Shrine to Gauchito Gil in Mendoza, Argentina

Roadside shrines are a cultural phenomenon across Argentina. Originally created by cowboys and now truck drivers, these tributes dot the countryside. Most honor Difunta Correa with offerings of bottled water. Monuments erected to Gauchito Gil stand out as they are festooned with red ribbons and flags. Antonio Mamerto Gil Núñez, a soldier-turned-outlaw, is regarded as a folk hero in Argentina. Like Robin Hood, he sought to help and protect the poor. A gaucho is an Argentinian cowboy. In Spanish the suffix -ito is a term of endearment, meaning little. Legend has…

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