In this aerial photo, union members protest against President Javier Milei's emergency decree during a demonstration by the Argentine Trade Union (CGT) in Plaza Lavalle in Buenos Aires, December 27, 2023 (AFP / Luis ROBAYO)
Several thousand people demonstrated in Buenos Aires on Wednesday during the third rally in a week against a decree massively deregulating the economy by new ultra-liberal President Javier Milei, leading to some clashes with police.
The demonstrators, at the call of several unions, including the large central CGT, accompanied the submission of an appeal by several unions to the court rejecting the constitutionality of this “mega-decree”, as the press called it.
“We do not question President Milei's legitimacy, but we want him to respect the separation of powers. Workers must defend their rights when unconstitutional violations occur,” said Construction Union President Gerardo Martinez, one of the organizers.
Almost the entire gathering dispersed peacefully after midday, but some scattered groups continued to face large police forces trying to clear a large avenue, leading to clashes and crowds. According to several media outlets, six people were arrested.
Javier Milei published last week, ten days after taking office, a “DNU” (Emergency and Emergency Decree) aimed at amending or abolishing more than 300 standards, in particular the abolition of rent controls and government intervention to protect the prices of essential products , weakening worker protections, opening the door to privatization.
The decree comes into force on Friday, but Parliament can repeal it with an absolute majority of both chambers, which no political party has. Milei's party, Libertad Avanza, is only the third force, although it can count on the support of the center-right bloc, the second largest.
But this “emergency decree” should not be examined before the start of the legislative period in March. Parliament, which is theoretically in summer recess, has been meeting in an extraordinary session since Tuesday, but to examine draft laws that complement the DNU, particularly on tax issues or the role of the state.
“Today we turn to the judiciary, but another chapter will unfold in Parliament that must have a profound debate,” said Gerardo Martinez.
The mega-decree, which is being challenged by the opposition both on a legal level and in terms of its social impact, follows a series of austerity measures announced in the first days of Milei's presidency.
A devaluation of the peso, the national currency, by more than 50% and the impending cut in transport and energy subsidies from January will therefore impact the daily lives of millions of Argentines.