Football diehards and Argentinian retirees protest pension reform

Retirees have been gathering each week in Argentina’s capital to protest against cuts to their pensions, which have dried up since libertarian President Javier Milei took office in late 2023.

But unexpected support came from football supporters on Wednesday, after previous protests in Buenos Aires ended with several injured elderly.

One white-haired woman held up a shirt that read, “Don’t hit us, we are your parents!”

Behind her stood supporters of Boca Juniors and Racing Club – two of Argentina’s “Big Five” teams – as well as fans of local team Chacarita Juniors, who first launched the call to show up on Wednesday for the retirees’ weekly protest.

The soccer fans adopted a phrase from Argentinian great Diego Maradona in their march – “How could I not defend retirees? You’d have to be a real coward to not defend retirees.”

Milei has slashed pension payouts as part of a government spending overhaul meant to tamp down rampant inflation.

But that has come to the detriment of Argentina’s most vulnerable, the opposition alleges.

“We’re in favour of cleaning up public finances,” centre-left Senator Martin Lousteau said in a post on X. “What we can’t let happen is for these fixes to happen on the anguish, health and abandonment of our retirees.”

Wednesday’s protest also ended in violence, with Security Minister Patricia Bullrich warning the so-called “barra bravas” that there would be law and order.

Police used water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse the thousands of protesters outside of Congress after some were seen throwing rocks and other objects. Bullrich said more than 100 people were detained, and several were injured.