Argentines protest against austerity, Milei and his “libertarian chainsaw”

“Strength grows from the bottom up.” This enigmatic headline from the progressive daily Página 12 is a tribute to a song by Uruguayan poet Alfredo Zitarrosa, an allusion to the cement necessary for any process of growth. This author, known for his political commitment, begins his song by evoking a wall built brick by brick, before drawing a parallel with social movements and revolutions, which are also the result of continuous effort. For the Argentine newspaper, this is to suggest that an opposition movement to President Javier Milei is finally emerging, almost eighteen months after he came to power.

For several months, Argentine retirees have been organizing a weekly demonstration to demand an increase in their pensions. These are now well below the poverty line. Supported by left-wing movements, the mobilization has gradually combined a number of demands and reflects anger against the “toughest austerity policy in the world” led by Javier Milei – a term he does not deny and even claims. On Wednesday, June 4, the retirees were joined by groups of professors, scientists, doctors, people with disabilities, and feminists. “Yesterday, the protests against the libertarian chainsaw [a symbol of the austerity sought by Milei] were united,” the newspaper wrote in an editorial .

The spark came from the rejection of budget cuts imposed on the country's main pediatric hospital, Garrahan, which specializes in treating childhood cancers. "This is not austerity, it's abandonment," "united against cruelty," and "no cuts to our rights" were some of the slogans that could be read on the placards held around the Argentine Congress.

Feminist groups closed the march. The day before, June 3, marked the tenth anniversary of the “Ni una menos” (“Not One Less”) movement against femicide and gender-based violence. Its creation sparked a major feminist upsurge in Argentina and Latin America. Green scarves, symbols of the fight to defend the right to free and legal abortion, returned to the streets, as Javier Milei threatens to reverse this right, which he acquired five years ago .