How do you feel after the announcements of Economy Minister Luis Caputo?
They’re part of a government [that’s] out of control and with no political leadership where the president threatens the governors. They talk tough, saying that nothing will be amended and then end up making changes.
The announcements show how weak they are without parliamentary majorities or governors. With the workers out in the street, governance will be complicated. [President Javier] Milei will have to show greater humility and summon everybody or else the social conflicts will just go on growing.
What do you think could happen to the ‘Omnibus’ law?
The issue is that the president could have superpowers according to that law and plug in changes from one day to the next. Milei is a real worry – they talk of all or nothing, one day he badmouths the president of Colombia and the next day he goes dancing with his wife. They do not have the political power to carry out the measures announced. We’re the laughing-stock of the world.
What does the CGT think of that panorama?
Today we are asking the governors and deputies to reject the DNU emergency decree and the omnibus law because it increases the problems of every activity. They’re going to privatise state companies. This law has to go; withdrawal of the fiscal part is not enough.
Was the government scared off by the [January 24] CGT march?
I don’t know. I hope they took note of the vast sector of society which is going through a rough time. We are millions of Argentines who disagree with their economic model. There are suspensions, pink slips, inflation out of control and public service charges shooting up, all measures against the workers. I repeat: if the government does not take note of this, social conflict will be deepened.
So you don’t rule out a new [general] strike then?
Let’s see what happens in the Chamber of Deputies and then in the Senate where there is a Peronist majority.
The executive council of the CGT is empowered to take whatever measures necessary. I’m not going to put a date on a strike because we’re hoping for a modified panorama. If not, there will be problems.
Are you worried about being denounced for your words against the economy minister?
Haven’t slept a wink for the last three nights. Look, there’s some incredible stuff going on – one president accuses another of being a murderer so here anything can happen. Then that old chanta gorila [fake anti-Peronist José Luis] Espert said that any blockade would be met with gunfire or jail while [Security Minister Patricia] Bullrich issued an anti-picket protocol which was a life or death farce...
Perhaps I was wrong about Caputo, I shouldn’t have said that we should throw him into the Riachuelo but into jail so that he might explain what happened to the US$45 billion he and his pal [Mauricio] Macri begged off the International Monetary Fund, since nobody knows – a debt we all have to pay.
I was wrong but I couldn’t care less about the denunciations with the awful things all politicians say.
How do you view the opposition in this context of crisis?
Fragmented with each fragment defending its interests. We in the CGT have spoken to all the caucuses with each defending its hill of beans. We were clear: throw everything out.
How can a Peronist agree with privatisation? Each governor is minding his own turf and I hope that they reject everything and not play the idiot, as with the labour reform, which the CGT had to take to court to block. Otherwise, we’d have a lot less rights.
That’s why I ask: where are the main leaders when we take to the streets? What are we waiting for, that everything disappears?
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