President Alberto Fernandez’s government plans to take legal action to investigate the potential unconstitutionality of the partial reform of the Constitution of Jujuy province, promoted by Governor Gerardo Morales.
The reform includes limitations on the right to protest, specifically prohibiting roadblocks.
In a video message on June 21, President Fernandez announced that the Ministry of Justice has been instructed to analyze the reform’s articles and potentially pursue legal action for violating the national Constitution and international treaties.
President Fernandez referenced concerns expressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) regarding the repression of protests and the lack of participation of indigenous communities in the legislative modification process.
The president urged Governor Morales to adhere to international standards on this matter and called for dialogue to resolve the conflict.
Denying the right to protest, according to President Fernandez, curtails constitutional freedoms and hampers democratic life.
He criticized Jujuy’s situation as a testing ground for repression and condemned the intentions of certain political factions to engage in looting.
The UNHCHR’s representative for South America, Jan Jarab, demanded an investigation into alleged human rights violations during the repression of demonstrations in northern Argentina.
Jarab emphasized that while the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians is important, it should not supersede the freedom of peaceful assembly and democratic participation.
Following days of protests against the constitutional reform, Governor Morales agreed on June 19 to withdraw two articles approved on June 15 concerning the rights of indigenous communities and land ownership.
Teachers’ unions across the country called for a 48-hour strike, and thousands of people rallied in the Argentine capital to denounce the repression in Jujuy province.