Numerous people wave the Argentine flag and posters saying “The homeland is not for sale.”
“We do not question the legitimacy of President Milei, but we want him to respect the separation of powers,” emphasized the head of the construction union, Gerardo Martínez. The decree destroys all labor rights, added 45-year-old teacher Martin Lucero.
The decree, launched by the right-wing populist Milei, plans to change or abolish 350 existing laws, including tenancy and labor law. Other aspects include the end of automatic pension increases, the elimination of some employee protection regulations and the repeal of laws protecting against abusive price increases. In order to reduce government spending, 7,000 jobs in the public sector are to be cut.
If Congress approves the plan, the decree will come into force on Friday. However, Milei’s radical right-wing party La Libertad Avanza is in the minority in both chambers of Congress, with only 40 of 257 representatives and seven of 72 senators. However, both the House of Representatives and the Senate would have to reject the decree in order to block the reforms.
Milei, who was elected in November, promised the heavily indebted country the prospect of “shock therapy” when he took office on December 10th. The 53-year-old political newcomer took over Latin America’s third-largest economy in the midst of a severe economic crisis: Inflation has risen to more than 160 percent and more than 40 percent of the population lives in poverty.
