Violent protests have erupted on the streets of Buenos Aires as the Argentine Senate debates approval of a key bill that would promote President Javier Milei’s economic reform.
Thousands of protesters gathered in the shadow of the dome of the country’s Congress building on Wednesday in a demonstration against proposed austerity measures contained in the sweeping bill.
But although the day began with street barbecues, pickets and protest songs, tensions rose in the afternoon as the debate unfolded inside the Congress building.
Riot police, armed with helmets, batons and clear plastic shields, arrived to disperse the crowd. They used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons, spraying protesters against the winter cold.
Local media reported that several opposition lawmakers who were in the crowd, including Juan Manuel Pedrini, had to be transferred to a nearby hospital to be treated for burns to their eyes and skin.
“A sad day for Argentine democracy,” said a social media account from União pela Pátria, a Peronist political party that represents the opposition.
This declared his “absolute repudiation of the repression perpetrated by the police”.
Milei’s government, however, pointed to the violent tactics that some protesters allegedly used as the afternoon progressed.
Authorities said 18 people were detained after reports emerged of stone throwing and the use of sticks as weapons. A Cadena 3 radio car was also set on fire.
Waldo Wolff, Minister of Justice and Security for the city of Buenos Aires, said that a person was found “with a grenade”.
“The culture of violence that dictates the pace of demonstrations has come to an end,” he said. he wrote on social media platform X.
“In addition to the 18 detainees, we are going to take the images to court so that everyone who broke sidewalks [and] Burnt-out cars and trash cans will pay.”
President Milei’s administration went further, accusing the protesters of trying to overthrow the government and disrupt the work of Congress.
“We went to protect Congress and they responded with stones and fire,” said Security Minister Patricia Bullrich. he said in X.
The executive office social media account issued a message as well as congratulating the Armed Forces “for their excellent performance in repressing terrorist groups that, with sticks, stones and even grenades, tried to perpetrate a coup d’état”.
The bill at the center of the unrest – called “Ley de Bases” or “Law of Bases” – aims to advance Milei’s libertarian agenda as he attempts to privatize public companies, bolster his executive powers and accelerate the economy. .
In Argentina, annual inflation continues to increase, currently standing at a rate of almost 300 percent. As costs rise, poverty increases.
Milei says his austerity measures will control inflation and the country’s sovereign debt – but his critics predict that steep cuts will only make the situation worse.
The bill was previously approved in the Chamber of Deputies, the Chamber of Deputies, in late April, after months of negotiations and a failed vote in February.
But political observers believe the bill faces further escalation in the opposition-controlled Senate. The Peronist Union for the Fatherland holds 33 of the 72 seats in the Chamber, compared to seven for Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
