The repression of protests in northern Argentina’s Jujuy province has left several injured and arrested as they demonstrated against the partial reform of the province’s constitution, which was passed at dawn on Friday. According to the Telam news agency, at least 25 people remain in custody this Sunday after clashes with the police. Various leaders and social organizations have denied the incident, and the Education Workers’ Confederation (CTERA), which brings together Argentina’s main teachers’ unions, announced a nationwide strike this Sunday over the incidents.
The Jujuy Constituent Assembly will be held on Friday approved a reform of the provincial constitution. The debate on the reform took place in the context of constant mobilizations by various organizations, particularly in the education sector. Finally, the reform promoted by the governor of the province, Gerardo Morales of the Radical Civic Union, was approved at dawn.
The demonstrations were organized in different cities of the province and at different times there were incidents with the police, which were denounced on social networks and local media by various social leaders, activists and organizations. “They suppressed us with rubber bullets, with tear gas, they dragged me out more than half a block (…) It’s brutal,” MP Natalia Morales said in a video posted to her Twitter account from the city of Purmamarca. In other footage, police can be seen advancing as protesters disperse amid gunfire and shouting.
The Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), a human rights organization, circulated a message on its networks assuring that the police had “carried out repressions in different parts of the province” during the night. He later added in another message that “police fired rubber bullets at tribal communities and arrested dozens of people.” and young people in conflict”.
❌ The Jujuy government intends to replace the right to protest with a “right to social peace”. Today it became clear what he means by social peace: oppression. pic.twitter.com/pTrvlf28nH
— CELS (@CELS_Argentina) June 18, 2023
For its part, the Argentine Journalists’ Forum (FOPEA) called for the release of two journalists arrested while covering the protests, noting that “this is not the first time that alleged abuses of journalistic work by police officers have been reported in this province. ” . Those detained also include teachers, members of local communities and “even people who did not attend the demonstration,” according to the Telam agency, which has reported that the nation’s human rights minister, Horacio Pietragalla, will travel to Jujuy following the incidents .
“The release of the prisoners has become an important issue, but we will not give up our complaint against the reform, which was passed without consulting the communities,” one of the protesters told the news agency. “So far, no decision has been made about the governor’s announcement of talks,” said the demonstrators about the road blockades that have been taking place in the province for weeks. And they added: “We don’t know what the true fine print of reform is in terms of natural resources, private property, water, education and health.”