Retirees in Argentina’s capital have been protesting weekly against pension cuts introduced by libertarian President Javier Milei since he took office in late 2023. Their financial struggles have worsened under his economic reforms.
On Wednesday, they received unexpected support from football fans after previous demonstrations in Buenos Aires ended with injuries to elderly protesters.
Among the crowd, an elderly woman held up a sign that read, “Don’t hit us, we are your parents!” Standing behind her were supporters from Boca Juniors and Racing Club—two of Argentina’s biggest teams—along with fans of Chacarita Juniors, the club that first called for supporters to join the retirees’ protest.
The soccer fans echoed a famous quote from Argentine legend Diego Maradona: “How could I not defend retirees? You’d have to be a real coward to not defend retirees.”
Milei’s pension cuts are part of a broader government spending plan aimed at curbing severe inflation. However, critics argue these measures are harming Argentina’s most vulnerable citizens.
“We support fixing public finances,” said centre-left Senator Martin Lousteau in a post on X. “But we can’t allow these fixes to come at the cost of retirees’ suffering, health, and abandonment.”
Despite the show of solidarity, Wednesday’s protest ended in violence. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich warned the so-called “barra bravas” that law and order would be enforced. Police used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of demonstrators outside Congress after some protesters threw rocks and other objects. Authorities reported that over 100 people were detained and several were injured.
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