Bahia Blanca, a city of about 350,000 people, was hit by torrential rains on March 7.

On Tuesday, Argentine President Javier Milei vetoed an emergency law that would have allocated approximately US$170 billion in aid to Bahia Blanca and other towns in Buenos Aires province that were devastated by floods in March.

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Passed by Congress on June 4, the law declared a 180-day emergency in the affected areas and urged the federal government to create a special fund for grants and loans to rebuild public infrastructure and repair homes damaged by the flooding.

The measure also included tax exemptions, a 180-day debt moratorium, incentives for construction projects using local labor, and a line of low-interest loans through the state-owned Banco Nacion.

The decree rejecting the bill was signed by far-right President Milei, Chief of Cabinet Guillermo Francos, and National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.

“On April 1, through an Urgent and Necessary Decree, the national government provided Bahia Blanca with 200 billion pesos. Today, almost three months later (yes, almost three months later), the political class is trying to exploit the tragedy for political gain. That’s why President Javier Milei vetoed the law that would have doubled the already allocated assistance,” presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said, defending the veto.

The text reads, “Milei vetoed the law declaring a state of emergency due to the flooding in Bahia Blanca. But don’t worry, those funds will be used entirely for social programs for those coming from Israel.”

In the decree, Milei argued that the law was “impossible to implement” because lawmakers did not specify a source of funding for the spending it mandated. According to the Argentine presidency, there is already a framework in place to address the emergency.

“A financial bailout like the one proposed in the bill is unnecessary, especially given the tight budgetary constraints of the current emergency,” the Milei administration said, referencing a separate decree that they claim has already facilitated assistance through various channels.

Bahia Blanca, a city of about 350,000 people located 400 miles south of Buenos Aires, was hit by torrential rains on March 7. In just six hours, nearly 16 inches of rain fell, leaving parts of the city submerged under nearly six feet of water. Thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, and 18 people died.

Most of the city’s cultural, educational, and scientific institutions, along with those in surrounding areas, suffered severe damage from the floods.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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