Citizens and unions measure the pulse of the new Argentine president Javier Milei. This Wednesday, December 27, social and political organizations participated in the second major demonstration against the president, who announced important reforms in the economy and the State, with broad participation in national financial activity. In addition to new labor regulations for the public and private sectors, which workers consider cuts their rights.
After the reforms announced by Javier Milei, which were established through the Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 70/2023which contains more than 360 articles with a direct impact on the macro and micro economy of the country, organizations and unions held this Wednesday, December 27, the second large demonstration against the management of the libertarian and far-right politician, who also proposed labor reforms.
This DNU, announced by the national radio and television network on December 20, is not yet in force, given that due to the magnitude of the reforms it proposes, it must be discussed by the National Congress from the beginning of the ordinary sessions. on March 1, 2024. The country's deputies and senators will have to decide whether the proposed changes will be applied or not.
However, since its announcement, its controversial bill initiatives arouse strong rejection from a large part of citizens. This Wednesday's demonstration took place in the streets of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and was replicated in other cities in the country.
Under the slogan “down with the DNU”, the organizations opposed the scope of this regulation, which is why more than a dozen precautionary measures were presented to the Court, to declare the Decree unconstitutional.
The mobilization was called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the most powerful union group in the country, after the popular demands that have been taking place every night in front of the National Congress, since the Government's announcement.
17 days as President and two massive demonstrations against
The same day that Javier Milei and his cabinet announced the Decree that is in the public debate, left-wing political organizations together with the Polo Obrero (one of the most numerous social and picketing groups created in 2000), held the first protests against the Government .
That mobilization coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the economic, political and social crisis of December 2001which caused the resignation of the radical president Fernando de la Rúa, who governed between 1999 and 2001, and left 39 protesters dead, in the hands of the security forces.
The demonstration sought challenge the protocol announced by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, for the “maintenance of public order”, also known as “anti-picketing protocol.” This measure seeks to limit protests on public roads, with strong action by security forces and sanctions those who protest, taking away the social aid they receive from the State.
The protocol, in addition to limiting cuts in vehicular traffic, allows Armed Forces officers to carry out searches on public transport, like buses, and can film the faces of passengers, something that for the head of the Coordinator against Repression and Institutional Violence (Correpi), María del Carmen Verdú, is considered “completely illegal.”
Tomorrow we are going to participate with an independent column in the CGT rally in the Courts. We will go to demand a national active strike and a fight plan. Only the workers' struggle will defeat Milei's war plan against the Argentine people.
— Gabriel Solano (@Solanopo) December 26, 2023
According to his statements on the radio station 'AM750', which were reproduced by local media, “now we are infinitely worse than in 2003, because it is the Ministry of National Security that sends gendarmes to get on the buses and ask you if you are going to a mobilization.”
And he recalled that since 2003, there has been a conviction against the Argentine State that forces it “to eliminate the regime of arbitrary detentions that allows anyone to be detained at any place and time because a police officer thinks they look suspicious.”
This was the second large demonstration that the Milei Government faced, but more are expected. “All the organizations that have participated in the December 20 march and that were pioneers in confronting the Bullrich repressive protocol and the Milei adjustment plan, are going to be in the concentration called by the CGT in the Courts,” the Tuesday, December 26, deputy Gabriel Solano, leader of the Workers' Party-Left Front.
According to organizers' estimates, about 8,000 people participated in this Wednesday's protest, a considerable number compared to the 3,000 on December 20.
![The protests ended in clashes with police who sought to limit demonstrations against Argentine President Javier Milei's economic reforms.](https://s.france24.com/media/display/043a9584-a4e0-11ee-9588-005056a97e36/AP23361619210569.jpg)
According to the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, the CGT requested authorization to circulate in public spaces during the mobilization and offered financial security.
“This means a very important change: the acceptance of the rules of coexistence among everyone,” declared Bullrich, and highlighted the fact that the organizers of the rally decided to comply with the security protocol.
Congress, between government pressure and popular demands
This December 27, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni confirmed that “in the next few hours” the Executive will send the package of laws that contains tax, labor, criminal, energy and electoral issues, which had been announced on Tuesday, through the call for extraordinary sessions for Argentine legislators.
Through the Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 76/2023which was published during the early hours of Tuesday, December 26, the president called “the Honorable Congress of the Nation to Extraordinary Sessions” from that same day until next January 31, to address 11 bills that, for Its impact, and as established by the National Constitution, cannot be modified by Decree.
Milei defended the mega decree, which the Legislature will have to debate starting next March, and on Tuesday night, in an interview with the news channel 'La Nación+', the ruler assured that “those who like discussion so much, discussing commas and all that are because they are looking for bribes. Careful! This DNU targets the corrupt. “There is a lot of liveliness and criminals going around.”
VERY SERIOUS. Milei was a deputy until a few days ago.
If you knew or know of any request for bribes or bribery in the Chamber of Deputies, you should report it.
A prosecutor has to act ex officio and demand urgent explanations.
If not, we will file a complaint.
NOT EVERYTHING IS WORTH.…
— GERMAN MARTINEZ (@gerpmartinez) December 27, 2023
Furthermore, on that news channel, the Argentine president stated that if his package of measures is not approved, he will submit it to a popular consultation, through a plebiscite.
However, the Treasury Attorney, Rodolfo Barra, pointed out that the citizen consultation would not be binding, given that if “the voters' decision does not affect the future of the decree”, this could not be applied, according to what he told Urbana Play radio. and reproduced EFE.
Regarding the accusations of bribery made by Milei, several legislators spoke out, among them the national deputy Germán Martínez: “Very serious. Milei was a deputy until a few days ago. If he knew or knows of any request for bribes or bribery in the Chamber of Deputies, he should report it. A prosecutor has to act ex officio and demand urgent explanations. If not, we will file a complaint. Not everything goes,” the Peronist legislator from Unión por la Patria wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
“You have public responsibilities and by law you are obliged to report illegal acts that you are aware of. You cannot threaten or insult elected representatives, unless you have the corresponding evidence of what you accuse,” Senator Carolina Moisés told Milei.
Milei's mega decree faces several court presentations
Several social and union organizations raised the nullity of decree 70/2023 considering that the emergency alleged by the Executive does not exist when taking the measures that seek to deregulate the economy.
Some of the complainants, such as constitutional lawyer Andrés Gil Domínguez, claim that the president is trying to “substitute the legislative function of Congress and violate the division of powers.”
In the same sense, other complainants have spoken out, accusing the Government of “trying to advance with a strategy of demolition of Argentine society” and have requested that the effects of the DNU be suspended for being “unconstitutional and undemocratic,” noted EFE. .
For its part, the government continues to defend the project and the Minister of Justice, Mariano Cúneo Libarona, considered that the decree is “completely legitimate.”
With EFE and local media
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