Argentine President Javier Milei has gradually reduced pensions since taking office, prompting weekly protests in front of the Congress building in Buenos Aires. In addition to demanding increased pensions, retirees are calling for the reinstatement of free medicines, which were cut under Milei’s administration.
According to a recent Guardian report, around 60% of retirees are currently receiving the minimum pension of about $340 per month. By the end of March, seniors who have not contributed to the pension system for at least 30 years will no longer receive a pension. Meanwhile, the police are becoming increasingly aggressive against the protesting retirees, with Reuters reporting that more people have been injured in recent protests.
Unexpectedly, Argentine football fans, including those of the popular clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate, have been showing support for the retirees. The fans, who are normally rivalrous, joined the protests after a call to action from the fans of the local club Chacarita Juniors. At the demonstration, the football fans quoted the statement of Argentine football star Diego Maradona: “How can I not defend the retirees? You have to be a real coward not to defend them.”
During the protests, the older demonstrators held signs that read “Beat us not, we are your parents” and “Help me fight – you will be the next older person.” On Wednesday, more than 1,000 police officers were deployed against the protests, using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse the crowd in the late evening. A Reuters video documented some of the police actions from Wednesday, with the Guardian reporting: “Columns of riot police set off almost continuous volleys of tear gas and fired water cannons and rubber bullets at the demonstrators. By 5:30 pm, police on motorbikes rode into the crowd, trained their weapons on the demonstrators and sent hundreds fleeing.”
According to preliminary reports from the independent human rights organization Comisión Provincial por la Memoria, more than 500 people were injured. Freelance photographer Pablo Grillo was hit on the head by a tear gas canister and suffered a skull fracture and loss of brain matter. He is currently in a coma in the hospital. In response, the Argentine Association of Photographers (aRGra) called for the resignation of the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich, stating: “Today, our former student was severely injured by security forces in a vicious manner. We demand that the President of the Republic and his subordinates be immediately removed from office and brought to justice. Otherwise, we will hold [Milei] morally, politically and criminally accountable for the crimes committed by his minister.”
The opposition also criticized the government’s economic measures, saying they are being implemented at the expense of the most vulnerable population in Argentina. Senator and economist Martín Lousteau stated: “We are for the public finances to be sanitized. What we cannot allow is for these sanitizations to be carried out at the expense of the fears, health and neglect of our retirees.