Injured deputies, burning cars and clashes in the street: Chaos in Argentina while the Senate debates a key law by Javier Milei

Javier Milei continues to battle with the Argentine Congress to approve his first law. Since February, the opposition has made the libertarian feel his low number of legislators, both in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, which is why the Bases Law continues to be held up. As the Upper House discussed the legislation on Wednesday afternoon, complete chaos broke out in the streets.

The Chamber of Deputies has already given half a sanction to the Bases Law, the first legislation promoted by the Milei administration, which has not yet been approved. With 40 deputies out of 257 and 7 senators out of 72, the libertarian became the first president not to have approved a law in his first six months in office.

While the Senate was dealing with the legislation in a marathon session, attention went to what happened outside Congress, where authorities clashed with protesters opposing the legislation. Part of the opposition called for a large march outside Congress, including vandalism and burning garbage cans and cars, so clashes with the authorities quickly began.

Even a group of Peronist deputies participating in the demonstration was hit by pepper spray from the police to disperse the protesters. The scenes quickly went viral on social media.

On Wednesday, Milei participated in a large event in Buenos Aires held by the Libertad y Progreso Foundation and the CATO Institute. He used part of his speech to refer to the situation near Congress. "Let's not rule out, say, their strategy of throwing dead people in the street, going for looting, something that some journalists promote from their spaces," he pointed out.

His office published a statement on social networks highlighting the authorities' actions.

"The Office of the President congratulates the Security Forces for their excellent actions in repressing the terrorist groups that, with sticks, stones and even grenades, attempted to perpetrate a coup d'état, attacking the normal functioning of the Argentine National Congress," the letter states.