The current political and social landscape of Argentina during Milei’s leadership and its crisis.
Thousands of Argentines marched on the anniversary of the 1976 coup d’état celebration, in March 24thr, which gave birth to the last dictatorship of the country. The largest amount of people concentration in the walk was at Praça de Maio, outstanding by far the last year’s manifestation on the same matter. Besides the known Argentine exemplary punishing of its authoritarian politicians after the end of the dictatorship and the model way of popular protesting against abusive measures, this movement seems to reflect something bigger than just a cultural activism.
Milei’s government has been, in many ways, controversial. In one hand, the president in just one year of act was able to achieve the biggest economical superfit in fourteen years and reduced the inflation value (data corresponds until the end of the past year). In the other hand, the population has been paying the price for such monetary advances, expressed by the increase of the unemployment statistics, the reforms in the social security rules and the decrease of the purchasing power of the largest part of the Argentines. Not only, the president of Argentina was involved in a case of crypto fraud; he disseminated the buying of a crypto coin, in his account on “X”, that had its value plummeted after a couple of hours of his post on the social media (on February 14th) — for some, characterizing a play deserving of an impeachment, for others, an unhappy coincidence. Considering both perspectives, such a context is worth of the current polemics.
And most of the Argentines chose to fight against the present regime. Through protests, strikes, and walks, the working class has been actively asking for changes in the country’s social and economical spheres. Specially on the social security matter. Briefly, Milei’s administration has not been socially responsible, giving the cutting of medication investment to elder people and the refuse to increase the apportionment value. Having this perspective in mind, besides elder people and other workers, soccer organized groups have gotten into the protests to (re)achieve social rights to the pensioners. The police’s response under the Javier Milei’s government to the manifestations (even the peaceful ones) couldn’t be more brutal: rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons have been used to repress the population. The violence have happened even to elderly, as the video below shows.
Ditadura escancarada! Aposentada de 87 anos, que dedicou a vida ao trabalho, é covardemente agredida por um policial durante protesto na Argentina contra o projeto que rouba os benefícios dos aposentados. Milei não contente em meter a mão no bolso dos mais vulneráveis, ainda… pic.twitter.com/JEDNWS56uS
— Lázaro Rosa 🇧🇷 (@lazarorosa25) March 13, 2025
The chaos didn’t just stay outdoors : members of the parliament exchanged punches in the Argentine congress. Under the mentioned crypto topic, deputies discussed, on March 12th, law projects about the Libra scandal (the coin). Two of them, Oscar Zago and Lisandro Almirón, socked each other and had to be separated in the middle of the voting session. Other confront happened between Lilia Lemoine and Marcela Pagano, reaching to the point where Pagano threw a glass of water on Lemoine. Both cases involved people who defended the normalization of the Milei’s act on the crypto coin, and people who condemned virtuously the situation. The conflict between Zago and Almirón is displayed down below.
Escándalo en Diputados: la sesión por Bahía Blanca terminó con empujones, gritos e insultos
— mavica (@mavica7) March 12, 2025
Luego de que Martín Menem levantara la sesión, trascendieron imágenes de Oscar Zago enfrentando a Lisandro Almirón pic.twitter.com/ld5ZPrGgyo
After the situation occurred, officers invaded the congress to remove some parliamentary that were engaged in the conflict, making it impossible for a significant part of the opposition to vote against the president’s actions. The media down here shows the mess in the congress and the claim of some deputies to end the voting session, since not all the members were present.
QUEBRA-PAU no congresso da Argentina após GOLPE de Milei!!
— Thiago dos Reis 🇧🇷 (@ThiagoResiste) March 13, 2025
Ele ia perder uma votação importante e então mandou a polícia EXPULSAR OS DEPUTADOS que iam votar contra ele!!
Isso mesmo, a polícia invadiu o plenário pra EXPULSAR deputados da oposição!!
pic.twitter.com/s401PIIkOa
All this combined — the police oppression, the crypto scam, the decrease of populational well-being, the supposed attempt to shut down part of the congress, and the popular Argentine protests — demonstrates that Argentina is in a politically struggling place. Therefore, authoritarianism is showing its wings at the next corner, and the country is walking towards it.