Argentina faces political tension over RIGI, yerba mate deregulation, and party resignations

Argentina faces internal political and economic friction following government deregulation efforts. In the legislative sphere, the Senate has delayed the debate on the Super RIGI project. Allied blocks, including the UCR and PRO, have withheld signatures on the majority report, demanding new articles to protect national companies when price differences between domestic and foreign offers reach 15%.

In the agricultural sector, small yerba mate producers report an “unsustainable” situation following the deregulation of the market via Decree 70 and Decree 812. Producers claim that while retail prices remain high, their earnings have dropped significantly, with some receiving only a fraction of the market value. This has led to planned protests during President Javier Milei’s visit to Misiones.

Additionally, the ruling coalition La Libertad Avanza (LLA) has suffered a high-profile departure. Leila Gianni officially resigned from the party, criticizing the administration for failing to listen to the people and stating that the project has moved away from its foundational values.