10:02 PM
The State reform of Argentine President Javier Milei took a key step this Wednesday in the Senate, where his reform package was approved with the tie-breaking vote of the president of the Upper House. The day marked by riots in front of Congress that left more than twenty injured, several arrested and two vehicles set on fire.
“For those Argentines who suffer, who wait, who do not want to see their children leave the country (…), my vote is affirmative,” said the leader of the Senate and also vice president of the country, Victoria Villarruel, thus breaking the tie. of a 36-36 vote.
The reform package, called the Bases Law, includes 238 articles that address incentives for large investments, a labor reform, privatizations and a controversial delegation of legislative powers to the presidentwho has insisted on legislative support after six months of government without the approval of any law.
Milei celebrated the approval of his reform package through his social networks, “long live the homeland,” he said on his X profile.
Milei’s government had tried to pass the law in January, but failed due to low support and had to withdraw it to reintroduce a version reduced to a third of its original project.
The panorama of the South American country is facing a strong economic recession, with inflation that is close to 290% year-on-year and a fiscal adjustment that allowed the first surplus since 2008 in the first quarter of the year, although at the cost of thousands of layoffs and the deterioration of salaries and pensions.
During voting day, Argentines took to the streets to protest against the reform package. This fact comes after the massive protests last April in rejection of the government’s cuts to higher education in Argentina.
In front of Congress, there were strong riots with Molotov cocktails and burning cars. The police harshly repressed the protesters to prevent them from crossing the boundary of the fence that protects the Senate while the Base Law was being debated. The riots began when protesters tried to circumvent the fence system set up to isolate Congress in the midst of the massive protest against the law.
The bill approved in the Senate provides for a significant reduction in resources allocated to public services and the elimination of certain labor protections. The proposed reduction in funding and privatizations have been especially controversial, as many Argentines fear these measures will further deepen inequality and unemployment in the country.
The approval of the reform in the Senate is an important step for the Milei government, but it also increases the deep division in Argentine society. The violent reaction of protesters and the strong police response reflect the growing tension and frustration among those who feel they are at odds.
The situation in Argentina remains tense, with a government determined to implement radical reforms and a population divided between support and opposition to these measures.
