(29 May 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buenos Aires, Argentina – 29 May 2025
1. Protesters with disabilities and supporters marching alongside police during a demonstration
2. Various of protester in a wheelchair holding a sign reading (Spanish) "Disability in emergency"
3. Protesters chant UPSOUND (Spanish) "No to the cuts in disability (programs)"
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Indira Torres, psychomotor therapist:
"They are not paying for the therapies, they are not paying for the sessions, but they are not fulfilling their obligations to the therapists. They haven’t paid us therapists for five months. During these five months, we have continued to care for our patients, but we can’t take it anymore. Clinics are starting to close, special schools are starting to close, and these patients are being left without therapies."
6. Protester blocks traffic outside Congress holding a sign reading (Spanish) "Disability in emergency"
7. Various of protesters advocating for disability rights amidst city traffic
8. A protester with a sign (Spanish) "No to cuts in disability (programs)" and a caricature of Mafalda that reads (Spanish) "Enough"
9. Protestors raising a miniature wheelchair and crutches during a disability rights protest
10. Sonia Vicentin and her daughter Eluney, 14, in a wheelchair,
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Sonia Vicentin, mother of a disabled daughter:
"With her, for example, she has school companions, she has therapy, kinesiology, hydrotherapy, but she’s had therapy sessions cut. They’re not paying the kineseologist as they should be. They are not paying for transport. (I make) many complaints but there is no response."
12. Protesters chant UPSOUND (Spanish) "No to the cuts in disability (programs)"
13. Protest outside the Argentine Congress
14. A mother and son during the protest with a sign reading (Spanish) "I march for my rights"
STORYLINE:
Advocates for people with disabilities, including families and service providers, protested against severe government cutbacks that have exacerbated years of underfunding.
at Argentina’s National Congress, blocking nearby streets .
They said the cutbacks that had exacerbated years of underfunding.
Their primary demand is the advancement of the Disability Emergency Bill, initially scheduled for debate on Thursday but now postponed until June 4th. This legislation is crucial for addressing the sector’s financial crisis, they say.
A key concern is the urgent need to update the national fee schedule, which determines payments for therapists, transporters, and other professionals assisting people with disabilities in various settings. Many support centers and schools face closure due to current austerity measures.
Additionally, protesters are pushing for faster audits and pension approvals. The government claims these delays stem from irregularities found in previous administrations.
This demonstration in Buenos Aires was part of a larger, nationwide movement, with similar protests occurring in major cities across Argentina, including Mendoza, Córdoba, Bariloche, Posadas, Santa Fe, and Paraná.
Data from Casaie (Argentine Chamber of School Integration Support Services) reveals that disability service fees lagged behind inflation in late 2024 and remained frozen in early 2025. Between January and April of this year, fees saw zero increase despite a cumulative inflation of 11.6%.
AP Video by Victor R. Caivano
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