General Anti-inflation Strike Paralyzes Argentina

By Staff, Agencies

Opponents of Argentina's President Mauricio Macri launched a 24-hour strike on Wednesday to protest the government's inability to reduce inflation that has reached 55 percent over the past year.

The strike paralyzed public transport while all flights to and from the country's airports were canceled. Banks, schools and universities remained closed.

Hospitals were only attending to emergencies while many shops kept their shutters down due to the lack of buses and trains to bring employees to work.

The strike came after a partial job action in late April when tens of thousands of Argentines demonstrated, and transport services and businesses were also affected.

Macri's popularity has fallen months before elections later this year, during which he hopes to win a second term.

In an effort to reduce the state deficit, Macri’s government last year launched an austerity plan that has cut services to low-income Argentines in exchange for a $56 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to help the South American country battle its currency crisis and soaring prices.

"The strike has been followed because there has been no response, no government reaction to our demands," said Hugo Moyano, one of Argentina's most influential union leaders.

With prices rising, Argentina's 44 million people have been hit with a drop in their spending power, and unions are demanding an increase in salaries to keep up.

But Transport Minister Guillermo Dietrich complained people have been left "hostages" to public transport during this strike.

This is the fifth general strike since Macri came to power four years ago. The center-right president has been praised by powerful allies for his reforms but widely criticized by ordinary Argentines feeling the pinch.

Former center-left president Cristina Kirchner was leading opinion polls to challenge Macri, but earlier this month made the shock announcement that she would run for the vice presidency instead, with her former cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez aiming for the top job.