Fiery protests erupted outside Argentina’s congress on Wednesday following the Chamber of Deputies’ rejection of a bill proposing an increase in pensions. The bill, which had previously been vetoed by President Javier Milei in a bid to maintain fiscal balance, failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority to overturn the veto. The voting results indicated that 153 legislators supported the pension hike, 87 opposed it, and 8 abstained (Paula Penacca’s X account).
The protests quickly escalated into clashes with the police. In a captured video, some protesters were seen breaching police barricades. Law enforcement responded with pepper spray and rubber bullets, measures the protesters have condemned as excessive force. Notably, a 10-year-old girl was among those affected by the confrontations.
President Milei commended the legislators on his X account, praising them for safeguarding the fiscal surplus. He emphasized that maintaining a zero deficit is non-negotiable, saying, “87 heroes put a stop to the degenerate prosecutors who tried to destroy the fiscal surplus that we Argentines managed to achieve with so much effort.” His administration has vowed to continue pursuing austerity measures, rejecting any increase in public spending that could jeopardize fiscal stability.
However, many Argentines are feeling the financial strain acutely. The state pension of approximately 234,000 pesos per month has significantly depreciated due to rampant inflation, which peaked last month. This has severely impacted access to essential services and subsidies for the elderly. Despite this, the government remains optimistic about inflation rates dropping below 3 percent by the end of December.
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