President Javier Milei’s second year in office was characterized by cuts to public funding for social programs, obstacles to people’s freedom of peaceful assembly, and attempts to undermine constitutional checks on executive power. The government said slower price inflation had helped reduce poverty rates, but the share of informal workers increased.
Democratic Institutions
For years, Congress has been unable to muster the two-thirds majority needed to appoint an attorney general, an ombudsperson, and Supreme Court justices.
On February 26, 2025, President Milei issued a presidential decree to appoint a federal judge, Ariel Lijo, and a legal scholar, Manuel García-Mansilla, to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court. The decision bypassed the Senate, which is charged with appointing the justices. In April, the Senate rejected the appointment of both justices, effectively abrogating President Milei’s decree. At time of writing, the positions remained vacant, leaving a five-member Supreme Court with only three sitting justices.
At time of writing, the Senate was discussing proposals to expand the number of Supreme Court justices, a move used in the past to ensure political control over the court in Argentina. Another proposal would introduce a gender quota to ensure women serve on the court; the current court’s three sitting justices are all men.
In September, the Senate began the process to appoint a new ombudsperson, a position that has remained vacant since 2009, making the human rights body largely dysfunctional. At time of writing, Congress was also discussing the appointment of a new children’s ombudsperson, a position vacant since March 2025.
As of July, 330 federal and national judicial positions—including judges, prosecutors, and public defenders—remained vacant, nearly 35 percent of the total.
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
Year-to-year price inflation slowed to 33.6 percent from 236.7 percent in 2024. However, price inflation for rights-essential goods and services remained higher, with housing, water, and energy prices increasing by 55.4 percent in 2025.
Nationally defined income poverty and extreme poverty rates declined in 2025, though at a slower pace than in 2024. According to official data, 31.6 percent of the population was experiencing poverty in June 2025, down from 54.8 in June 2024. As of June 2025, 6.9 percent of the population was living in extreme poverty—which the government defines as the inability to meet key elements of the right to food—and 45.4 percent of children under age 14 were living in poverty.
The government enacted severe cuts to public financial support for rights-essential public services and programs, including education, pensions, health care, and support for people with disabilities. However, it expanded the budget for certain social security programs, particularly the Universal Child Allowance (AUH), a non-contributory cash transfer program for low-income families with children or people with disabilities.
Milei vetoed laws passed by Congress to increase pension payments, university funding, and social security for people with disabilities, but Congress overturned the vetoes.
As of June 2025, 37.7 percent of workers were employed in the informal labor market, lacking social security registration, and 1.1 million people were unemployed.
Corruption
In June, the Supreme Court upheld the six-year prison sentence and lifetime ban from holding public office imposed on former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for fraud in connection with infrastructure projects carried out during her presidency (2007-2015).
Fernández de Kirchner denied the allegations and accused the judges of being part of a “mafia” seeking to bar her from office.
In April, Congress created a commission to investigate whether President Milei committed a crime when he used his social media accounts to promote a cryptocurrency that failed catastrophically, costing investors some US$250 million. In November, the commission found that President Milei played an “indispensable role” in a “fraud scheme.” At time of writing, the case was under investigation in Argentina’s federal courts.
In August, a media outlet published audio recordings alleging that President Milei’s sister, Karina Milei, who holds a senior position in his cabinet, had received kickbacks from government purchases of medicines for people with disabilities. At the request of the government, a judge banned the publication of similar audio recordings, a move that violated free speech. The government later withdrew its request, and an appeals court overturned the judge’s decision.
Right to Peaceful Assembly
On March 12, hundreds of pensioners and other protesters gathered outside Argentina’s National Congress in Buenos Aires to demand improved pensions and access to free medicines. While some demonstrators committed acts of violence, security forces responded with at times indiscriminate and reckless use of force. At least 20 people were injured, including photojournalist Pablo Grillo, who was hit with a cartridge and suffered a severe brain injury.
In May 2025, several UN experts expressed their concern over the deterioration of civic space in Argentina since December 2023.
Security forces arrested 114 people at the protest. A Buenos Aires city judge ordered that all of them be released. The Security Ministry filed a criminal complaint against the judge.
A December 2023 protocol effectively criminalizes any traffic disturbance caused by demonstrations and allows the police to use force in a broad range of circumstances.
Freedom of Expression
President Milei and high-level officials have used hostile rhetoric to stigmatize independent journalists. Milei has repeatedly said that Argentines “do not hate journalists enough” and accused reporters, without providing evidence, of receiving bribes.
La Nación, a news outlet, reported in May that the country’s intelligence agency had approved a multi-year intelligence plan that included surveilling people who undermined “public trust in government officials or economic policy.” The Milei administration denied it.
Women’s and Girls’ Rights
The National Registry of Femicides reported 228 femicides—the murder of women and girls because of their gender—in 2024.
The government deepened cuts to programs designed to address gender-based violence and provide urgent assistance to victims.
In June, the government shut down 81 Access to Justice Centers, which provided legal assistance to people in low-income neighborhoods, including many victims of gender-based violence.
A landmark 2020 law legalized abortion until the 14th week of pregnancy, and beyond in cases of rape or risk to the life or health of the pregnant person. Proyecto Mirar, a coalition of human rights groups, reported a sharp decline in central government funding to implement the law.
Disability Rights
Under President Milei’s administration, Argentina has seen aggressive audits and rollbacks of non-contributory disability pensions and delayed payments to service providers.
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Milei made disparaging comments about same-sex marriage, gender identity, and inclusive sexuality education.
Between January and June 2025, the National Observatory of LGBT+ Hate Crimes, a federal coalition of human rights groups, documented that 17 people were killed and 85 were injured because of their sexuality, gender expression, or gender identity, a 70 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Past Abuses
In September, the Attorney General’s Office reported that 1,202 people had been convicted and 213 acquitted for crimes against humanity committed during the 1976-1983 dictatorship.
During 2025, the government cut funding for memory, truth, and justice policies.
Foreign Policy
The Milei administration has opposed international resolutions on economic, social, and cultural rights and gender, including the Pact for the Future.
In February, the government announced Argentina’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization.