Clashes outside Argentina’s Congress after pension hike blocked Reuters

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentine protesters clashed with police outside the country’s Congress on Wednesday after lower house lawmakers voted to block a planned pension hike opposed by right-wing libertarian President Javier Milei.

The Chamber of Deputies voted 153 in favor of the pension increase, with 87 against, falling short of the two-thirds needed to approve the bill, after Milei previously refused, saying it jeopardized the country’s fiscal balance plan.

As word of the vote spread, hundreds of people protesting in central Buenos Aires tore down police barriers and clashed in the streets with uniformed security forces.

Argentina’s government is pushing a tough austerity package of spending cuts to reverse years of fiscal deficits and tame high inflation, which has helped shore up state finances but hit the real economy and left more people in poverty.