Day: September 17, 2025

Massive March in Argentina Demands Rejection of Government Vetoes

A significant protest occurred in Argentina on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, as demonstrators gathered in front of the National Congress to demand the rejection of vetoes imposed by President Javier Milei on crucial legislative measures concerning education and healthcare, reports 24brussels.

The protest followed the Chamber of Deputies’ successful overturning of Milei’s vetoes related to the University Financing Law and the declaration of a pediatric emergency prompted by issues at Garrahan Hospital. Both measures garnered overwhelming support, with the University Financing Law passing with 174 votes in favor, 67 against, and two abstentions, while the Pediatric Emergency Law received 181 votes in favor, 60 against, and one abstention.

These legislative victories set the stage for a crucial debate in the Senate, where both laws must secure a two-thirds majority to be enacted. The government’s failure to maintain its vetoes represents a notable setback for Milei’s administration.

Participants in the march expressed their concerns over the current state of healthcare. Karina, a member of the “I am Garrahan” parents’ group, emphasized the plight of medical residents: “This shouldn’t have happened. They should be working and receiving their salaries properly, because otherwise, why did they study for ten years? They take care of our children’s lives, they save lives.”

Johana, another demonstrator and mother of a child with fibromatosis type 1, expressed cautious optimism, stating, “We are very happy, but we know it’s not over. We have to wait for the Senate and then demand that the law be implemented now because children are already dying.”

Protesters highlighted the essential role of medical residents in the healthcare system and condemned the proposed reform of the national residency system under Resolution 2109, which was spearheaded by Minister Lugones. They asserted that the reform undermines critical training and imposes precarious working conditions on residents.

In a collective statement, the workers declared: “We express our strongest rejection of this reform and demand the organization and struggle of residents who must have decent wages and working conditions in all jurisdictions across the country. Enough with the precariousness, poverty, and pressure! Without residents, there is no hospital!”

Responding to the mobilization, Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof remarked: “The people are standing up and, in large numbers, they once again told Milei that universities are not for sale, hospitals are not for lack of funding, and rights are not for negotiation.”

The Buenos Aires Press Union (SiPreBa) also joined the protest, stating, “We were in front of Congress with the university community, with teachers and students, with the workers of Garrahan. We mobilized for our rights and returned happy.”