Key Takeaways
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- Social leader Juan Grabois was detained by federal police after he and militants occupied the Juan Domingo Perón National Institute in Buenos Aires.
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- The occupation was a protest against the Javier Milei government’s decision to close the Peronist institution, citing its annual cost of over 400 million pesos and lack of research output.
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- The incident, which involved scuffles and pepper spray, escalated into a direct challenge to the government’s authority, with both sides exchanging strong accusations of “usurpation” and defending national heritage.
Prominent Argentine social leader Juan Grabois was arrested Saturday after barricading himself inside the Juan Domingo Perón National Institute of Historical Studies and Research in Buenos Aires, a historic Peronist institution ordered closed by President Javier Milei’s government. The dramatic standoff, which involved federal police, pepper spray, and scuffles, underscores the escalating political and ideological tensions between the libertarian administration and opposition movements.
The confrontation began when Grabois, alongside a group of militants and former employees, occupied the Institute’s premises in the Recoleta neighborhood, protesting its imminent closure and potential sale. This Saturday marked the deadline set by the Ministry of Human Capital for the institute’s vacation. Approximately 100 people gathered, with Grabois announcing an indefinite protest to defend what he termed a “historic heritage.”
Police forces, including the Federal Police and City Police, arrived shortly after the occupation began. After an hour of discussion where Grabois reportedly demanded a judicial order for eviction, the situation escalated. Uniformed officers entered the building, leading to pushing, shoving, and the use of pepper spray. Two federal police officers were reportedly injured, and another individual, Valentín Peralta Ramos, was also detained.
Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich swiftly hailed the police operation as “a success” on social media. She stated, “We recovered a building taken by militants who thought they owned the State. The ‘anything-goes’ is over. We are doing what no government has done: detaining the piquetero who promotes and executes usurpations.” While the exact charge against Grabois was not immediately clear, high-ranking government sources indicated he could face charges of “privation of liberty” for holding police inside and “usurpation.” Government officials defended arresting Grabois as the “ringleader,” stating others had been identified for potential future charges.
The Ministry of Human Capital, led by Sandra Pettovello, issued a statement labeling the incident an “intrusion” and “usurpation.” The Ministry justified the Institute’s closure by citing its annual operating cost of over 400 million pesos (approximately USD 440,000 at the official exchange rate), noting that “the entirety of its budget was allocated to salary payments and basic services maintenance, with its authorities having conducted no research to fulfill the Institute’s purpose.” Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni had previously called the Institute an “avoidable and unnecessary budgetary burden” that “did not provide any differential value.”
Grabois, a prominent figure from the Patria Grande movement and a former presidential primary contender for Unión por la Patria, vehemently defended the occupation. He argued that the Institute, located in a building that served as the presidential residence for Juan Domingo Perón and Evita and declared a National Historic Monument in 2008, was a crucial part of national heritage. He claimed there was a “pre-agreement with a very large real estate agency” for its sale, though the government has stated the historical patrimony is being safeguarded for the National Library and General Archive. He also shared images of what he claimed were statues of Perón and Evita covered with “mortuary bags” by the government, asserting the occupation was necessary to protect national heritage. Grabois had previously denounced Minister Pettovello for aggravated damage and destruction of documents related to the Institute’s closure.
Following his arrest, Grabois posted a defiant selfie from inside the police vehicle, showing himself with an Argentine flag wrapped around his neck. His message, “Jail me Milei, but you won’t take my Argentine flag,” quickly went viral, symbolizing the broader struggle over national identity and the Peronist legacy under the current administration. The Justicialist Party, presided over by Cristina Kirchner, had proposed an agreement to the government to take over the Institute’s assets and costs, assuming full responsibility for its preservation without state financial contribution, an offer apparently not accepted by the government.
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