The Cost of G20 Security

The G20 is taking over Buenos Aires, Argentina this weekend. The South American country has had a string of security scares in the lead up to the event including: an attack on soccer players by fans, a bombing plot by vegan activists, and an arrest by a pair of brothers believed to have ties to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. Numerous flights have been canceled this weekend as workers go on strike, partly resulting from the bad recession and 45 percent inflation the country is currently reeling from. Some fear that Argentinan President Macri has not adequately prepared the country for the descent of the top 20 heads of state and their diplomats.

Securing a city for a G20 summit is no easy task. Since the G20 does not have a headquarters or central leadership, the rotating role of hosting the world’s leaders falls on the shoulders of one country, unaided by the intergovernmental organization. In Toronto, Canada during the 2010 summit, the country spent about half a billion U.S. dollars on security for the G20 alone. At the time Toronto was hosting the G8 alongside the G20. Both events attracted many protests, some of which turned violent. Hamburg, Germany also accrued a hefty bill, due to protests surrounding the summit.