Unions and different organizations have called a rally this Wednesday to ask that a decree of necessity and urgency imposed by the government of far-right Javier Milei be stopped to begin the dismantling of the State. The march, which will take place amid a large deployment of security forces, will bring together the main labor confederations of Argentina, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the Central Workers of Argentina (CTA), as well as social organizations , policies and human rights before the headquarters of the Judiciary and the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina, in Buenos Aires.
The different sectors convened starting at eleven in the morning, local time, appeal to “unity” to stop the decree of necessity and urgency (DNU) published in the Official Gazette a week ago. The text imposes in one go more than 300 reforms that, among other things, repeal laws, eliminate dozens of state regulations, enable the privatization of public companies, open the door to operations in dollars and kick-start making the labor market more flexible. and the health system. The decision is being questioned by Congress, the Justice Department and in the streets by those who consider it “unconstitutional.”
Decrees of necessity and urgency are exceptional mechanisms that allow the Executive to dictate or modify laws to address an urgent matter that cannot wait for debate in Congress. The Government has claimed that the country's situation – with high levels of inflation and poverty – is “very complicated” and warrants this measure, which is unprecedented in the country due to its magnitude. However, many sectors consider that the president assumes legislative powers by imposing hundreds of reforms without a debate in Congress and question the “necessity and urgency” of some points of the package.
The decree will go into effect this week. Congress can reject it with a majority vote in each of the Chambers. But if only one of them approves it, the decree is valid; if it is not treated by some as well. While this is happening, another way to stop it is through the courts: more than a dozen injunctions have already been filed, according to the Télam news agency, and this Wednesday the CGT will also present a court case against the megadecree.
“The objective is for the DNU to not continue running,” Héctor Daer, secretary of the CGT, announced on the eve of this Wednesday's march. Attendees will move at noon from Plaza Lavalle, in the center of the Argentine capital, to the Palace of Courts, a few meters away, to present the brief at the entrance table. In parallel to the judicial strategy, the unions have also held meetings with opposition deputies and senators to expand their positions against the decree. Organizations are “measuring the thermometer,” as they say, and defining their strategies prudently.
The first reactions against the DNU sounded after Milei's reading of some of the measures on national television a week ago. Outraged neighbors expressed their rejection by banging pots and pans from balconies in different parts of the country and hundreds of them marched to the doors of Congress, in Buenos Aires, to defend rights won for decades. After the Christmas break, protests of repudiation resumed. This Tuesday, in the city of Buenos Aires alone, there were two rallies in front of Congress where slogans such as “Up with the rights, down with the decree!” were heard.
“We have been in government for 16 days and they have already held three marches,” criticized the head of the Security portfolio, Patricia Bullrich, on Tuesday. From the Executive, they suggest that the objective of the mobilizations is to “destabilize” the Government. Last week, the minister launched a protocol to prohibit demonstrations from blocking streets and routes, one of the most common forms of protest in Argentina, and this Wednesday she once again deployed a strong operation around the concentration to control the streets. Bullrich maintains her threat: “He who makes them pays for them.”
The maxim of the Minister of Security is supported by another of the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Pettovello, who repeats: “He who cuts does not get paid.” The head of that portfolio, which brings together the powers of the former ministries of Education, Social Development and Labor, thus refers to the consequences that beneficiaries of state aid who block the streets could have. There are no shortage of reasons to protest: in addition to the decree that dismantles the State and the guidelines given by Bullrich and Pettovello to control the protests, there is a strong adjustment, communicated by the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo.
“We come from a complex situation and the adjustment cannot be made for the people,” criticizes Dina Sánchez, deputy secretary of the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy (UTEP). The union leader points out that in the popular neighborhoods “there is a lot of disappointment” because the Government's adjustment “was brutal” for the most vulnerable sectors. “There was no adjustment for businessmen or for the Judiciary,” she says. The union leader assures that the objective of this Wednesday's protest is not to destabilize the Government but to stop a DNU that she considers “disastrous” and takes away “conquered rights.” “The situation warrants unity among all sectors,” she defends.
• Today we receive in our Interblock the fellow leaders of the three union centers: Héctor Daer (CGT), Hugo Yasky (CTA of the Workers) and Hugo Godoy (CTA-Autonomous). In addition, we have the presence of Taty Almeida, a representative of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. pic.twitter.com/orAgQnq4Qz
— UxP Senators (@Senadores_All) December 27, 2023
A possible plebiscite
Milei gave signals the night before the march that he will not give in and maintained his defiance of Congress. If the decree is rejected, the far-right president assured that he will call a plebiscite. “Obviously,” the president emphasized in a television interview broadcast the day before. “Why is Congress opposed to something that is good for people? “Let them explain it to me,” he said and then accused the legislators of “looking for bribes.” [sobornos]” to cast their votes. “There is a lot of violence and criminals going around,” accused Milei, who was a legislator before being elected president.
Although Milei obtained 56% of the votes in the second round of the elections, when he defeated the Peronist Sergio Massa, he is in a minority in both chambers of Congress: in Deputies, the extreme right has only 38 seats of its own out of a total of 257; in the Senate, eight out of 72. To achieve the transformation of the country that he seeks, Milei will need to negotiate with other political forces. His party, La Libertad Avanza, is confident that he will achieve it. The unions will meet again this Thursday to define “a fighting plan.” On the table is also the possibility of going to a 24-hour general strike.
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