Organizers of the first rally against President Javier Milei's government on Wednesday in Buenos Aires will have to bear the costs of mobilizing security forces on that occasion, the presidential spokesman said on Friday. The cost of this expenditure, which also includes the mobilization of four security forces – federal police, municipal police, airport police and gendarmerie – was estimated at 60 million pesos, or about $73,000 at the official exchange rate.
It is “the bill that will be forwarded to the social movements,” who will be “asked to take responsibility for these expenses that do not belong to citizens,” spokesman Manuel Adorni added. The government had already announced last week that these costs would be borne by the organizers. A few days after the inauguration of the ultra-liberal president, thousands of people demonstrated in the center of the Argentine capital at the call of left-wing organizations.
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“It reminds me of the dictatorship”
The demonstrators condemned the government's austerity program and were surrounded by a large security system, which was criticized by organizers. “It reminds me of the dictatorship,” commented Eduardo Belliboni, chairman of the Polo Obrero organization. The device was personally monitored by the President and his Security Minister Patricia Bullrich from the Federal Police headquarters.
“The force deployed will be the bare minimum but proportional to the resistance,” she announced last week, adding: “The bill for this equipment will be sent to the responsible organizations or individuals.” The state will not pay for this deployment of security forces .” Argentina and especially the greater Buenos Aires area are the scene of hundreds of demonstrations with traffic restrictions every year.