The recently inaugurated Government of Javier Milei, in Argentina, faces two challenges in its path to implement a government plan that aims at a minimum reduction of the State. In Congress, where he does not have a majority, the legislation that would shape his mandate, the 'omnibus law', is being negotiated, while in the streets this January 24 the first general strike that the nation is experiencing will take place. since 2019.
Argentina will be paralyzed this Wednesday for 12 hours. In Buenos Aires and in the provinces there will be massive demonstrations that will take place at the National Congress. The message is clear: the rejection of the ultraliberal measures of the Government of Javier Milei.
Reduce the Argentine State to its minimum expression, deregulate the economy, privatization and cuts in social benefits. The far-right government plan is disputed in the streets and in Congress. This January 24, Milei will face the third major demonstration against him and the first national strike called by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the largest union center in the country, with the support of social, political and human rights organizations, in almost five years.
The protest is focused on the Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) and the draft Bases and Starting Point Law, better known as the 'omnibus law'. The main criticism of this bill is that the Executive seeks to obtain legislative delegations in the fiscal, defense, electoral, legal, and energy fields, among others. That is, concentrate more power.
“This is a savage attack that affects the most vulnerable sectors and workers and seeks to take away labor and retirement rights,” the unions said, according to Telam, after the union leaders' press conference.
The power plants are no longer concerned about the Security Protocol issued by the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, which they describe as “repressive.” Last December, this regulation was approved, the objective of which is to “prevent the closure of vehicle circulation on public roads due to pickets and street demonstrations, safeguarding rights protected by constitutional norms, by enabling expressions of protests to be carried out on the sidewalks,” according to the document.
A measure criticized by all human rights organizations and that does not stop the union centers in their march for this Wednesday. Although they fear that there will be strong repression, they point out that their demonstration will be peaceful and have announced that they will allow emergency units to pass through, but they made it clear that they would not march “on the sidewalk.”
Pressure on Congress
While the marches warm up, in Congress there is another front open for Milei. With a legislative minority, the president has been forced to negotiate with other related groups, such as Together for Change, the approval of the 'omnibus law'.
The legislators' complaints, which began with the treatment of the bill on January 9, led to the sending of a new version of the document.
The Libertarians have only 38 deputies and need to achieve the support of at least 91 more parliamentarians for the treatment of the package of measures to begin in Congress. Although Milei denies it, she had to concede certain changes to her star bill.
Internal negotiations were much more difficult for the Government than expected, even with its allies. To ensure that it reaches the Chamber of Deputies as soon as possible, the Executive proposed a new regulatory text, in which it eliminates or modifies several articles.
More than 100 articles are left out
The original text initially had 664 articles. The negotiations in the Legislature led to a body of 525 articles. One of the most controversial points was the declaration of emergency, initially for two years; that is, until December 31, 2025. In the new text, Milei reduces the emergency to less than a year; that is, until December 31, 2024. Although the possibility of extending it for another year remains.
Another point that generated rejection was the chapter referring to security. Milei initially proposed that any meeting of more than three people convened on an “intentional and temporary” basis be considered a “demonstration.” The fear of activists and social, union and human rights organizations is that it will result in state repression.
In the new text, the minimum is 30 people, but its objective is ratified. Social organizations have expressed their concern that this article passes because they say it endangers the right to legitimate protest.
It also put a stop to privatizations. Initially, it had contemplated the privatization of 41 public companies, including the state oil company YPF. However, he was left out of this package. Furthermore, the president's spokesman, Manuel Adorni, clarified days ago that the companies would not necessarily be privatized. “There are companies that must be cleaned up, but they would be impossible to privatize,” he added.
Added to this is the cultural sector, which has come together to demonstrate, they say, the detrimental effects on art and culture in Argentina. For the media 'El Perfil', José Miguel Onaindia, a constitutional lawyer, clarifies that Milei's proposal in this case ignores “express provisions of the National Constitution that obliges Congress to enact laws that promote cultural activity and guarantee the full exercise of cultural rights, which make up the set of human rights.”
What Milei seeks is the elimination of the National Theater Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts, and the defunding of the Film Law. In the modifications it is confirmed in the elimination of these entities, but it opens the possibility of creating others that fulfill the same role. For guilds of actors, screenwriters and filmmakers it is a hard blow to culture.
The renowned Pedro Almodóvar and Alejandro González Iñárritu spoke out in support of Argentine cinematography, after learning of the changes proposed by Milei. In a statement, the Cine Argentino Unidos collective prepared a letter in which Almodóvar and Iñárritu, as well as a hundred other directors and screenwriters from around the world, joined the defense of Argentine cinema.
This Tuesday, January 23, the plenary session of the Constitutional Affairs, General Legislation, and Budget and Finance commissions was convened. The call by the ruling party seeks to pressure the rest of the legislative blocks to obtain a favorable opinion that reaches the Chamber of Deputies.
I am going to vote negatively against the Omnibus law promoted by Milei since my commitment to the people of Fuegian as a senator of the Nation is not to delegate our legislative powers even for a single day. pic.twitter.com/YjhGj5FDal
— Cristina Lopez (@crislopeztdf) January 22, 2024
If it finally obtains approval from the Lower House, the bill goes to the Senate, where the Government has less than 10% of the seats. There, the positions are firmer. Senator Cristina López, from Unión por la Patria, announced that her vote will be negative due to the delegation of legislative powers that Milei intends to attribute with the reform.
That is the main point of conflict with Congress and although Milei sent several changes to the initial text, some of the senators and deputies criticized that they are a screen to maintain and approve the legislative issue and the electoral reforms.
“The Homeland is not for sale”
It is the main claim of the unions, but also of a large part of Argentine society that has used the phrase: “The Homeland is not for sale” to publish on their social networks and express discontent with Milei's reforms.
In addition to the massive mobilization of the CGT, other workers' organizations have expressed their support and participation in this great peaceful march on January 24. However, there are other unions that have not joined, such as the Flybondi Aeronautical Workers Association, who expressed “their total rejection,” considering that the strike seeks “political objectives, aimed at positioning themselves against a government that recently took office. more than a month”. He criticized that the CGT remained “silent” during the four years of Alberto Fernández's government.
On the other hand, the international support of unions abroad has been present with several displays of solidarity with the CGT and the called strike. This is the case of the National Group of Tax Employees (ANEF) of Chile, considering that Milei's proposals, if implemented, “would violate principles of division of powers, would curtail the democratic values achieved by the Argentine people and would affect the good functioning of state institutions and the constitutional rank.”
They are joined by the Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions of Spain, who pointed out that the Argentine president's plan “makes working conditions precarious and limits rights, affecting workers' income, their conditions of stability and professional development, while advancing against the union structure.”
In addition, they warned of “threats and blackmail” from the Government to the organizations that promote the national strike and the people who participate in these mobilizations.
“The adjustment will be greater”
With a Congress without a majority and increasingly more obstacles to approving the 'omnibus law', the Milei Government has put pressure and launched a public threat: “The adjustment will be greater for everyone if the law is not approved in Congress. “Each of the national government allocations to all provinces will be reviewed.”
This was said by the presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adoni. The spokesperson also confirmed that the Government will send to Congress this Tuesday a new project for the restitution of the income tax, which was eliminated last September – included with Milei's vote.
Manuel Adorni referred to the general strike on the 24th: “There are people on the wrong side of history” | The presidential spokesperson commented on the measure of force imposed by the CGT. pic.twitter.com/lt9cOmyPdh
— Clarín (@clarincom) January 23, 2024
For the Argentine president, the protests only have a political overtone from leftist groups. “There is one (part of society) that wants to stay in the past and in decadence, and another that puts us on the path to being a developed country, which is what we propose,” said Milei, in statements to the Rock & Pop radio.
“While you have a Government that is willing to do what needs to be done, it happens that there is a group of politicians who want to defend their corporate interests,” he added.
The president held a meeting with his ministerial cabinet to define the parliamentary negotiations in the process of the 'omnibus law' and to get ready for his first general strike.
With Reuters, EFE and local media
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