The Argentine President Condemns Violence in Jujuy

On Wednesday, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez denounced the police brutality occurring in Jujuy, where Governor Gerardo Morales is attempting to implement a legal reform that restricts citizens' rights.

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"Violence cannot be the response that a subnational government provides to the legitimate demands of communities. Denying the right to protest restricts constitutional liberties and hinders democratic life," he emphasized.

The Argentine President instructed the Justice Ministry to analyze the reform sponsored by Morales in Jujuy, with the potential aim of promoting "unconstitutionality actions." This is because the reform approved by the Jujuy parliament violates the Argentine constitution and international treaties.

Among other things, the Morales-backed reform prohibited street and road blockades, which is a maneuver aimed at criminalizing protests carried out by Indigenous communities that live in territories rich in mineral resources.

The tweet reads, "You won't see this on your neoliberal TV! Far-right governor Gerardo Morales unleashed a brutal repression against the working people in the Argentine province of Jujuy. There are already 170 injured, one seriously due to head trauma, and at least 68 detainees."

"Do not use Jujuy as a testing ground for repression and looting," Fernandez said referring to Morales, who is a presidential pre-candidate for the opposition coalition "Together for Change," an extreme right-wing group led by former President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019).

Meanwhile, thousands of citizens took to the streets in major Argentine cities to express solidarity with the inhabitants of Jujuy and demand the release of detained protesters.

"Morales and his associates only seek to plunder natural resources without concern for Indigenous peoples," expressed Melany Huanca, an Aymara woman, during the protests.

"The Jujuy governor promoted a Constitution that deprives Indigenous peoples of their rights to their lands," stressed Eduardo Lopez, secretary of the Argentine Workers' Central (CTA).