Milei’s measures “lead us to ruin”: tension in mobilizations before Congress

Called by left-wing and union organizations, several thousand people gathered this Wednesday in front of the headquarters of the Argentine Congress in Buenos Aires, during the first debate session of the so-called ‘omnibus law’, the star project of the Executive of libertarian Javier Milei. .

The mobilization passed without incident until after 5:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. GMT), when the protesters blocked traffic in front of the parliamentary headquarters, failing to comply with the strict security protocol and prompting the action of the police officers who charged against the gathering.

Before the charges, the leader of the Polo Obrero, Eduardo Belliboni, who later had to be treated by medical services when he was left lying on the ground in the middle of the protests, assured EFE that this Wednesday’s mobilization is “a continuation of the great strike of January 24 against Milei’s packages of measures”.

“In reality they are a plan and an offensive against the workers and against the regime of democratic freedoms.“, assured the leader regarding the packages of measures proposed by the president, with which the Executive intends to deregulate the Argentine economy and concentrate broad legislative powers.

Belliboni already led the first major protest against Milei’s measures on December 20, on the anniversary of the start of the social, economic and political crisis in Argentina in 2001.

Precisely, the social leader compared the protests that are taking place now with those that took place then.

“An era of great popular resistance begins. Popular assemblies are beginning to be formed and this is something similar to 2001, when the motto ‘picket and pot, the fight is one’ was coined.”, he told EFE.

Despite the stifling heat, the truth is that in the demonstrations this Wednesday in front of the Congress building, fenced off since early in the morning and surrounded by a strong police operation, very diverse organizations were seen protesting against the different aspects of the Law of Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines.

Among these associations was the self-convened group of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (TDG TEA Parents), who consider that the ‘omnibus law’ “comes to take away the rights of people with disabilities”.

Karina, mother of an autistic child, told EFE that the approval of the package of measures could “leaving thousands of families and children without treatment and without access to health and social services”.

In this sense, the families of people with disabilities pointed out that the increase in fuel prices is also affecting the transporters who assist these people, who cannot perform their duties for economic reasons.

“It intends to modify the Mental Health Law and create asylums again to institutionalize people”, Karina pointed out.

Before the tension between the agents of the National Gendarmerie and the protesters increased and the charges and pepper spray at the protesters took place, a group of retirees approached the center of the mobilization.

They carried banners and a figure of Milei with snakes tangled in her mane and a critical message: “The caste is the retirees”.

Noelia Guzmán, president of the Retiree Center of the State Workers Association (ATE), told EFE that Milei’s measures “cause (retirees) to become increasingly poorer”.

According to the leader, an Argentine retiree needs 400,000 pesos (US$ 484.07) per month to be able to live with dignity in the South American country.

“We are charging 100,000 (US$ 121.01) and we do not have coverage for care for our illnesses. This Government wants to kill us and lead us to ruin“, he concluded amid the noise of pyrotechnics, chants and some timid ‘cacerolazo’.