Milei’s Deregulation Hojarasca Push Targets 63 “Obsolete” Argentine Laws

Argentina · Politics & Reform

Some of the laws Argentina is about to debate scrapping regulate carrier pigeons, color television and microfilm, while others touch media ownership and public medicine. That mix is the point of contention: the government calls it a long-overdue cleanup, while critics see ideology smuggled in alongside the harmless relics. The vote is a test of how far Milei’s deregulation drive can reach.

What is the Hojarasca law?

The Rio Times, the Latin American financial news outlet, reports that the Hojarasca law, formally the Repeal of Obsolete Legislation Act, was debated in Argentina’s lower house on Wednesday. It would fully repeal 63 laws and two decrees and partially amend a handful more, in what the government frames as a normative cleanup. The name refers to fallen leaves, the dead matter the administration says it wants to clear away.

The bill is one of the most delayed items on the deregulation agenda. An earlier version, sent in October 2024, lost parliamentary status without being treated, and the text was resubmitted on March 26, signed by President Milei, Minister Sturzenegger and cabinet chief Manuel Adorni. Most of the targeted laws are not applied in practice.

Which laws would it repeal?

A sweep across more than 150 years. The targeted rules date from 1864 to the present and fall into six categories: laws that limit individual freedom or property rights, useless paperwork, statutes superseded by later laws, rules made obsolete by technology, obligations for institutions that no longer exist, and bodies with public financing that the government argues should be funded otherwise.

Some examples are striking. The list includes microfilm-archiving rules now overtaken by digital records, alongside more politically sensitive targets such as a statute limiting foreign ownership of media and a law declaring public medicine production a matter of national interest. The variety is exactly what makes the package contentious.

How does the government defend it?

As a matter of legal certainty and freedom. Sturzenegger has framed the bill as removing obstacles to personal and national development, describing it as the depuration of a cluttered legal code. Announcing the resubmission, he wrote that fewer laws mean more justice, casting the effort as part of making Argentina, in his words, the freest country in the world.

The economic logic is deregulation. The government argues the statutes imposed needless costs on taxpayers and contributed to Argentina’s long decline, and that clearing them improves the business environment. The same session included a reduction of the cold-zone gas subsidy regime and a set of international treaties, broadening the day’s pro-market agenda.

Why do critics oppose it?

Because of what is bundled in. Opponents argue the project mixes genuinely anachronistic norms with politically charged repeals to win approval as a single block. They single out the removal of limits on foreign media ownership and the law on public medicine production as substantive policy changes dressed up as housekeeping.

The timing sharpened the politics. The session was scheduled an hour before an opposition gathering that sought to push reports, interpellations and a possible no-confidence motion against cabinet chief Adorni. For critics, the cleanup framing masks an ideological agenda; for the government, the opposition is defending obsolete privileges.

What should investors and analysts watch next?

• The lower-house vote: whether the bill clears the Chamber of Deputies signals Milei’s legislative strength.
• The politically sensitive clauses: the media-ownership and public-medicine repeals are the items most likely to draw amendments or legal challenge.
• The Adorni motion: the no-confidence push against the cabinet chief is a parallel test of the opposition’s clout.
• The gas-subsidy cut: the cold-zone subsidy reduction in the same session has direct fiscal and consumer effects.
• The deregulation pipeline: Hojarasca’s fate indicates momentum for Sturzenegger’s broader agenda.

More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Hojarasca law?

It is an Argentine bill, formally the Repeal of Obsolete Legislation Act, that would fully repeal 63 laws and two decrees and partially amend several more. Driven by Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger, it is a centerpiece of President Milei’s push to clear statutes the government deems obsolete.

Why is it called “Hojarasca”?

“Hojarasca” means fallen, discarded leaves. The government uses it to describe rules it considers excessive, useless or without purpose, framing the bill as sweeping away dead legal matter. The targeted laws span from 1864 to the present and are grouped into six justifying categories.

Which laws are most controversial?

The bill targets a statute limiting foreign ownership of media and a law declaring public medicine production a national interest. Critics say these substantive policy changes are bundled with harmless anachronisms, like rules on microfilm or color television, to ease block approval in Congress.

Who is behind the bill?

Federico Sturzenegger, Argentina’s Deregulation and State Transformation Minister, designed the bill, which President Milei and cabinet chief Manuel Adorni also signed. An earlier version lost parliamentary status in 2024, and the text was resubmitted to Congress on March 26, 2026.

What else was in the session?

Alongside the Hojarasca law, Wednesday’s agenda included a reduction of the cold-zone gas subsidy regime and a set of international treaties. The session was scheduled an hour before an opposition gathering seeking reports, interpellations and a possible no-confidence motion against cabinet chief Adorni.

Connected Coverage

The minister’s role in Milei’s circle is detailed in our reporting on the Thiel-Milei meeting and the Sturzenegger dinner. The broader reform drive is covered in our piece on Milei’s electoral reform package, and the labor overhaul in our analysis of Argentina’s labor reform amid protests.

Reported by Sofia Gabriela Martinez for The Rio Times — Latin American financial news. Filed May 20, 2026 — 19:00 BRT.

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