The riot police in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse protesters outside Congress who gathered ahead of Wednesday’s Senate vote on reforms that foresee budget cuts.
Protesters, who claim that millions of Argentines will suffer from the measures, threw Molotov cocktails and stones, setting one car on fire. Numerous injuries have been reported, and local media described the scene on Wednesday as a “battlefield.”
The reform package proposed by right-wing President Javier Milei to revive the country’s struggling economy includes declaring a state of economic emergency, cutting pensions, and reducing labor rights.
The measures are opposed by leftist political parties, labor unions, and social organizations. However, the proposal was preliminarily approved on Wednesday. The 328-article bill will now be reviewed point by point before expected full approval on Thursday. It will then return to the lower house for final approval.
