ultra-liberal President Javier Milei gets crucial green light in Senate on his controversial reforms

The reform of the State by the ultra-liberal Argentine President Javier Milei reached a key stage on Wednesday June 12 in the Senate, which approved his contested project, after a day marked by riots which left around ten people injured. The text, which provides in particular for privatizations and a flexibilisation of the labor market, must be definitively approved Thursday morning by the upper house after a few marginal modifications. It will then return to the hands of the Chamber of Deputies which will decide on its final adoption.

Since Wednesday, senators have been debating the new version of the Milei government’s flagship law known as “omnibus”, adopted with major changes by the Chamber of Deputies in April. The executive made concessions on the number of privatizations, going from around forty in the initial version to less than 10. The privatization of the public airline Aerolineas Argentinas is still on the table.

In parallel with discussions in the Senate on Wednesday, clashes between law enforcement and anti-Milei demonstrators broke out in Buenos Aires. Seven people, including five opposition MPs, were treated in hospital, according to the Health Ministry, after being sprayed with tear gas, while dozens of people were treated.

Cars were set on fire and police responded to the projectiles with tense shots of rubber bullets and water hoses. At least ten people were arrested and nine police officers were injured, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Security told AFP.