Massive Protests Planned in Buenos Aires as Govt Faces Off with Clarin

An anti-government protest is planned in the Argentine capital for Thursday night, which its organizers hope could be the biggest of the last decade, reflecting anger over the economy, crime, and the government's fight against Clarin media group.

Marchers will follow Argentina’s tradition of “cacerolazo” marches, banging on pots and pans to oppose President Cristina Kirchner’s handling of the economy, rising crime, and her rumored plans to change the constitution to stay in power longer, reports the AP. This will be the third such march this year.

Many people are angry about high inflation and controls on buying foreign currency. However, pro-government voices say that the protesters are outraged that the Kirchner government’s policies put Argentina's needs ahead of international commitments, as the AP reports.

Another point of friction is the president’s clash with Clarin media group, which has been given until December 7 to sell off some of its assets under an anti-monopoly law which Kirchner is enforcing. Opponents say that the president was put out by Clarin’s coverage of the recent protests, and is using the law as a political tool. In December, the group’s offices were raided by armed police.

A former Argentine communications official told the Wall Street Journal; "The government is using all its resources to demolish an enemy and control the media a bit more." The newspaper notes other causes for concern about Kirchner’s respect for freedom of speech, such as her government fining economists who release independent inflation estimates.

Clarin has criticized the government for its statements about today’s planned march, saying that its supporters are already trying to link protesters with a planned military coup and even Nazism.

The government's dogged pursuit of Clarin has impacted on its popularity, according to some analysts, as it makes it appear distracted from the issues of the economy and crime, which are more pressing for ordinary people.

Meanwhile, some 107 members of Argentina’s Congress and 28 senators have pledged to oppose any efforts to change the constitution to remove or extend term limits, which the Financial Times says is enough to block the move, preventing the government gathering a two-thirds majority in each house. The newspaper reports that some 83 percent of Argentines said in a recent poll that they would be opposed to changing the law to allow Kirchner to serve a third consecutive term.

News Briefs

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• IPS asks whether the “mensalao” corruption trial in Brazil will have a long term impact or is a mere political ploy.