On 3 April, the Argentine Senate rejected President Milei’s two nominees for the Supreme Court: federal judge Ariel Lijo and law professor Manuel García-Mansilla. This followed Milei’s controversial decision to bypass the Congress by appointing both nominees by presidential decree, arguing that the constitution granted him the authority to do so during a congressional recess. This action was widely criticized as an overreach of executive power and a threat to judicial independence. After the Senate’s rejection, García-Mansilla, who had already assumed his position, submitted his resignation to the executive. Lijo had not been allowed to assume his role, as the Supreme Court refused to accept his appointment while he remained on leave from his federal judgeship, insisting he first resign. He had therefore decided to wait for Senate confirmation. As a result, Argentina’s Supreme Court remains with only three of its five seats filled. Legal experts have praised the Senate’s decision as a necessary stand against what they see as one of the most serious threats to judicial independence in the country’s democratic era.

Sources: AP News, International IDEA, Chequeado (1), Chequeado (2), Infobae

On 12 March, the weekly demonstration led by pensioners—held every Wednesday to protest the government’s severe pension cuts—was brutally repressed by police. The crackdown resulted in over a hundred arrests and dozens of injuries, including a journalist left in critical condition after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister thrown by police. Shortly afterward, a judge ordered the immediate release of all detainees, ruling that security forces had failed to provide basic information justifying the arrests, violating the protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Civil society organizations warn the government is increasingly using excessive force to suppress protests and normalizing the criminalization of dissent—practices they say pose a serious threat to democracy. The government defended police actions and announced plans to prosecute a dozen protesters on sedition charges, as well as pursue disciplinary action against the judge who ordered their release.

Sources: BBC, WOLA, Clarin, The Guardian, Pagina 12, Mapa de la Policía

On 25 February, President Javier Milei appointed two Supreme Court Justices by presidential decree, bypassing Congress in a move criticized as a severe threat to judicial independence. The announcement came days before the end of the congressional recess and resulted in a one-year appointment of Milei's nominees—who had failed to secure congressional approval throughout 2024. One of the nominees was particularly controversial due to alleged involvement in corruption and ethical violations. Argentinean law allows presidents to fill vacancies that require congressional approval during recesses, but experts argue this mechanism is intended for extraordinary circumstances and has not been used to appoint Supreme Court justices. In 2016, former President Mauricio Macri attempted a similar move but was forced to backtrack following widespread criticism. Critics argue that Milei’s appointments by decree constitute an overreach of executive power and undermine democratic checks and balances.

Sources: AP News, El Pais, Swiss Info, Human Rights Watch, Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales

On 6 February, President Javier Milei issued a presidential decree modifying Argentina’s Gender Identity Law (Law 26.743), approved in 2012. The changes prohibit individuals under 18 from accessing gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries. Legal experts and human rights organizations have condemned the decree as illegal, arguing that laws cannot be altered by presidential decree. They also criticize it as a regression of trans rights, leaving trans minors currently undergoing treatment abruptly without medical support, which could lead to serious risks for their mental and physical health. The government has defended the measure as necessary to protect children citing its commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. LGBTQIA+ organizations have vowed to challenge the decision in court.

Sources: Agencia Presentes, Presidencia de la Nación, Reuters, Buenos Aires Times, Chequeado

On 30 August, President Milei issued Decree 780/2024, amending a 2016 law aimed to enhance state transparency and public information access. The changes modify the types of information that the public can request, limiting access to details about public officials' private lives, “working papers,” and “deliberations.” The decree also imposes more requirements for requesting information and introduces potential penalties for individuals deemed to be abusing their rights when seeking public information. Over 60 civil society organizations and press freedom watchdogs have petitioned for its withdrawal, arguing it poses a threat to the right to access information in accordance with international human rights standards, potentially undermining efforts to prevent corruption and enforce accountability. They warn that the measure could allow public officials to discretionally determine what constitutes public information shielding them from public scrutiny by the press and general public.

Sources: Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS), El Pais, Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA), Buenos Aires Times

Argentina's National Statistic Agency (INDEC) report on the first half of 2024 shows a dramatic increase in the country’s poverty rate. According to the report, over 52 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, including more than 18 per cent in extreme poverty. This is the highest poverty rate in two decades. The report also reveals that 66 per cent of children aged 0 to 14 belong to households living below the poverty line. These numbers reflect the ongoing economic crisis and the impact of President Milei’s government's austerity measures, which include significant cuts in public spending, laying off thousands of state employees, and cutting subsidies for transportation and energy to control inflation and achieve fiscal balance. Some of these measures, widely criticized by experts, involve cuts to soup kitchens and other social welfare programs that support the most vulnerable. The government argues that poverty rates are the result of years of left-leaning populist governance.

Sources: The Guardian, National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC), Pagina 12, Die Welle