Demonstrators clashed with Argentina’s gendarmerie officers during a protest against President Javier Milei’s austerity policies outside the National Congress in Buenos Aires on May 21, 2025. The weekly demonstration, primarily driven by pensioners, saw significant unrest resulting in dozens of injuries. The protest is part of a broader outcry against stringent economic measures implemented by President Milei’s administration, which critics argue unfairly target the nation’s most vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly.
The scene outside the National Congress was marked by violence, as police deployed to manage the crowd were met with resistance from demonstrators. Both sides sustained injuries as the tensions escalated. The government’s austerity measures have been a point of contention since Milei took office, with public demonstrations becoming increasingly common.
Every Wednesday, dozens of retirees protest in front of the National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They are speaking out against the economic policies of Javier Milei’s government, which they argue significantly impact their lives. This tradition of Wednesday protests dates back to the 1990s when retirees demanded pension increases during the neoliberal government of Carlos Menem.
In recent protests against Milei, new groups such as soccer fans, the children of retirees, and students have joined the demonstrations. However, the government has responded with repression. On May 14, police set up an operation with dozens of vehicles and violently repressed the retirees who were marching, reminiscent of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.
Videos on social media show police repressed the elderly, causing significant indignation among the Argentine population. At least four protesters were arrested after clashes with the police. One protester confronted a policeman, saying, “You think you are big and you are going to beat me.
You are beating us.” Another protester accused the police of using pepper spray on them: “Every Wednesday, they do the same thing. The police and Bullrich [the Secretary of Security] should be in jail.” A placard at the May 14 protest read, “Damned is the soldier who turns his arm on the people.”
Among the injured was Nico Caropresi, president of the Movement of Excluded Workers. According to activist Juan Grabois, Caropresi was assaulted while trying to help a pensioner who was being attacked.
“Nico literally put his body on the line to defend the retirees. He endured the pepper spray and the police blows. This is what a popular leader does,” Grabois said.
Former president Cristina Kirchner also visited the scene, expressing solidarity. The economic policies of Milei’s government, particularly those aimed at reducing inflation in line with International Monetary Fund requirements, have led to a significant reduction in the purchasing power of retirees. The elimination of subsidies for water, gas, and electricity, as well as removing various medicines from the list of free drugs, has left many retirees unable to afford their prescriptions.
Protests outside Congress intensify
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC), two-thirds of retirees receive the minimum income of USD 300 per month, and the number of poor elderly people has doubled during Milei’s administration. Milei announced he would not extend the pension moratorium, which currently allows those over 65 who did not contribute the necessary years to Social Security to access a minimum retirement.
This decision is expected to plunge many more elderly people into precarious economic situations, with estimates indicating that nine out of ten retired women will be affected. These women, who often could not contribute regularly due to unemployment and unrecognized caregiving duties, will lose this essential state support. Despite these challenges, the retirees have shown remarkable resilience, indicating that they are unlikely to give up their struggle for dignity and economic justice anytime soon.
The Argentine Lower House is set to discuss a bill to bring back the pensions moratorium in a session scheduled for Wednesday. The moratorium is a system that allowed people to retire despite missing years of social security contributions. However, Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos said the government will veto these bills if they are approved.
“We will veto any bill that goes against any of our basic tenets,” Francos said during the United States Chamber of Commerce in Argentina (AmCham Argentina) summit on Tuesday. President Javier Milei has previously used his veto power twice to overturn key bills from Congress. Last September, he vetoed a pensions increase on the grounds that it “seriously compromised the sustainability of Argentina’s public finances.” Around that time, he also vetoed a bill that increased university funding.
The Lower House upheld both vetoes as the opposition failed to reach the required two-thirds majority to override them. Pensions have been tied to inflation for over a year. The minimum pension in May was AR$285,820.74 (US$246 at the official rate).
Retirees have also been receiving a bonus sum of AR$70,000 since March 2024, a sum that has not been updated despite the 55.9% interannual inflation. Deputies from opposition blocs Unión por la Patria, Encuentro Federal, and Democracia para Siempre called for a session on Wednesday at noon to discuss a 7.2% extraordinary increase for all pensions and other welfare programs. Lawmakers will also debate a potential raise on the AR$70,000 bonus sum.
The Lower House will also attempt to reinstate the pensions moratorium for two years. This would allow thousands of people over 60 to make up the necessary years of social contributions to retire. This program ended in March after Milei decided not to renew it.
Also scheduled for discussion during the session are bills to declare an emergency in areas affected by recent storms and subsequent flooding in Buenos Aires province for 180 days. Pensioners have been holding demonstrations outside Congress every Wednesday for over a year. This week’s march will coincide with the session.
Police have cracked down on these protests with varying degrees of violence. Last week, human rights organization Comisión Provincial por la Memoria reported 100 injuries due to police repression.