Social unrest grows as the government’s agenda erodes fundamental freedoms

Introduction

Argentina faces backlash as government dismantles Ministry of Women and cuts public health funding

As previously reported, a wave of protests has been taking place since the newly elected government declared a state of economic emergency.

Under the pretext of pursuing extensive economic deregulation of public services, the government has significantly weakened institutions dedicated to protecting human rights. This includes the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversities, which was transferred as a department to the Ministry of Justice's jurisdiction in December 2023, and the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism, which was closed in February 2024. Also, the government announced that it plans to transfer the National Institute of Indigenous Affairs to the Ministry of Justice, potentially eliminating its status as an autonomous institute and reducing its budget.

Additionally, the president’s anti-feminist remarks have inflamed opposition to initiatives addressing gender-based violence despite the 322 femicide cases reported in 2023. This figure represents a record high, showing a 33 per cent increase from 2022 when 242 deaths were recorded. His backing of regressive policies endangers women’s lives and undermines gender equality progress achieved by the Argentinean feminist movement over the past years.

On 8th February 2024, Libertad Avanza legislators presented a draft law in Congress that seeks to remove abortion rights. Feminist activists have reported that although President Milei has not yet taken steps to reverse abortion access, his public health budget cuts are impacting the availability of abortion pills. Despite massive spending cuts, prices continue to soar, with an annual inflation rate hitting 254.2 per cent.

Argentine Senate rejects controversial ‘mega decree’ - final decision awaits lower house vote

As covered before, the Argentine judiciary has blocked labour and union reforms. The reforms, part of a sweeping DNU 70/2023 presented on 21st December 2023, aimed to deregulate the economy and limit strike actions, but faced significant legal challenges, including a court ruling that deemed parts of the DNU unconstitutional.

Three months later, on 14th March 2024, the Senate rejected the ‘mega decree’. It faced defeat in the Senate, with a 42-25 vote against, highlighting President Milei’s comparatively weak political position in Congress. This setback challenges Milei’s economic overhaul plans and raises significant human rights concerns. However, the ‘mega decree’ can only be definitively discarded if Argentina's lower house also rejects it.

Peaceful Assembly

Crackdown on protesters opposing controversial reform package

Between 31st January and 2nd February, while deputies debated the draft law for Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines (Omnibus draft law), which ranged from economic policy to the privatisation of state entities, intense clashes erupted between protesters and security forces (Federal Police, Naval Prefecture and National Gendarmerie) outside Congress. Security forces used rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protests, resulting in 31 arbitrary detentions and at least 285 people injured with rubber bullets or tear gas. Official reports indicated that at least seven police officers were injured during the clashes.

At the 1st February protest, human rights lawyer Matías Aufieri suffered a severe eye injury from a rubber bullet. The Press Union of Buenos Aires (SiPreBA) reported that over 30 journalists and photographers were among the injured (see expression).

The recently approved ‘anti-picket’ protocol authorises security forces to disperse public demonstrations obstructing traffic. However, security forces abusively employed force against protesters who were not blocking traffic in any way over the period 31st January and 2nd February. According to Argentinean human rights organisations, on the afternoon of 31st January, there was widespread illegal and abusive use of less lethal weapons.

Specifically, Federal Police officers sprayed chemical irritants at protesters and used batons to strike them. Testimonies from healthcare professionals suggest that the chemical irritant used caused more severe health impacts, including chemical burns and intense pain, than typically associated with such weapons.

In response, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Its Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression expressed concern after receiving multiple complaints from civil society organisations about the disproportionate use of force against protesters. They urged the State to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and press freedom, ensuring that demonstrations remain safe for all participants:

“The IACHR stresses that protests and peaceful demonstrations are essential for democratic societies and that the State must respect, protect, facilitate, and ensure the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. In protest contexts, the use of force must be an exceptional mechanism of last resort and must be restricted to circumstances that comply with the legality, absolute necessity, and proportionality principles. The actions of the police and other law enforcement agencies to preserve safety and public order must focus on strictly respecting human rights and the applicable inter-American standards, based on the protocols in force to that end.”

On 6th February, the Senate rejected the draft law and sent it back to the legislative committee for further deliberation.

Argentines protest on 1976 military coup anniversary

On 24th March 2024, thousands of protesters rallied on the 48th anniversary of the 1976 military coup. Protesters carried signs with slogans like “30,000 reasons to defend the homeland,” referencing the estimated 30,000 people who were killed or disappeared during the 1976-83 junta’s so-called “dirty war” against suspected political dissidents, particularly those on the left.

As protesters took to the Buenos Aires streets, President Javier Milei posted a controversial video demanding justice for victims of leftist guerrillas rather than those who suffered under the junta’s repression. According to human rights experts, this video is part of Milei’s broader effort to revise Argentina’s historical memory by equating guerrilla violence with state terrorism, a move experts argue justifies the dictatorship’s brutal crackdown.

Massive protests against austerity measures intensify

During March and April 2024, multiple protests took place across Argentina, some of which were violently dispersed by security forces. The most significant protests from this period are detailed below:

On 18th March, thousands protested across Argentina, blocking over 500 roads nationwide to denounce severe cuts to social services and subsidies imposed by President Milei in his efforts to address the country’s acute economic crisis. The protests, organised by trade unions and social movements to coincide with President Milei’s 100th day in office, voiced concern that 40,000 soup kitchens were running out of food to feed struggling families after the government suspended supplies pending an audit. Also, inflation is forcing soup kitchens to shut down. Security forces used pepper spray to disperse protesters near the Pueyrredón Bridge in the Buenos Aires Province. Security forces detained at least 10 people, and several others were injured, including media workers (see expression).

On 2nd April, state workers took to the streets to protest layoffs. The demonstrations occurred in public buildings across Buenos Aires, under significant police presence. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich deployed hundreds of police officers to ministries and public institutions to manage demonstrations, implementing the “anti-pickets” protocol.

The State Workers' Association (Asociación Trabajadores del Estado, ATE) urged dismissed workers to reclaim their jobs after the government announced that it would cut approximately 11,000 jobs and place another 70,000 under review within three months. The national public administration workforce has decreased by 9,253 positions since December 2023.

On 10th April, tensions escalated between security forces and anti-government protesters in Buenos Aires. Over 4,000 people from grassroots movements took to the streets to demand food for soup kitchens and market stalls, and to oppose the reduction of beneficiaries of the Potenciar Trabajo plan. Police dispersed the protest blocking Avenida 9 de Julio, a major thoroughfare in the capital, using water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets. The operation resulted in 11 people detained and at least six people injured.

On 23rd April, the streets of Argentina’s main cities filled with books as a form of protest during the Federal University March, which united hundreds of citizens across the country to advocate for the preservation of free public education. President Milei, who has criticised public universities as “hotbeds of socialism and indoctrination,” announced an 80 per cent reduction in public university funding, maintaining it at 2023 levels despite ongoing inflation.

Private universities, various trade unions and opposition parties from across the political spectrum joined public universities in the protest. As reported by the press, police estimated that 100,000 people participated in Buenos Aires, while the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) estimated the turnout at 500,000. The Federal University March also took place in Cordoba, Rosario, Mar del Plata and other cities in at least 14 Argentine provinces.

The document read at the march said: “Education is a fundamental human right because it reduces inequality. Students work and take care of their families. Scholarships are fundamental. Progresar and Manuel Belgrano scholarships suffered cuts. Universities lack the budget to support their own scholarships. A country that does not invest in education renounces its sovereignty.”

Expression

Media workers injured while covering protest

From 31st January to 2nd February 2024, during the omnibus draft law legislative debate (see peaceful assembly), Buenos Aires City security forces injured at least 35 journalists, camera operators and photographers, according to the Sindicato de Prensa de Buenos Aires (SiPreBA) and the Federación Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN). Security forces attacked the media workers with rubber bullets and directly sprayed them with a new type of gas that caused burns, despite their clear identification as press.

Alfredo Luna, an experienced photojournalist with the Télam National News Agency, described a harrowing experience on 1st February 2024 while covering a peaceful protest outside Congress. Despite being clearly identified as press, wearing vests with press visibly marked, security forces targeted Luna and his colleagues. Luna was struck by a rubber bullet in the thigh and was sprayed with tear gas, which caused severe burning in his eyes and skin for hours. He described the police repression occurring in two waves: first, when gendarmerie troops advanced with shields and sprayed a substance that temporarily blinded him, and later, when police on motorcycles circled and fired rubber bullets directly at him and a small group of photographers.

Lorena Tapia, editor for the Argentine Televisión Pública newscast and a member of SiPreBa, was similarly attacked, receiving rubber bullet wounds on her back, waist and buttocks. She described the situation as dramatic, with colleagues in tears, and noted the intimidating tactics used by the police, such as forming circles with motorcycles to scare the journalists.

The severity of the situation prompted Argentinean organisations (SiPreBA; the Centre for Legal and Social Studies, CELS; the Association of Graphic Reporters of the Argentine Republic, ARGRA; and the Centre of Professionals for Human Rights, CeProDH) to seek precautionary measures from the IACHR the following day.

The general secretary of SiPreBA, Agustín Lecchi, stated: “It seems we need to remind Minister Patricia Bullrich that press workers are not moving targets. The journalists, cameramen and photographers were there to cover a news event—the protest at Congress during the debate on a law. They were simply doing their job, which often continues after the protest, depending on the requirements of the companies they work for.”

On 8th February, the IACHR and Its Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression called on the State to: “[E]nsure the best possible safeguards for journalists to be able to fulfil their role, as well as to investigate all acts of violence affecting journalists’ personal integrity, whether perpetrated by officers of the State or by private citizens. Further, all protocols concerning law enforcement action must include instructions for law enforcement officers concerning respect for the media.”

During the 18th March protest, which led to detentions and injuries (see peaceful assembly), security forces physically attacked reporter Carlos Ferrara from Canal 9 (an Argentine free-to-air television network based in Buenos Aires) and his technical team. Ferrara endured blows and suffered an eye injury from pepper spray, requiring hospital treatment, including oxygen and sedation. Security forces also targeted Leo Godoy from A24 (an Argentine news cable channel) and his technical team while they broadcasted live. Additionally, the gases affected Rodrigo Abd, a photojournalist for the Associated Press (AP).

Attack on press freedom

President Milei’s administration has expressed hostility towards the press and journalistic work through verbal attacks, intimidation and threats of legal action. In December 2023, Reporters Without Borders warned that Milei’s “violent verbal attacks against any critical journalist pose a threat to media freedom in Argentina.”

During his first three months in office, the Argentine Journalism Forum (Foro de Periodismo Argentino, FOPEA) reported that four out of every ten attacks on the press involved Milei or his ministers. Between 19th March and 18th April, it recorded 17 additional press freedom violations, with Milei responsible for 53 per cent of these cases. He frequently used stigmatising language to describe journalists, calling them “corrupt,” “liars,” and “extortioners” while discouraging administrative officials from giving interviews.

On 17th March, President Milei shared an opinion column by Jorge Fontevecchia titled “¿Pichetto presidente?”, published on 15th March in Diario Perfil, on the social media platform X. Accompanying the shared column, the President commented: “This is what happens when you have withdrawal symptoms from state advertising and, in your incompetence, are on the verge of bankruptcy… Obviously, you resort to coup-mongering to try to live off the taxpayers’ money again.” This statement reflects the President's ongoing hostility towards the press, particularly targeting media outlets that have criticised his administration.

On 21st March, journalist Nacho Girón (CNN en Español) tweeted about growing rumours from Casa Rosada (Argentina’s presidential office) suggesting that elderly perpetrators of crimes against humanity might be granted house arrest. Other journalists had also reported this information. In response, President Milei publicly attacked Girón on the same platform, stating: “You have been strongly pushing this big lie […]. I hope that when the facts prove your lies wrong, you apologise for your manipulated lies.” Following this, Girón’s social media account received a flood of aggressive comments. He expressed deep distress over the President’s attack, noting that it was the first time his reporting had been publicly denied and emphasising that his sources were credible.

Press freedom organisations have been reporting escalating threats against women journalists following President Javier Milei’s election. On 9th January, President Milei publicly slated Silvia Mercado, a seasoned journalist known for her coverage of Casa Rosada, during a press conference. In response, Mercado defended her reporting and sources, expressing disappointment at the President’s public criticism. President Milei, refusing to back down, escalated his accusations, claiming that Mercado was clinging to falsehoods and jeopardising the position of the presidential spokesperson.

On 10th April, the President accused María Laura Santillán of acting with bias or ulterior motives, suggesting she may be serving the interests of a particular political group. Furthermore, the President’s remarks included a misogynistic comment, raising concerns about gender-based discrimination. President Milei retweeted a post from the X account @stanleybostero, which stated: “ARCHIVE | This is how they operated on Maria Laura Santillán’s programme just three days before the election, claiming that with Milei, the devaluation would have no limits and that the dollar would rise as high as possible. Will they apologise for lying to the people?”

The post included a video of journalist Rubén Rabanal on Santillán’s show, aired on LN+ on 19th October 2023, where Rabanal explained why he believed the dollar’s value would increase if the then-libertarian candidate won the election. President Milei retweeted the post and added: “NEVER FORGET… The advantage of the modern era is that archives are instant and accessible to everyone… It’s very easy to see who’s who in the world of operatives… Also, let’s not forget their connection with…”

Abrupt closure of Télam, the 80-year-old state news agency

On 4th March, Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni announced a seven-day suspension of Télam, the state news agency, established in 1945, labelling it a propaganda tool of the opposition party. Télam was once Latin America’s largest public news agency and the second-largest in the Spanish-speaking world.

On the same day, journalists arriving at Télam’s building in downtown Buenos Aires found the entrance fenced off by police, preventing them from entering. The workers also received an email notifying them of a seven-day paid suspension affecting all 760 journalists and agency staff. The decision sparked protests among the employees, who condemned the move as an “attack on democracy and freedom of speech.”

Since then, more than 700 Télam workers have mobilised to defend the agency and prevent its closure. “This is an unprecedented attack on freedom of expression in Argentina. In recent decades, we have not seen anything like it,” said Tomás Eliaschev, a union delegate at Télam.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC) demanded “an immediate reversal of this unilateral decision, threatening two fundamental pillars of any democratic system: the right to information and freedom of expression.”

Former governor denounces journalist

The Argentine Association of Journalistic Entities (ADEPA) has expressed serious concerns about the criminal defamation lawsuit filed in April 2024 by the former Governor of Entre Ríos, Sergio Urribarri, against investigative journalist Daniel Enz. Urribarri, a Peronist leader sentenced to eight years in prison and permanently banned from public office for embezzlement and misconduct, initiated the lawsuit through his lawyer, Fernando Burlando.

The lawsuit alleges that Enz committed federal crimes linked to his reporting in the investigative magazine Análisis, where he published information obtained from official sources within the judiciary of Entre Ríos, which was instrumental in Urribarri’s conviction. Urribarri also demanded access to Enz’s phone records, including all incoming and outgoing calls. Burlando further claimed, without evidence, that a judicial and political conspiracy targeted Urribarri, involving a group of “judicial operators”, including prosecutors, judges, the mayor of Paraná and journalist Enz.

ADEPA condemned the lawsuit as an unjustified attack on Enz for fulfilling his journalistic responsibilities and warned that the allegations undermine the core principles of investigative journalism and the values enshrined in Argentina’s Constitution. Enz, an experienced journalist who has led Análisis for 34 years, views the lawsuit as a desperate attempt by Urribarri to delay his imprisonment and remains confident that the case will ultimately be dismissed.

Detention for social media posts related to the personal life of a former provincial governor in Jujuy

On 4th January 2024, Nahuel Morandini, an engineer and teacher, was detained by authorities in Jujuy following a criminal investigation initiated by a complaint from Tulia Snopek, wife of former Jujuy governor Gerardo Morales. According to Amnesty International, the complaint arose from a social media post by Morandini on the platform X, alleging a supposed infidelity involving Snopek. Subsequently, Roque Villegas, a 42-year-old freelance screen printer, was also detained for sharing related content on Facebook.

The criminal charges against Morandini and Villegas include aggravated psychological harm due to gender violence and “suppression of identity” concerning a minor (the two-and-a-half-year-old daughter of Gerardo Morales) despite the lack of intent or evidence to support such a claim. If convicted, they face up to eight years in prison.

A detention order was also issued against Lucía González for a comment she made in a WhatsApp group on the same topic. Although the order was recently annulled at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation against González continues, and she could still face trial with a potential sentence of two to six years in prison. She is also charged with causing mental harm.

On 26th February 2024, the prosecutor requested the transfer of Morandini and Villegas to home detention. Although the plaintiffs opposed this request, they were released under a restraining order that afternoon.

On 1st March, Jan Jarab, representative of the Regional Office of UN Human Rights in South America, expressed concern over the use of pretrial detention, which appears unjustifiable in this context, as well as reports of mistreatment during and after their detention, emphasising the absolute prohibition of torture under international human rights law. While welcoming the release of Morandini and Villegas, Jarab highlighted that initiating criminal proceedings against them does not align with international standards, stressing that criminal law should always be used as a last resort. The UN Human Rights Office also underscored the importance of judicial independence to ensure that decisions are based on law, facts and evidence.

Morandini and Villegas reported inhumane and degrading treatment during their initial days of detention at Barrio Gorriti prison in San Salvador de Jujuy. The National Committee Against Torture filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding these allegations. On 4th April 2024, the Jujuy Prosecutor’s Office charged Julio Arnaldo Vaca, head of the provincial Penitentiary Service, along with 22 other members of the force, for mistreating, abusing and humiliating Morandini and Villegas during their 53-day imprisonment.

Influencer Emmanuel Danann convicted for systematic harassment of journalist Marina Abiuso

On 11th April 2024, a Criminal, Contraventions and Misdemeanours First Instance Court in Buenos Aires convicted influencer Manuel Jorge Gorostiaga, known as Emmanuel Danann, for engaging in systematic harassment of journalist Marina Abiuso via social media. Danann targeted Abiuso with derogatory and intimidating messages, particularly concerning her coverage of the Lucio Dupuy case, a high-profile child murder in La Pampa. His actions, which included threats of rape and death, were part of a broader campaign to silence Abiuso, who is a prominent advocate for gender equality and serves as the Gender Editor for the TN news channel.

The court sentenced Danann to 40 hours of community service and required him to participate in a workshop on gender violence. The ruling also prohibits Danann from mentioning or contacting Abiuso by any means.

Amnesty International Argentina welcomed the conviction, highlighting the broader issue of increasing violence against journalists reporting on gender and diversity issues. This ruling follows a prior conviction against Danann for discrimination against a transgender woman. Women Press Freedom celebrated the verdict as a significant step towards addressing online harassment and discrimination, emphasising that such behaviour will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will be held accountable.

Association

Activist assaulted in Buenos Aires

On 5th March 2024, two unknown armed men entered the home of and sexually assaulted, beat and threatened to kill Sabrina Bölke, a member of HIJOS (Sons and Daughters for Identity and Justice against Oblivion and Silence). After assaulting her, the perpetrators painted on a wall the letters ‘VLLC’ (‘Viva la libertad, carajo’), a famous Milei slogan.

According to HIJOS, this was a politically motivated attack linked to her human rights activism. HIJOS is an Argentinian organisation founded in 1995 to represent the children of people who had been killed, disappeared or imprisoned by the country’s military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983.

International organisations denounce repressive measures and environmental threats in Jujuy’s constitutional reform

In a report published on 17th April 2024, nine international human rights and environmental organisations (International Federation for Human Rights – FIDH; Observatorio Ciudadano; Inter-American Association for Environmental Defense – AIDA; Brot für die Welt; Human Rights Law Centre – HRLC; Center for the Study of Law; Dejusticia; Movement Law Lab; and Global Network of Movement Lawyers) raised significant concerns about the recent constitutional reform process in Jujuy, Argentina.

The organisations stressed that failing to consult the 11 Indigenous Peoples of Jujuy during the Provincial Constitution’s approval process violates international human rights and environmental standards. The report highlights that the new Jujuy Constitution authorises productive activities on public lands, paving the way for extractive projects in Indigenous ancestral territories without ensuring prior, free and informed consultation with the communities.

Jujuy, located in the northwest of Argentina and bordering Bolivia, has one of the highest percentages of Indigenous populations in the country, according to official census data. On 20th June 2023, Jujuy Province modified 193 of the 212 articles of its Provincial Constitution through a Constitutional Convention that met for less than a month. As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, this constitutional reform sparked several protests, which were met with severe repression. CSOs in Jujuy criticised the exclusion of Indigenous voices and the lack of citizen participation in the constitutional process. They also condemned the new Constitution’s provisions, which severely restrict the right to protest and undermine Indigenous rights over their ancestral territories and water sources.

The report also includes testimonies from victims of police repression who endured arbitrary detentions and severe physical injuries due to excessive and unjustified use of force. It also documents cases of demonstrators currently facing arbitrary and disproportionate criminal proceedings for participating in and promoting peaceful demonstrations against constitutional reform.