Argentina: Thousands protest bill easing foreign land purchases

Clashes erupted on Thursday between Argentine police and thousands of protesters who braved stormy weather to demonstrate outside the Senate, protesting a controversial bill concerning private property.

The confrontations broke out in the Plaza del Congreso as the protest neared its end, with demonstrators pelting police officers with stones and other projectiles before being met with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons.

Despite President Javier Milei’s government making some concessions, including the removal of a clause from the bill that would have facilitated foreign purchases of land in Argentina, protesters mobilized by leftist movements and trade unions remained unconvinced.

The “Private Property Inviolability” bill, under discussion in the Argentine Congress, aims to introduce changes to property ownership in Argentina, such as simplifying procedures, modifying terms for the use of rural land, and making it more difficult for the state to expropriate private property.

Milei’s government seeks to provide a legal framework that attracts investors through this legislation.

With only 20 seats in the 72-member Senate, Milei’s party withdrew and removed the clause regarding foreign land purchases, which would have raised the cap on land available for acquisition by foreigners from 15% to 25%.

According to a 2025 report by the University of Buenos Aires and other researchers, approximately 5% of Argentina’s land—roughly equivalent in area to England—is under foreign ownership.

The report indicates that foreign ownership rates in some provinces already exceed the 15% cap, particularly in areas rich in water and mineral resources or those with logistical advantages, such as ports.