Thousands protest against Milei's deregulation course
Argentina's new president is in a hurry to implement his libertarian agenda. He is suspending numerous laws and regulations by emergency decree. Many Argentinians fear for the separation of powers in the country, and there are renewed protests against Milei's plans in Buenos Aires.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Argentina to protest against the drastic economic reforms of their new president, Javier Milei. In the capital Buenos Aires, the demonstrators called on the judiciary to declare a decree for a comprehensive deregulation of the economy invalid. Numerous people waved the Argentine flag and placards reading "The homeland is not for sale".
"We are not questioning the legitimacy of President Milei, but we want him to respect the separation of powers," emphasized Gerardo Martínez, chairman of the construction union. After the end of the demonstration, individual groups clashed with the police. According to media reports, seven people were arrested. The government had recently tightened the law on demonstrations; those who block the streets are to be deprived of social welfare.
The decree initiated by right-wing populist Milei provides for 350 existing laws to be amended or abolished, including in rental and labor law. Other aspects include the end of automatic pension increases, the removal of some employee protection provisions and the repeal of laws to protect against abusive price increases. In addition, 7,000 public sector jobs are to be cut in order to reduce government spending.
Approval is a formality
Milei had introduced the legislative changes before Christmas by emergency decree and declared a two-year state of public emergency, which legal experts consider to be unconstitutional. The decree still has to be reviewed by both chambers of Congress before it comes into force on Friday. Milei's radical right-wing party La Libertad Avanza is in the minority in both chambers, with only 40 out of 257 deputies and seven out of 72 senators. However, both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate would have to reject the decree in order to block the reforms.
Elected in November, Milei promised the highly indebted country "shock therapy" when he took office on December 10. The 53-year-old political novice has taken over Latin America's third-largest economy in the midst of a severe economic crisis: Inflation has risen to more than 160 percent and more than 40 percent of the population is living in poverty. Shortly after the decree was announced, Milei announced that this was just the beginning of his plans.
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In response to the emergency decree, suspending numerous laws and regulations by Milei, Argentinians continue to express their concerns through protests. The demonstrators in Buenos Aires maintain that the decree for comprehensive deregulation of the economy should be declared invalid by the judiciary. Moreover, the government's tightened law on demonstrations raises further controversy and fuels the ongoing protests in Argentina.
Source: www.ntv.de
