President Javier Milei has vetoed a law that would have created an extraordinary relief and reconstruction fund for the city of Bahía Blanca, which was devastated by floods back in March that left 18 people dead and caused millions in damages.
The decree, published on Tuesday in Argentina’s Official Gazette, blocks a law passed in June that declared Bahía Blanca and its surrounding areas a disaster zone and established a special fund of 200 billion pesos (around US$170 million) to provide extraordinary aid.
Overriding the veto would require a special majority in Congress.
The Executive rejected the aid package on the grounds that the law “does not specify the source of funding for the expenditure,” which, it argued, undermines one of the cornerstones of Milei’s La Libertad Avanza administration – fiscal balance.
It also claimed that aid had already been delivered to around 32,000 affected residents through a “one-off reconstruction supplement” consisting of a single payment, with a maximum amount equivalent to around US$2,500.
“The initiative passed by Congress overlaps with resources already distributed. That is why President Javier Milei vetoed the law, which would have duplicated the assistance already provided,” said Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni in a post on social media.
The law had passed with 153 votes in favour, no abstentions, and 32 votes against – all from the ruling La Libertad Avanza bloc.
The proposed legislation included subsidies and soft loans for victims, grace periods on contracts and debts, and exemptions from taxes and fees, among other measures.
The floods were caused by torrential rainfall that, in just eight hours, doubled the annual average for the city of 350,000 inhabitants, located 600 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.
The torrent of water overflowed streams, tore down bridges and swept away everything in its path, leaving cars piled up, homes and hospitals in ruins, more than a thousand people evacuated, and 18 dead. Two young girls, whose bodies were found weeks later, were among the dead.
Local authorities estimated the damages at around US$400 million.
In light of the scale of the disaster, the federal government declared three days of national mourning and deployed the army to assist with relief efforts. Milei visited the affected area five days after the catastrophe, amid mounting criticism over the delay.
Opposition parties branded the presidential veto “cruel.”
“The level of abandonment by the national government is unacceptable,” said Hernán Reyes, a lawmaker from the Coalición Cívica.
The Buenos Aires Province branch of the main Peronist party, the Partido Justicialista (PJ), also rejected the veto in a statement: “Aid in an emergency is an expense for the national government – no surprise there.”
– TIMES/AFP
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