By Saul Wenger
Since late 2023, the South American country of Argentina has been under the rule of among the first “libertarian” regimes in history under president Javier Milei of the La Libertad Avanza coalition. Almost immediately after Milei rose to power, his government made assaults on fundamental worker protections such as the right to strike through his “mega-decree”.
The working class of Argentina responded to these attacks through a number of means, including holding large-scale strikes and protests. The libertarian government, in turn, employed brutal police force against the workers.
The struggle of the working class of Argentina continues into the present. In a recent episode, Milei’s government has, on May 21, 2025, passed more draconian decrees which seek to crack down on the right to strike for workers whose function is considered “essential”, including those who work in fields such as education and telecommunications. This decree mandates that at least 75% must be available at all times even during strikes and other labor actions.
This decree comes in the aftermath of a nationwide strike earlier in May, the second of its kind since Milei’s rise to power. This strike, led by the labor union CGT, was done “in defense of democracy, labor rights and a living wage.”
In Argentina, workers still face brutal conditions, including a poverty rate still exceeding 35%, inflation rate nearly 300%, and persistent efforts by the libertarian government to further its extreme-right initiatives of austerity and deregulation.
The libertarian government of Argentina has shown that it does not seek a solution to the working class’s grievances, and will only cater to the most reactionary interests of the bourgeoisie of Argentina and its imperialist allies in the United States and elsewhere.
Workers of the world, unite!
