Representatives of neighborhood clubs, cooperatives, users, tenant associations, unions, social leaders, universities and SMEs, among other leaders, called for a blackout national for next October 31 between 9:00 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. in rejection of the rate increase in public services carried out by the administration of Javier Milei.
The measure was announced this Tuesday during a press conference of the Multisector Forum Against Tariffsa space made up of various civil society actors, which was articulated by the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Services of the province of Buenos Aires, Gabriel Katopodisand which aims to coordinate actions against increases in water, electricity and gas bills.
They call for a national blackout against high tariffs
The rally took place in Tacheles – Pole of Emerging Culture, located in the Congress area, where it was announced that the brand new gathering will aim to promote a common agenda against the “atrocious rates” and promote activities such as collective protections and marches to try to stop the escalation in prices.
In this context, Katopodis told Scope that the Forum brings together different sectors, “all crossed by the same tragedy, which is paying the electricity bill in Argentina.” “It is a real tragedy, a real headache, an anguish for any family member from the middle or lower middle class, working class, who has to do the math every month to see how he or she faces the weight of what paying the bills means to a family. electricity, gas, water, transportation. All this with a single pocket that is thin”, said the Buenos Aires official.
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Official call for the national blackout on October 31 against high tariffs.
Although the front has been working together for some time, this week they made the decision to take action in response to the announcements of new rate increases. In this regard, the provincial minister indicated that it was decided “reject the high tariff with a national, peaceful, responsible, serious blackout throughout the country, calling on Argentinians, SMEs, merchants, neighborhood clubs, so that from 9:00 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. on October 31st we turn off the lights and let us reject an adjustment and a high tariff that cannot be afforded.”
“Milei had told us that this time the sacrifice and adjustment were going to be made by the rich, those with the greatest capacity and purchasing power. It was not like that: he deceived us all. Not only are the richest in Argentina not doing it , but the richest in Argentina, the large economic groups, have been benefited with money, with money laundering, with tax exemptions. Definitely the weight of the sacrifice is very poorly distributed,” the Peronist leader concluded.
During the conference, different exhibitors announced the impact of the rate increase on their sector. That was the case, for example, of the rector of the National University of San Martín (UNSAM), Carlos Grecowho explained that in December they received an electricity bill for $12 million, while that number climbed to $40 million in January and $80 million in February. Along these lines, he denounced that “reality is pressing” and, in reference to the fight between the Nation and the educational community over the budgetexplained that 90% of the resources are used to pay staff.
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Press conference of the Multisector Forum Against Tarifazos,
For its part, Graciela Pampínof the General Confederation of Retirees, Pensioners, Retirees and Seniors, warned about the closure of numerous retirement centers and called for “fight so that the various social policies do not fall.” He also assured that “if there is a hit population, those are retirees” and that we are going through a “chaotic situation.”
Protests from social institutions
In turn, Graciela Lazarofrepresentative of the Tres de Febrero Club, pointed out that the neighborhood institutions “they are going through a very important difficulty”, since they cannot continue to contain as a consequence of the late payment of social contributions.”
“Our accounting year had an incidence of 3.5% for services in 2023. This year, they are going to take more than 25% and we do not know where they are going to go,” he commented. Regarding this aspect, he maintained that “sports activity is a right, it is not a frivolity. “We ask to be taken into account and that society also assumes that we must express ourselves in some way so that this does not affect our rights,” he concluded. .
Meanwhile, Fernando Garralagaformer director of the National Disability Agency, denounced that the families of people with disabilities “face a furious attack.” He also maintained that the State “It is a great tool that should be present and today it is not.” “We can say that people with disabilities and their families are victims of this government and its policies,” he added, and noted that the Forum represents “a hopeful initiative.”
The Forum will have monthly meetings as its agenda under the premise of #TarifazJustas; digital campaigns; actions in the territory, days of reflection and complaints; Judicial presentations of a Sectoral, Individual and Collective nature; visibility of problems such as the Deregulation of the Price of the Bottle; and a Great National Public Hearing Against the Milei Tarifazo.
For this month, the Secretary of Energy of the Nation, Eduardo Rodríguez Chirilloanticipated that there would be an update of public services, although he assured that “would not be a noun” neither “beyond inflation”, commented the official. The official specified that the 2024 increases are only enough for “cover maintenance” of the system and that “there is no margin” for the investments that must be made.
Source: Ambito