Violent protests erupt in Buenos Aires in response to Milei’s bold reforms

Argentine police fire rubber bullets at protesters outside Congress during a debate on President Javier Milei’s economic, social, and political reform package

Outside Congress, Argentine police fired rubber bullets Thursday to disperse protesters as lawmakers debated fiercely over President Javier Milei’s comprehensive reform package of economic, social, and political.

The session then had a climactic moment following the exit of the opposition legislators who were against the police intervention. Nevertheless, they went back to the building to continue the debate. These protests took place on the second day of what is expected to be a protracted debate on the bold reform scheme that President Milei, who describes himself as a libertarian anarcho-capitalist, had proposed.

The president, then aged 53 years, came into office having pledged to deal with the age-old economic problems after winning a major election in the previous year. His early measures included a considerable depreciation of the peso, reducing state subsidies, streamlining ministries, and removing a great number of regulations to deregulate the economy.

President Milei’s reform package introduced hundreds of articles and covered different aspects of public and private life. The proposals, ranging from privatizations to cultural issues, the penal code, divorce, and even the position of football clubs have caused a lot of controversy.

Opposition legislators staged a walkout as police tried to manage the demonstrators outside the Congress. The television footage showed the rubber bullets and water cannons being used against hundreds of demonstrators protesting the reform package. One of those who left the chamber was leftist lawmaker Mariano Del Cano, who said, ‘We cannot hold a session under these circumstances’. Another legislator Myriam Bregman reported that about 40 members pleaded with the police to stop the violence.

Supporters of the Milei administration blamed the opposition for trying to block the debate, and moderate legislators warned of additional modifications to the bill. The focus has been on issues like devolving special powers to the executive during an economic crisis and the scope of privatizations.

The protests, now on two consecutive days, also highlight the difficulties of President Milei whose party could only claim 38 seats in the lower chamber. With the debate raging on, the future of this reform package remains unclear, with opposition demanding changes and people taking to the streets.

Source: AFP