By María Josefina Arce

Turbulent and extremely controversial have been the first six months of the presidency of Javier Milei in Argentina, whose management in such a short time already registers 50% disapproval of the citizens who have seen his living conditions worsen.

The economic program launched by his government has led to an increase in poverty, a drop in the purchasing power of salaries and pensions, the destruction of employment and the total lack of protection of the most vulnerable sectors.

Almost immediately after assuming power, on December 10, Milei reduced subsidies to public transportation and the energy sector, which translated into an increase in transportation, gas and electricity rates.

The reality today is that in the first quarter of this year poverty rose to more than 55% and indigence went from 9.6 to 17% in the same period of time, according to the Argentine Social Debt Observatory of the Argentine Catholic University.

The institution specified that food insecurity affects almost 21% of households and 32.2% of children and adolescents in the South American country.

Another index that has increased is unemployment, due to the dismissal of thousands of Argentines. A situation that will continue, since in recent days the authorities assured that another 50 thousand public workers will be left on the streets.

In these 180 days of his mandate, Milei has faced several conflicts, the most recent being the unjustifiable withholding by the authorities of tons of food destined for soup kitchens, an option for the most vulnerable.

But this is not the only front of confrontation. Education, culture and care for women have also been the subject of the Argentine president's harsh measures. In fact, the final dissolution of the former Ministry of Women was recently announced, which had already passed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice as undersecretary and was in charge of protection against gender violence.

Social tension has been escalating. A little over a month after assuming the presidency, Milei faced the first general strike, called by the General Confederation of Labor and which received the support of political parties, unions, human rights organizations and the world-famous Grandmothers and Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. .

The protests have not ceased in these six months of Milei's mandate, whose government already exhibits marked popular discontent and confrontations at the international level.