Argentina: Turbulent Piquetero Protests Continue, President Signs Fiscal Austerity Law

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Violence at protests by jobless Argentines has caused concern on both sides of the demonstrations, straining links between President Nestor Kirchner and the movement of poor and unemployed people known as piqueteros. Business groups and members of Kirchner's administration have called for a harder hand against piqueteros, while the group has alleged police involvement in the recent murder of one of its leaders. The piquetero protests, which have blocked highways and led to scuffles (see NotiSur, 2004-03-12), come on top of large-scale marches against crime in Buenos Aires, where massive numbers of marchers showed their discontent with the government's failure to contain criminal activity like murder and kidnapping.

Jobless demand justice in murder of piquetero leader

Organizations of the unemployed, human rights groups, and trade unions in Argentina called a march for July 2 to protest the recent murder of a social activist, and they alleged there were attempts to create a climate of violence and destabilization in the country. They termed the June 25 killing of Martin Cisneros a "political murder" and announced a strike and a march "for life and to stop the attempts to create a climate of violence and destabilization" in Argentina.

"We will continue working, to deepen the changes promoted by the government [of Kirchner] and to build a broad front of organizations that represent the new majority," activist Luis D'Elia, with the Federacion Tierra y Vivienda (FTV), …