This Wednesday, a mobilization of senior citizens will take place in front of Congress, in a new demonstration of honor. In contrast to this show of support, the government allocates large sums of money for weapons to security forces such as the Federal Police, Gendarmerie, and Prefecture, while claiming that there are no funds to increase pensions or carry out public works.
The leader of the Left Front, Myriam Bregman, has denounced that the Ministry of Security, under the management of Patricia Bullrich, purchased nearly six thousand cartridges and tear gas grenades for an amount close to a million dollars from Fabricaciones Militares Sociedad del Estado. These repressive supplies were recently used during a mobilization in front of Congress, where the graphic reporter Pablo Grillo was injured.
The brutality of the security forces, especially of Corporal Guerrero from the Gendarmerie, has been documented, revealing excessive use of weaponry labeled as "non-lethal." These million-dollar acquisitions of weapons contrast with the reality of frozen minimum pensions that are far from covering the basic needs of the elderly.
The purchase of cartridges and tear gas grenades by the Ministry of Security has generated criticism and questions about the government's priorities and the use of these weapons. Human rights organizations have denounced the indiscriminate use of tear gas and its potentially lethal effects on peaceful protesters.
Myriam Bregman and other human rights professionals have conducted a review of the spending on supplies for the security forces, evidencing significant resource outlay on weaponry. These facts raise a debate about the investment of public funds in repressive armaments instead of allocating them to urgent social needs.
