In a repressive context, dozens of protesters arrested and national deputies gassed, Milei managed to approve his first Law in Congress.
It was approaching midnight on June 12 when Victoria Villarruel, Argentine vice president and proclaimed defender of genocide, gave rise to the roll call vote to approve or disapprove the project of institutionalization of the neoliberal reforms of the far-right model of President Javier Milei, the “Bases Law ”,.
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The vote resulted in a tie. The opposition led by Unión por la Patria expressed its rejection with 33 of the 72 senators. The radical Martín Lousteau and two provincial senators joined. The 36 who supported the proposal had been achieved through alliances, negotiations and even the offer of a position as representative to UNESCO to Senator Lucía Crexell, who was denounced for bribery for that situation.
«It is as if it had been normalized that the extortions that many senators have received were normal. “It is not normal,” said Senator Juliana Di Tullio during her intervention, referring to the change of vote that Crexell made.
The final decision then remained in the hands of the vice president, with constitutional power to resolve these types of issues, and she defined it favorably. The initiative was generally approved. Then the articles were discussed, where several points were removed as part of the Executive’s concessions.
«What happened on the street is not normal either. My solidarity with the deputies who were openly repressed by the police,” stressed Di Tullio, who also pointed out that a senator, Natalia Gadano, suffered intimidation against her family. «We feel that it is not that they are asking us for tools. “They are extorting us to vote tools for a president who wants to destroy the State,” he concluded.
Rejection
The ruling party celebrated “the historic approval” of the Law and justified the repression that left people injured and dozens of detainees. Elderly people and children received pepper spray, tear gas and mustard gas. Fire hydrant trucks and rubber bullets were also used.
The Government justified its decision based on an alleged coup attempt by terrorist groups and the president congratulated the Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, for her work.
In reality, images of the place show what would be the infiltration of hooded subjects who were later received in a good manner in the police lines after turning over a car and setting it on fire. It is not the first time that the current Minister of Security uses these methods.
But in reality, the streets were the place where tens of thousands of people peacefully demonstrated against the law that they pointed out as a way to “sell the country.” And after the approval of the law, pots and pans were heard clanking throughout the country and spontaneous calls were made at various points in repudiation of the libertarian model.
What was approved
The Law declares a public emergency in administrative, economic, financial and economic matters. Specifically, these emergencies enable the Executive to take powers that are normally within the scope of Congress in the aforementioned areas.
It authorizes the privatization of the state energy company Enarsa and allows concessions for the water operator of the city of Buenos Aires and several of the country’s main railway operators. Meanwhile, the elimination of entities dependent on the State was also stipulated, but this was modified and entities such as the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (Incaa) will continue to function.
At the same time, the law advances the delivery of natural resources to foreign multinationals through the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI), which grants tax and sovereignty concessions under the pretext of favoring investments.
The legislative proposal introduces reforms that make labor rights more flexible and, through a second law, which was voted on Thursday, a fiscal package was introduced by which a series of taxes are added. Money laundering is also encouraged.
It’s not law yet
Although the ruling party celebrated the approval of the law in general with “fanfare,” to achieve it it had to make multiple concessions that it had stated it was not willing to negotiate. The original project presented at the end of last year had 664 articles and, after a series of back and forth, the Executive decided to withdraw the document and return to the previous instance.
Months later it returned in a reduced version of just over 200 articles and, after multiple modifications, it was approved by the Lower House. In turn, in its debate in the Senate, numerous points of the project were corrected or directly eliminated.
For example, of the 40 companies that the Government intended to privatize, with the successive changes it will only be able to do so in one case, in another seven it will be able to allow private participation and in the remaining ones their sale will have to be sent to parliament. Another aspect where the law was reduced were the areas in which the emergency was declared; Milei originally required it to cover 11 areas and only four were granted.
Meanwhile, the bill that proposed a fiscal package to increase revenue was reduced in relevant aspects, such as the income tax and the pension reform.
From now on, due to the modifications made in the Senate, the text must return to the Chamber of Deputies, where they can approve the modifications made, which is expected to be done in the coming weeks.
Author: teleSUR – Nicolás Hernández
