BUENOS AIRES: Tensions flared outside the Argentine Congress as President Javier Milei’s far-reaching reform package faced a storm of opposition, prompting law enforcement to use rubber bullets to disperse protesters.
The libertarian and anarcho-capitalist leader, who clinched a significant electoral triumph, kicked off his term with bold measures, such as a substantial peso devaluation, subsidy cuts, ministry downsizing, and sweeping deregulation efforts.
The ongoing parliamentary debate delves into various aspects of public and private life, covering privatizations, cultural reforms, adjustments to the penal code, revisions in divorce regulations, and changes to the status of football clubs. However, discontent with Milei’s reforms was palpable as opposition lawmakers staged a walkout to protest against the police’s use of force on demonstrators outside.
Television broadcasts captured the intensity of clashes, with rubber bullets and water cannons deployed against hundreds of protesters expressing their opposition to the reform package. Leftist lawmaker Mariano Del Cano argued that conducting a session under such circumstances was untenable, while Myriam Bregman decried the alleged police violence against lawmakers.
Alejandro Finocchiaro, a pro-Milei lawmaker, accused the opposition of attempting to stall the debate and claimed that demonstrators sought repression to bring the session to a halt. This marks the second consecutive day of protests as Milei navigates the challenges in Congress, where his party holds a limited number of seats. Moderate opposition lawmakers are signaling their intent to propose amendments to the bill, particularly concerning executive powers during economic emergencies and the scope of privatizations, despite the decision to abandon the privatization of the state-owned oil giant YPF.
