BUENOS AIRES (CN) — Argentina’s lower house of Congress approved an amended version of President Javier Milei’s controversial reform package Friday afternoon, ending a lengthy tense debate that lasted three days and sparked clashes between protesters and police.
The 144-109 vote was an important test of Milei’s ability to govern in the face of an opposition-controlled Congress. Milei’s nascent political party, La Libertad Avanza, holds just 38 of the 257 seats in the lower chamber, so they relied on allies in more established parties to get the bill through.
Starting Tuesday, the lower house will vote on each of the bill’s articles individually before it heads to the Senate.
The reform package, known as the “omnibus” bill, is a key component of Milei’s overhaul response to Argentina’s economic crisis. Consisting of 382 articles, the bill notably seeks to implement conservative policies, privatize state entities and confer legislative powers to the executive branch.
During the marathon debate, which began Wednesday and dragged on until 1 a.m. Friday morning before concluding later that day, lawmakers delivered impassioned speeches and argued over the bill’s hundreds of articles. Opposition lawmakers repeatedly expressed frustration that the bill kept changing, meaning they were unsure exactly what they were voting on.
Hours before the vote took place, Milei published an official statement on his social media channels urging lawmakers to move forward. “We took suggestions, we implemented modifications, we got rid of the fiscal chapter, and we have arrived at a consensus. The moment for debate is over,” the statement read. “History will judge whether you act in favor of Argentines, or in favor of continuing to impoverish the country.”
In December, Argentina became the country with the highest inflation in Latin America, surpassing Venezuela with a staggering annual inflation of 211.4%. Prices increased 25.5% from November to December, compared with 12.8% the month before.
The spike in Argentina’s already skyrocketing inflation was partially spurred by Milei’s election and his rapid move to devalue local currency by more than 50%. The president warned Argentines about such financial disaster under his leadership in his inaugural address, stating that the country has been “left with no choice” but to endure economic shock.
The omnibus bill — a pivotal component of Milei’s economic shock — initially contained 664 articles, but negotiations with the opposition, which largely outnumbers the president’s party in Congress, eliminated almost half of them prior to this week’s debate in Argentina’s lower house of Congress.
Prior to the debate, Milei’s government removed a hotly contested fiscal section from the bill to appease the opposition. They also eliminated proposed modifications to Argentina's electoral code, and scratched the notorious article 305, which required meetings in public spaces to be authorized by the ministry of security. Initially, the article defined a “demonstration” as a public gathering of more than three people. A later version defined it as 30 people or more.
Despite the elimination of article 305, the Milei administration oversaw a violent crackdown on peaceful protests that took place outside of Congress during the debate.
On Wednesday, four women were taken into police custody while protesting peacefully and singing the national anthem. They were released the next morning.
On Thursday, police officers fired rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas at demonstrators gathered outside. At least 30 journalists covering the protests were injured by police, according to the Buenos Aires press union.
The clash between protesters and police impacted Congress, where opposition representatives called for the violence to end. On Thursday, several left-leaning lawmakers walked out of the debate to observe and denounce police actions.
“This is what they need to pass this bill,” said Julia Strada, a lawmaker from center-left coalition Unión por la Patria, speaking with reporters on Thursday after observing the protests. “Suppress the part of the population that has finally come to understand that the bill goes against all of their rights.”
Milei’s allies, however, maintain that the opposition blew the police response out of proportion. Representative Oscar Zago, who leads the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the lower house of Congress, said Friday that “people who demonstrate calmly are not being repressed,” despite evidence of the contrary in footage, photos and firsthand accounts.
Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich, a former presidential hopeful, said Friday that Argentina needs order. “It is hard work because there is a tendency of pushing limits and not respecting the law, but we achieved it yesterday in Buenos Aires,” she told reporters.
More protests are expected on Tuesday, when the omnibus bill enters its next phase of debate.
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