference, SOP 8-C: processes for groups) • what is the exact point where the integrity of an individual collapses? (Conference 6, design of SOP 8-C)

• Why a being begins to lose things doing it "lost mechanical automatic"? (Conference 13, automatism)

• What is the reason that the question "What would Ronald" you help resolve difficult situations? (Conference 13, automatism)

• How it is that a being creates a "remote point of view" to see things outside where he is? (18 Conference, group processing: short Conference, remote view)

https://www.facebook.com/ScientologyArgentina

LOTS of photos of the building here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.727587420589582.1073741829.727557470592577&type=1

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