Thanks to Latino Pundit for bringing this up.
Apparently, there is a duende, a South American spirit, wandering around Argentina, scarring the shit out of jumpy teenagers. That’s not the real story, however, because the thing is so obviously a hoax that it doesn’t merit further analysis.
No, what I find interesting is that Wonkette, who more or less broke the story in America, introduced the piece on her website by referring to illegal “Mexican Argentineans” – a description so contradictory, insulting, and bizarre that it leaves the reader baffled. One would think that a person devoted to discussing political subtleties would understand the difference between undocumented immigrants in the United States and South American citizens in their home country.
To be fair, Wonkette might have meant it as a joke – something so obviously wrongheaded that it supplies its own sarcasm. But if that was the intention, it sailed right over the heads of the people who posted comments to her, none of whom seemed to notice the inaccuracy…save for one very pissed-off Argentinean.
With her intentions unclear and the significance vague, I’ll withhold further condemnation. So fuck it. Here’s a video of a duende:
