President Mauricio Macri stuck to his schedule yesterday as thousands of unionised workers and protesters took to the streets to decry his government's economic policies.
While the sixth general strike against Macri during his time in office unfolded in streets and plazas across the country, the head of state joined celebrations organised by the Armed Forces for Army Day, which marks the creation of the country's Army 209 years ago.
During the ceremony, Macri took aim at the previous Kirchner administrations for their role in what he perceived as "decades of budgetary and symbolic abandonment" of the Armed Forces.
The event took place at the National Military College. Army Chief Leitenant General Bari del Valle Sosa and Mayor General of the Army, Leutenant General Claudio Pasquialini, also participated in the event, as did Defence Minister Oscar Aguad.
Macri celebrated the "spirit of commitment, courage and patriotism that has characterised our Army since our birth as a nation".
In line with previous comments, Macri urged for a new start for the Armed Forces.
"We must turn the page and stop looking at the past to instead look at the future", he added.
Argentina's Armed Forces were responsible for atrocious human rights crimes during the 1976-1983 dictatorship. Macri's predecessors, Néstor and Cristina Kirchner, promoted the reopening of human rights trials against perpetrators.
Historically, Argentines have been divided on whether or to seek justice for dictatorship-era crimes or move on.
-TIMES/PERFIL
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