Argentina - March 2024

President Javier Milei announced the closure of Telam, the country’s national news agency (established in 1945), labelling it a propaganda agency of the Peronist opposition party. Telam was Latin America's largest public news agency and the second largest of its kind in the Spanish-speaking world. The closure of Telam resulted in 700 job losses. Milei had previously attempted to privatize Telam through his omnibus state reform bill but failed to gain approval in the Chamber of Deputies. Telam’s closing sparked widespread condemnation from journalists' unions, who vowed to use all legal, union, and political means to protect the agency and its employees. They criticized the government for what they see as a severe attack on freedom of expression, noting the police blockade of Télam's buildings to prevent protests. Télam's shutdown is seen by workers and critics alike as an assault on press freedom and democracy, prompting plans for protests.

Sources; Le Monde, Pagina 12, Opinion, Buenos Aires Herald, Reuters

Argentina’s new government, led by Javier Milei, has officially closed the Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity turning it into a subsecretary within a broader Ministry of “Human Capital”. The former Ministry, created in 2019, oversaw public policies in the field of gender, equality and diversity. Additionally, the government’s spokesperson has announced the prohibition of inclusive language and of the implementation of a gender perspective throughout the national public administration. The president has publicly denied the existence of a gender wage gap, which according to local calculation falls at 25 per cent. Milei’s party has also presented a plan to overturn the law that legalised abortion in Argentina in December 2020. This has sparked concerns among healthcare workers about the resurgence of unsafe abortions and inadequate abortion care. Civil society leaders and members of the “Ni una menos” feminist collective warn that Milei's rhetoric and actions signal a regressive shift, contradicting Argentina's progressive history on gender and LGBTQIA+ rights. 

Source: Pagina12 (1), Pagina 12(2) The Guardian, El Pais, Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina

Milei´s administration has released statements downplaying dictatorship atrocities and the severity of crimes against humanity committed during the military regime (1976-1983). This constitutes a departure from a long-held consensus within the political class and civil society to condemn such crimes and prosecute the perpetrators. Critics have sounded alarms related to the government’s decisions to cut funding for essential Memory, Truth, and Justice policies. Human rights organizations have expressed grave concerns, warning of the endangerment of Memory sites and the obstruction of ongoing and future trials for crimes against humanity. The release of a video on the government’s official website questioning the widely accepted figure of 30,000 dictatorship victims has sparked outrage across society. As a clear response to this, hundreds of thousands of Argentines demonstrated across the country to mark the anniversary of the country´s last coup and to protest the concerning rise of a "dictatorship denialism" narrative.

Source: Pagina 12 (1), Pagina 12 (2), The Guardian, Association of State Workers

In response to the killings of four innocent civilians by hitmen, there has been a pause in the provision of services in Rosario, one of Argentina’s largest cities.  A majority of schools closed, garbage collected was paused, and transportation strikes took place. Gangs involved in drug trafficking claimed responsibility for these crimes as a direct response to Governor Maximiliano Pullaro’s launch of "Plan Bandera," which deployed federal and state police to target drug-related offenses. This episode represents an unprecedented escalation in violence by drug gangs. Rosario's homicide rate, four times the national average, is tied to drug trade conflicts. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich labelled the situation as one of "narcoterrorism," prompting President Milei to consider expanding military intervention. The potential legislation to increase the military's involvement also generates debate due to Argentina's military role in the violation of human rights during its last dictatorship.
 
Source: BBC, Pagina 12, Sputnik news