Amnesty International Argentina urges Milei to respect rights after year of ‘confrontation’

Rights watchdog Amnesty International has called on Argentina’s government to respect the right to protest and dissent after a year of “confrontation and violence.”

Unveiling a new website detailing alleged rights abuses during President Javier Milei’s first year in government, the NGO said in statements to the press that 2024 had been a year of “serious setbacks,” most notably for restrictions on the right to protest. 

Amnesty International Argentina highlighted the introduction of Security Minister Patricia Bullrich’s “anti-picket protocol,” saying operations to prevent road blockades had allowed “repression and criminalisation towards those who took to the streets to express dissent.”

The NGO said such measures had impacted the right to dissent, as well as protesters’ health. 

According to data compiled by the rights watchdog, which tracked 15 protests, excessive force on the part of state security apparatus left 1,155 people injured, many seriously. Of those, 33 people were hit by rubber bullets in the head or face, suffering severe damage to their vision. 

The NGO also noted that 50 journalists and media workers were  injured while covering those protests. 

"During this first year of governance, national authorities have chosen confrontation and violence — practices typical of authoritarian governments — as a strategy to silence and censor those who think differently. The violent repression of dissenting expression in the streets has made this abundantly clear,” said Paola García Rey, Executive Director of Amnesty International Argentina in a statement. 

“The right to protest is essential to a functioning democracy. Images of violence and repression highlight the urgent need to review public security policies and ensure respect for fundamental human rights," she concluded. 

Amnesty said the true number of those injured was likely higher as a result of underreporting. The figures were compiled from partial data gathered by organisations and specialised bodies, it warned. 

The NGO said the Security Ministry has not published verified data on the issue and criticised a “lack of transparency” from the government.

Among the documented practices, the excessive use of tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and batons, as well as arbitrary detentions, were observed. In some cases, children were also affected, said the local chapter of the international watchdog.

The Milei administration must take “concrete steps to guarantee respect for human rights in the context of social protests,” said the NGO, which criticised the “disproportionate use of force as a deterrent against peaceful demonstrations.”