Police in Argentina fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters gathered outdoors Congress in Buenos Aires as lawmakers debated newly elected President Javier Milei's financial, social and political reform package deal.
Opposition lawmakers stormed out of the constructing at one level to watch and denounce the police motion, however later returned inside to take their seats and the controversy resumed till after midnight. .
Native media reported three individuals injured and several other arrests. The Buenos Aires press union mentioned a minimum of a dozen journalists had been hit by rubber bullets, together with one within the face.
The whole lot unfolded on the second day of what’s anticipated to be a marathon debate on the so-called Milei omnibus reform invoice.
The 53-year-old political outsider — a libertarian and self-described anarcho-capitalist — gained a convincing election victory final October on a wave of anger over a long time of financial crises marked by debt, rampant cash printing, the inflation and the fiscal deficit.
Milei started his time period by devaluing the peso by greater than 50 p.c, slicing state subsidies for gas and transportation, slicing the variety of ministries in half, and scrapping lots of of guidelines to decontrol the economic system.
His substantial reform package deal touches on all areas of private and non-private life, from privatizations to cultural points, the legal code, divorce and the standing of soccer golf equipment.
However many Argentines are already up in arms and have gone on strike lower than two months into his time period.
“Milei guarantees that his austerity measures and reforms will convey down rising inflation in Argentina and revive the economic system,” mentioned Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo, who reported from Thursday's protest.
She famous, nevertheless, that the unrest confirmed “how troublesome the approaching months can be and the way the president is prepared to confront those that dare to oppose him.”
