Medical professionals, healthcare workers, disabled individuals, and retirement-aged Argentine citizens unite in a public demonstration, advocating for increased pension benefits.
Defiantly waving banners reading "Cruelty cannot be faced alone" and "Chainsaw off our rights," protesters rallied against the government outside Congress in the heart of Buenos Aires.
For more than eight months, retirees and their supporters have been leading a Wednesday demonstration, calling for improved pensions and benefits. One of these weekly marches even saw the arrival of football fans, resulting in over a hundred arrests and physical altercations that left several individuals injured.
These hardships have mainly fallen on those affected by President Milei's budget-tightening measures, which plunged Argentina into a prolonged economic downturn for most of 2024, but managed to slow down price increases significantly. A meager minimum state pension amounts to around $300 per month, barely skirting the poverty line.
Self-proclaimed "anarcho-capitalist" Milei launched his political campaign, armed with a chainsaw, symbolizing the deep spending cuts he intended to impose. Once in power, he initiated layoffs of public sector workers, halved the count of government ministries, and vetoed inflation-adjusted pension increases.
Last year, Argentina recorded its first budget surplus in a decade, but the collateral damage was drastic, with a decline in purchasing power, jobs, and spending. "The retirees are shouldering a third of the chainsaw cuts," Luci Cavallero, a women's rights activist, declared to AFP at a recent protest. "The most disheartening aspect is the brazen repression we face. It's sad at my age," added 74-year-old retiree Cristina Rivada, a regular attendee of the weekly marches.
Parallel to these demonstrations, Argentine lawmakers debated proposals introduced by the opposition aimed at increasing pensions and allocating emergency funds for the disabled. However, the government rejects these measures due to their financial implications.
Aside from retirees, others have joined the cause, with doctors, scientists, and researchers taking to the streets to demand better wages and challenging budget cuts. Outside the Parliament, 49-year-old Evangelina Caro held a sign stating, "I am a person, not an expense, with rights, not privileges." Caro, whose 14-year-old son is autistic, expressed concern about the increasing violation of the rights of people with disabilities, urging them to take to the streets due to the lack of alternatives.
© 2025 AFP
Enrichment Insights:
Overall:
Growing Resistance to Austerity Measures in Argentina
Since late 2023, Argentina has been witnessing a wave of unrest driven by various civil society groups, including retirees, scientists, doctors, disabled individuals, women’s rights activists, and labor unions. The core issue is opposition to President Javier Milei’s austerity measures, particularly those affecting retirees[1][2][3]. The widespread public protests have led to legislative proposals aimed at increasing pensions or granting emergency benefits for the disabled, but the government has rejected these measures due to their financial implications.
Impacts and Costs:
The protests have caused both economic and social turbulence, with occasional violent altercations leading to arrests and injuries. These weekly rallies demand not only higher pension values but also the defense of social rights and public services[1][2]. Economically, the austerity drive has achieved some of its objectives, such as a budget surplus and reduced inflation, but at the cost of a deepening recession, loss of jobs, and decreased consumer spending[1][2].
Current State:
Despite the persistent protests and the resulting political pressure, the Milei administration has shown no signs of reversing its policies. Legislative efforts to enact pension increases or maintain social programs have been delayed due to insufficient quorums. Continuous protests and declining approval ratings for Milei complicate the political landscape[3].
Key Points Summary:
| Aspect | Details ||--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|| Motivation for Protests | Opposition to austerity cuts, pension freezes, and correlated loss of purchasing power || Protest Demands | Higher pensions, defense of social rights, and restoration of public services || Participating Groups | Retirees, scientists, doctors, disabled, women’s and LGBT+ activists, labor unions || Incidents | Weekly marches, violent clashes, numerous arrests, multiple injuries || Economic Toll | Recession, job losses, reduced consumer spending, but budget surplus and controlled inflation || Current State | Ongoing protests, stalled legislative progress, and declining Milei approval ratings |
Conclusion:
Persistent protests in Argentina reflect widespread discontent regarding President Milei's austerity policies and their harsh impact on retirees and other vulnerable groups[1][2][3]. Although there have been economic benefits, such as a budget surplus and reduced inflation, the financial gains have come at great social expense, with few solutions yet in sight for those most affected.
- The ongoing protests against the Argentinian government, led primarily by retirees and supported by various groups such as scientists, doctors, and disabled individuals, are rooted in their disapproval of policy-and-legislation enacted by President Milei that they view as punitive, particularly those affecting retirees' pensions and rights.
- As the debate over proposed legislative measures aimed at increasing pensions and allocating emergency funds for the disabled unfolds, it has become clear that the government's rejection of these measures due to their financial implications is a central point of contention in Argentinian politics, contributing to the general news narrative surrounding austerity policies and their consequences.
