Argentine police on Thursday dispersed rubber bullets for demonstrators gathered outside Congress as lawmakers debated the new president’s sweeping package of economic, social and political reforms, The News Lens reports.
The clashes between police and demonstrators came on the second day of an expected marathon debate on reform plans by libertarian and capitalist President Javier Milei.
Local TV stations broadcast police firing rubber bullets and water cannons at hundreds of demonstrators opposed to the reform package. Members of the opposition at one point ran out of the building to watch and condemn the police action, but then returned to their seats and the debate resumed. Leftist lawmaker Mariano Del Cano said:
We cannot hold a session under these circumstances.
Alejandro Finocchiaro, a lawmaker backing Milei, accused those who walked out of trying to delay the debate and said protesters outside “were determined to suppress so that the session would stop.”
Milei faces a tough fight given that his party has only 38 of the 257 seats in the lower house and widespread protests against his reform plans.
Moderate opposition lawmakers have warned they will push for further changes to the bill, especially on the sensitive issue of granting special powers to the executive in economic emergencies.
Milei came to power in December promising to cut spending and end a decades-long economic crisis in South America’s third-largest economy, where annual inflation is more than 200 per cent.
