Amnesty International Argentina held a press conference on Monday to present their report on the first 100 days of Javier Milei’s administration. According to the organization, “confrontation has become the official narrative to divert attention from real issues” and the president has used an infallible recipe of confrontation and disinformation, resulting in human rights setbacks.    

“Despite what little time has passed, we are seeing with concern the deep impact some of their policies have had on people’s rights and lives,” said Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina. “This administration takes the economic impoverishment of a large portion of society and adds a new model of leadership with no consensus and constant violence. Thus, the interest of public debate becomes confrontation, hatred, and fighting.” 

Belski was joined by Amnesty’s deputy director, Paola García Rey, and Politics and International Justice director, Santiago Juncal, to address the three pillars of their 100-day analysis: political confrontation, management of social conflict, and social security beneficiaries.  

“X (formerly Twitter) has become the government’s preferred tool for accusations and insinuations. The targets are other branches of government, opposition leaders, journalists, artists, media, and organizations,” Belski said. “But when the person who leads the attacks is also the president of the country, this has silencing and menacing and intimidating effects that hinder freedom of speech.” 

A key focus in the Amnesty report is senior citizens, who have been hit the hardest by the government’s austerity measures: the report highlights that their purchasing power has plummeted and the press conference emphasized the loss of dignity.  

“‘There’s no more money’ shouldn’t push us to a decision between recomposing their social security or letting senior citizens die,” said Juncal. 

“There is a moral obligation, but an international commitment: Argentina is bound by international treaties to guarantee social security rights progressively to the maximum extent of its available resources.”

“Argentina needs a change. We are aware of that and we have called for it under different governments of all colors and ideologies. The deep economic and social crisis Argentina has been going through in recent years requires a new direction,” said García Rey. “But how these change processes are carried out and their impact on people is as relevant as the objective to be achieved.”

“The government must govern for the people, not for finances. The current spending cuts cannot and should not leave anyone stranded.”