Thousands of Argentines Protest Against Milei's Government

In the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, a large-scale rally was held to commemorate the victims of the 1976 military coup. The organizers, representing human rights organizations, sharply criticized the government of President Javier Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel. In their statement, they emphasized their determination to defend memory, asserting: "We are together again on this historic square and in all others with deep conviction to affirm that memory is defended by fighting." Human rights groups accused the government of downplaying the number of the disappeared, stating: "It's 30,000 people, and it was genocide." They recalled the crimes of the military junta: "We do not forget, we do not forgive, and we do not reconcile. State terrorism sought to dismantle the high level of organization and political participation that broad sectors of the people had achieved." The organizers also noted that 800 clandestine detention centers were established and babies were stolen. They called for the continuation of the struggle: "We fought for a society without oppression and exploitation, we come from that tradition and we recreate the popular struggle against the government of Milei and Villarruel." These words sparked a strong reaction from the crowd, chanting the slogan "Milei trash, you are the dictatorship." Human rights organizations stated that "right-wing governments, together with imperialism, attack the peoples of our continent. It's 30,000, let them tell us where they are." At the center of the event on Plaza de Mayo, key figures of the human rights movement were present, including the head of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Estela de Carlotto. They emphasized that forced disappearance is not a problem of the past, but a present-day issue, adding that most detainees were tortured and executed. Furthermore, they condemned the economic model installed by the junta, which led to deindustrialization and the primarization of the economy.