The national security ministry filed a complaint on Monday requesting Buenos Aires City Judge Roberto Gallardo be investigated for a “poor performance of his duties.” The filing came in response to a judge’s ruling banning federal forces from intervening in the retiree protest scheduled for this Wednesday, saying that the city government must be in charge of security. 

“Through decisions without legal backing, [Judge Gallardo] has overstepped the limits of his role with clear political intent, interfering in tasks exclusively assigned to the Executive Branch and hindering the work of the Federal Forces in protecting citizens,” the ministry argued in a post on X. 

The statement went on to question Gallardo’s impartiality, saying that his ruling hinders security policies and “limits the State’s ability to act.” They added that it also shows “bias in favor of certain sectors.”

“For this reason, we have requested that the relevant agencies review their actions and adopt the necessary measures to ensure the proper functioning of the justice system.” 

On Sunday, Gallardo had ordered that the Buenos Aires City government be in charge of overseeing the protest Wednesday that will see a new retiree march in the area surrounding Congress. Protesters and those standing in solidarity have been gathering there every week to protest the federal government’s cuts to pensions. 

A report by the Center of Argentine Political Economy (CEPA, for its Spanish initials) in January found that the government spent 19% less on pensions than in January 2023. The Milei administration has also cut a program that allowed some medications to be free for retirees.

The heavy-handed approach the federal police has taken against these marches has been condemned by the opposition and human rights organizations. The most serious incident took place on March 12, when photojournalist Pablo Grillo was hit in the head by a tear gas canister. He was taken to a hospital and remained in critical care for a couple of weeks. 

Last week, another photographer was injured after a police motorcycle collided with him. There have been hundreds of reported injuries throughout the federal police’s handling of the protests, and their actions have been condemned by the United Nations.