Milei and his team denied these funds, as well as the portion of the fuel taxes, and used them as a form of blackmail—political analysts believe—when he granted them to four allied governors on Monday, as leverage to convince other provincial governors to accept them in exchange for support to preserve their rejection of the legislation.
The override of this veto has already received preliminary approval from the Chamber of Deputies, and if the upper house consolidates its position, it will be another severe blow to the libertarian president, who has seen his policy of severe austerity blocked by Congress, which has responded to the demands of the popular movement in the streets.
On Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies overrode Milei’s vetoes of two sensitive laws for the Argentine people: the Pediatric Emergency and University Financing, sparking enormous jubilation among those present at the massive demonstration that gathered in the Plaza de los Dos Congresos and several blocks along Avenida de Mayo, as well as on surrounding thoroughfares.
Following these results, the Senate decided to debate and vote on the repeal resolution next Thursday, October 2, and thus be able to complete the passage of the laws Javier Milei vetoed. In that chamber, the opposition has a more consolidated majority.
Now, Milei will have no choice but to enact these laws or suspend them for a little longer, as he has threatened to take them to court.
But the legislative offensive against the executive branch didn’t stop there: The expanded opposition, now supported by former libertarians and legislators disappointed with Milei’s administration, also took on bills related to the investigation into the hundreds of deaths caused by contaminated fentanyl, the bribes allegedly collected by the Presidency, and the reform of the Law on Decrees of Necessity and Urgency (DNU).
Faced with the opposition’s successful crusade, the speaker of the lower house, loyal to the libertarian executive branch, used a move to unexpectedly suspend the legislative session and thus prevent the repeal of four other DNUs issued by President Milei.
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