Strike in Argentina, solidarity abroad.
The January 24th protest goes international.
By Sergio Ferrari, from Bern, Switzerland - Less than two months after Javier Milei took office as president of Argentina, the first national day of protest will be held in the South American country on January 24. This is doubly surprising because this popular reaction is happening in such a short time, without respecting the 100-day "political truce" usually granted to new leaders. Furthermore, it is supported by dozens of planned demonstrations in both Europe and Latin America, all of which carry overwhelming international solidarity against the Milei government.
From Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Montevideo to Paris, Geneva and Bern, passing through Rome, Barcelona, Valencia, Toulouse, Lisbon, Brussels, London, Amsterdam, numerous groups of Argentinians living abroad are calling for local demonstrations, a veritable outpouring of solidarity with the protests in Argentina.
“Attempted institutional coup”
The organizers base their solidarity campaign on several public documents: "The far-right and ultraliberal government of Javier Milei, with its desire to impose in an authoritarian and unconstitutional manner a mega-decree (Decree of Necessity and Urgency - DNU), of 336 articles, and a mega-bill ("Bus Law"), of 664 articles, frontally attacks the rights and social achievements acquired by the Argentine people throughout their history." This is the argument of the Assembly of Argentine Citizens of France (ACAF), in a public statement also signed by about twenty high-level actors in the French socio-political world. It considers that the initiatives of the new Argentine government represent "a true abuse of power (...) that will profoundly affect the majority of the Argentine people and their institutions."
In turn, the main French trade union organizations gathered in Intersindical believe that the Argentine Executive intends to receive "powers inherent to the functioning of Parliament throughout its 4-year term." They conclude that Argentina is thus experiencing an "attempted institutional coup," as they point out in their statement, which was joined by the International Federation for Human Rights and the parties France Unbowed, Communist, Socialist, Green, Workers' and New Anticapitalist, as well as a wide range of other solidarity associations.https://www.acafasamblea.com/post/democracia-en-peligro-manifestaci%C3%B3n-en-francia-en-apoyo-a-la-huelga-general-del-24-de-enero).
"It's a very important, nurtured, varied, and diverse call. On Wednesday the 24th, we will hold the main demonstration in front of the Argentine Embassy, a well-known and emblematic place in Paris, since during the dictatorship there were permanent mobilizations there," explains Laura Argüelles, co-president of ACAF.
Organizers expect several hundred demonstrators and the participation of 15 speakers from the labor and political world, as well as a strong presence of Argentine residents. "In recent weeks, there has been a resurgence of the solidarity movement with Argentina. Many are seeing in Milei the figure of a dangerous project that threatens the State, social achievements and equality, and which would also be disastrous in France and Europe," says Argüelles.
Milei's deadly and repressive policies
The Swiss Trade Union Confederation (USS), which with its 20 member unions and 370.000 members is the most important trade union confederation in the country, agrees with its French counterparts and emphasizes that the project imposed today in Argentina "aims to dismantle public services and social protection, introducing austerity that will devastate the Argentine social model and the rights and interests of workers."
In a message of solidarity addressed to the three Argentine federations that are calling for the protest on January 24, the USS expresses its deepest "concern about this offensive against the achievements of several decades, the result of social and trade union struggles in Argentina." And it expresses its solidarity with the workers of Argentina and, in particular, its "unconditional support for the struggle undertaken to confront the deadly policies of Milei and his government."https://www.uss.ch/actualite).
On Monday (22), the two main Italian trade union centers, the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL, for its Italian acronym) and the Italian Workers' Union (UIL, for its Italian acronym), announced that this Wednesday, 24, they are calling for a demonstration in Rome in front of the Argentine Embassy in solidarity with the day of mobilization in the South American country.
Both organizations point out that "the emergency decree (of the Milei government) tends to change the economic and institutional structure of the country, delegating the regulation of economic and social relations to the market." And they underline their concern about policies "that intend to criminalize social protest and severely limit freedom of expression, with measures not seen since the times of the dictatorship" (https://www.cgil.it/ci-occupiamo-di/politiche-internazionali/cgil-e-uil-mercoledi-24-gennaio-in-piazza-a-roma-al-fianco-dei-sindacati-argentini-contro-le-misure-del-governo-milei-a2y82kys"Solidarity actions around the world": this was the decision made by the 80 organizations from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe that make up the Confederation of the Americas (CSA) in an online meeting on January 18. This regional branch is part of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which has 180 million members in 162 countries and on January 21 expressed its support for the protests in Argentina. Luc Triangle, its general secretary, said that "democracy is not merely the act of voting, but also the protection of values, freedoms, and rights, which are essential elements for the trade union movement, which is currently under threat in Argentina." "The actions of the Militi government tend to recreate the dark days of the dictatorship and demand a strong and united response from the international trade union movement. We are all in solidarity with the workers of Argentina in their defense of justice and democracy." (https://www.ituc-csi.org/Argentine-la-CSI-appuie-l-initiative-syndicale?lang=en).
Rarely in recent Latin American history has a day of social protest in one country sparked so much interest and support on the international stage. Everything indicates that the aggressiveness of the discourse and project of the new Argentine government corresponds, in equal measure, to an active and united response of international solidarity. Nothing is accidental. The protest of January 24th seems to be becoming, in the rest of the world as well, a mirror of local realities and fears. The current experience in Argentina could also trigger a formidable demonstration of repudiation at the international level.
Sergio Ferrari is a journalist.
Translation: Rose Lima