A general strike has begun in Argentina to protest the reforms of President Javier Milei's new ultra-liberal government. Thousands of people arrived today for a rally in front of the National Congress, in the capital Buenos Aires.
The South American country's largest union, the CGT, called for the protests. The last strike by the left-wing Peronist trade union federation, in May 2019, largely paralyzed the country.
Other unions also joined the protest. Many areas such as transport, public administration and healthcare have been affected. Flights were cancelled. Banks must close from noon. Public transport must be stopped until midnight.
Protest against emergency decree
The protest is directed, among other things, against an emergency decree of 30 measures signed by Milei, which provides for the repeal of several laws that regulate the labor and real estate markets. However, Argentine courts have already reversed part of the regulation.
The general strike also opposes a major package of reforms that the government presented to Congress at the end of December and which provides for the declaration of a “public emergency”.
This would give the government broad powers to decide on issues that currently can only be regulated by parliament. In December, countless people took to the streets in several cities.
“No strike can stop us”
The controversial authorization package is scheduled to be discussed tomorrow in Congress. “No attack can stop us, no threat can intimidate us,” wrote Security Minister Patricia Bullrich on X (Twitter).
Given that Milei's party does not have a majority in parliament, the government has heavily revised the original bill in recent days to accommodate the opposition.