Protests have begun all over Argentina after President Javier Milei took his chainsaw to the state and cut down over 24,000 government jobs amid his austerity measures to deal with the country's ongoing financial difficulties.

As El Pais noted, Javier Milei believes that the state "is the enemy" and "a criminal organization" and as president, he believes that it is his duty to reduce it to its minimum size. He has since employed radical austerity measures, including cutting down on spending he believes were not essential, including research grants for science and cuts to food aid.

When Milei first took office, the state had 341,477 people employed. Just two months later, the libertarian had already fired 9,000 people, with another 15,000 more layoffs being ordered this week.

This has many government employees on edge about who will be fired next, with around 50,000 workers living in uncertainty, especially from branches of the government believed to be considered unneeded by the far-right president.

"We're experiencing a situation of psychological terror," a worker for the National Secretariat for Children, Youth and Family told El Pais. "Milei said that there were going to be 70,000 layoffs. Then, he said 15,000 or 20,000. This back-and-forth impacts our mental health and daily life. Everyone is frozen without knowing what's going to happen, no one knows who will be next."

Milei has argued that Argentina is "an impoverished country" and that the state is "too large and inefficient." He has promised to cut down government spending, and so far, he is making good on that promise at the cost of many of the government's functions.

Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni was the one who announced the job cuts.

"It's part of the work we are doing to reduce state expenses," he said, adding that the dismissed workers are a drag on taxpayers, saying, "They perhaps did not have a very defined job."

Hundreds of Government Workers Protested Vs. Argentina President Javier Milei's Job Cuts

With many government workers not knowing if they would be fired next, hundreds of them marched in protest against Milei. Some of those protesting were notified of their termination last week, while others were still unsure if they were going next, according to the Associated Press. They stormed their workplaces in Buenos Aires and nearby cities and held a strike against their possible dismissal.

Many wore the green t-shirts of the country's biggest union, The Association of State Workers (ATE), with some even having scuffles with police who tried to evict some of them from government buildings.

Javier Milei Also Vows To Bring Back Falkland Islands to Argentina from British Rule

Meanwhile, as workers protested, Milei was establishing a "roadmap" to have Argentina get back sovereignty over the British-ruled Falkland Islands, according to CNN.

"I want to reiterate our unwavering claim for the islands, and I commit that during our government, we will be able to have a clear roadmap so that the Malvinas return to Argentine hands," the president said during a ceremony in Buenos Aires to mark the 42nd anniversary of the start of the Falklands War, where the British defeated Argentina and gained control of the island chain.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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