By Diego López Beltrán | 2025-01-03

BUENOS AIRES -- Two Russian diplomats' refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test while driving in Buenos Aires on Christmas Day has sparked diplomatic tensions and further inflamed longstanding grievances among neighbors of the Russian embassy in Argentina.

Residents, who have protested for years against the embassy's fences and parked vehicles for obstructing free movement in the area, view the incident as another source of frustration.

The Russian diplomats refused to take breathalyzer tests after being stopped in separate cars at a checkpoint on December 25, amid suspicions that they had been driving under the influence, according to multiple media reports.

One of the diplomats was identified as Sergei Baldin, a trade representative for the embassy.

Baldin, who was driving a vehicle with diplomatic license plates, allegedly refused to lower his window or hand over the documents requested by traffic police.

The second individual, identified as Cardmath Solomatin, co-director of the Russian House in Buenos Aires, also declined to take the breathalyzer test or present the documents for his vehicle.

Both men invoked diplomatic immunity to avoid compliance.

The situation escalated as the diplomats remained in their cars for several hours, prompting federal police to intervene. Eventually, the vehicles were escorted by police to the Russian embassy in Buenos Aires.

The incident led to a formal protest from Russia to the Argentine Foreign Ministry.

On December 26, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich clarified in an interview with Radio Mitre that the actions of Argentine authorities adhered strictly to international protocols established by the Vienna Convention.

"At no point did authorities enter the vehicles, ensuring there was no violation of the Vienna Convention," Bullrich stated.

Local discontent

The latest controversy comes amid longstanding friction between the embassy and nearby residents.

"The Russians do whatever they want in this country," a resident of Recoleta, the embassy's neighborhood, told media gathered outside the building for statements on the two recent incidents.

The resident criticized the diplomats' behavior and the embassy's impact on the community.

"They block access for people with disabilities, park their cars wherever they want, and we've had a fence blocking the sidewalk for three years. This is the only embassy in the country where we can’t walk freely down the street," he remarked.

The man described the fence as occupying nearly the entire sidewalk, making it difficult for pedestrians to pass.

"Every day, people trip or fall. You can’t even push a baby stroller through because it gets stuck," he added, noting that embassy vehicles are frequently parked in ways that obstruct movement in the area.