Thousands of Argentinians marched in the streets on Wednesday to protest President Javier Milei's drastic economic reform plans.
The demonstrators were led by labor unions who argued that the decree was "unconstitutional" as Milei's plan was presented to Congress during an extraordinary session. Protesters stood outside of the country's Justice Palace, where some civic groups filed a motion to declare the controversial decree unconstitutional.
Argentinians Protests Economic Plans
There were roughly 8,000 people who participated in that protest; others waved Argentine flags while others could be seen carrying placards that read, "The homeland is not for sale." Construction union leader Gerardo Martinez was quoted as saying that they do not question the legitimacy of President Milei but urge him to respect the division of powers.
Martinez noted that workers must defend their rights whenever an unconstitutionality is being done. The situation comes after Milei announced his plans to change the nation's economic system last week by changing more than 300 regulations, as per DW News.
One of the most crucial aspects of the new Argentinian president's plans is to eliminate laws that regulate rent and the ones that prevent the privatization of state enterprises. Milei also announced a modernization of labor law that he said is meant to "facilitate the process of creating real jobs."
The president's decree would eliminate some worker protections, including ending automatic pension increases and restricting the right to strike. The new measures would also impact tourism, satellite internet services, pharmaceuticals, wine production, and foreign trade.
The protesters who marched to the streets of Buenos Aires demanded the courts intervene and invalidate the mega-decree. President Milei's "chainsaw plan" has prompted street protests against his new government.
Milei's decree would also terminate roughly 7,000 civil contracts in a bid to cut state spending. Unless the Argentinian Congress scraps the plan, the decree will take effect on Friday, according to the Voice of America News.
Javier Milei's Drastic Measures
The Argentinian president's far-right party, Freedom Advances, has 40 of the 257 deputies in Congress and seven of 72 senators. Martin Lucero, a 45-year-old teacher who attended the protest, said that Milei's decree was destructive of all labor rights.
The situation comes as Milei also announced that he would cut roughly 5,000 government jobs as he refuses to renew the workers' contracts. He plans not to continue the employment of any individual hired by the federal government in 2023 before he was elected into office earlier this month.
The workers hired by the government before 2023 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The president ran on promises of radical free-market capitalism and has made substantial layoffs.
Milei also rolled back regulatory red tape to disentangle what he believes is a suffocating web of government control. At the time, he said that his goal was to start on the road of rebuilding Argentina and return freedom and autonomy to individuals, according to Fox News.
