In Argentina, the ultra-liberal and populist Javier Milei took office at the head of the country a little less than a week ago. He has already announced drastic measures to revive the economy and combat hyperinflation: shock devaluation of more than 50% of the peso, and the reduction from January 2023 of transport and energy subsidies. And to prevent the demonstrations that these measures could provoke, he plans to make police intervention pay for organizations and individuals who demonstrate, as well as sanctions for parents who go to demonstrations with their children.
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Making those who take to the streets pay for police intervention or sanctioning parents who go to demonstrations with their children, President Javier Milei is restricting the right to demonstrate. Brian Shapira, former undersecretary for Human Rights in the government of former president Maurico Macri, now an ally of Javier Milei, does not avoid the debate: “ That the demonstrators pay the cost of the police when they have to intervene does not seem appropriate to me. But debating street blockades seems normal to me, because it’s a problem that really affects tens or even hundreds of thousands of workers.. »
“ Totally unconstitutional »
But also ” because a lot of public transport passes through these streets, and many people are affected in their right to get to work », concludes Brian Shapira. The story is completely different on the union side. For Ricardo Peidro, deputy secretary of the CTA Autonoma union, “ it is totally unconstitutional. He wants to retain the loyalty of a part of his voters, who refuse any popular demonstration. This new government faces a system where the poor represent 40% of the population. He should address what is causing this situation, not use violence in response to demands. »
First real test for these measures: during next week’s protests; they commemorate the economic crisis of 2001 and the violent police repression which killed 39 people during it.
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