The National Minister of Justice, Mariano Cáneo Libarona, has stirred controversy by expressing his intention to eliminate the figure of femicide from the Argentine Penal Code. This declaration has been interpreted as public intimidation against the feminist movement in a context where the government refers to it as a 'cultural battle.' In televised statements, Libarona mentioned that politics should be equal for all and that the Constitution establishes the need for parity between men and women.
The minister bases his argument against the current classification, which aggravates the penalties for homicides committed for gender reasons, on the principle of equity enshrined in the Constitution. The figure of femicide was incorporated into the Penal Code in 2012 through Law 26.791, and it is detailed in Article 80, Section 11. Cáneo Libarona has stated that no life is worth more than another, which supports his initiative to remove the term femicide from the penal code.
The minister also questioned feminism, following a line similar to that expressed by Javier Milei at the Davos Forum, where it was mentioned that various causes, including radical feminism and gender ideology, are used to justify state expansion and erode individual freedom. This measure proposed by Milei's government occurs in an alarming context, with 255 femicides recorded during 2024, representing the tragic average of one woman murdered for gender reasons every 29 hours.
The Libertad Avanza government intends to subject this topic to debate in the ordinary sessions of March. Despite the offensive and misogynistic discourse expressed by the President of the Nation, Javier Milei, the Minister of Justice has stated on his social media that the government defends equality before the law. This stance has generated controversy and concern in a country where gender violence continues to claim women's lives alarmingly.
