Unions, movements, and leftists march for San Cayetano, promise deeper street protests

Thousands of union members, social movements, and leftist political parties converged in Argentina's Plaza de Mayo to mark the day of San Cayetano, a patron saint of bread and work. The demonstration, which began with a gathering at the San Cayetano sanctuary in Liniers, saw participants marching to the capital's central square to voice their discontent with the economic direction of President Javier Milei's government.

Participants, including organizations from the Union of Popular Economy Workers (UTEP), the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), and two CTA unions, presented a document criticizing the government's fiscal balance policy. They argued that the supposed balance is built on increasing debt and financial speculation, harming production and employment. The document also stated that the deterioration of social conditions is not an inevitable crisis but a result of deliberate political decisions that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable sectors.

Speakers at the rally defended registered work, collective bargaining agreements, and the role of a present state. They called for greater unity within the labor movement and popular organizations to collectively resist the government's policies. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, among the speakers, invoked San Cayetano, praying for "land, shelter, and work."

The march saw various factions arriving from different directions, with the CGT playing a more subdued role, with many of its members remaining on the periphery of Plaza de Mayo. Notable figures present included Emilio Pérsico of the Movimiento Evita, national deputy Juan Grabois, Padre “Toto” de Vedia, and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.