Conflict is fueling the rise of Argentina’s far-right government under President Javier Milei. Weeks before his planned appearance in Congress to inaugurate the Legislative Assembly, he labeled the institution a “nest of rats” and ordered the Public Administration to refrain not only from using inclusive language but from anything connected to gender perspectives. The move, potentially affecting workplaces and the justice system, signals a sharp alignment ahead of March 8 protests expected from feminist groups in opposition to the libertarian administration.
Supporters of the regime have floated a bill to roll back the decriminalization of abortion. Rodolfo Barra, the representative of the State lawyers, has taken the lead in this effort. What the government calls a cultural battle is shaping up to unfold in the realm of writing. The spokesperson for Milei, Manuel Adorni, announced that going forward, the letter -e, the at sign, and the -x will no longer be used. At the same time, campaigners say the inclusion of the feminine form in all state documents is unnecessary. From now on, terms like generala, sargenta, or soldada will be considered a breach of the rules. Adorni, who often vocalizes the harsh views associated with the libertarian leadership, argued that gender perspectives have been exploited as political business. He stated that Spanish language usage should reflect the language that accommodates everyone in the country’s tongue, plain and simple Spanish.
Just as Brazil did under Jair Bolsonaro, the word gender provokes discomfort among Argentina’s far-right factions, who see the term as a tool for political indoctrination. The most hardline sectors of the governing party view it as equally harmful to the right to legal and safe abortion, which Milei opposes in forums from Davos to a recent conservative gathering in the United States, where he was photographed with the former president, Donald Trump.
The nonprofit collective Ni Una Menos, born from a surge in femicides years ago, argues that the government is pushing a cultural regression in a country that has redef ined its values. Broadly, sociologist Luci Cavallero notes that authorities appear to be erasing a crucial achievement: recognizing other gender identities and challenging the masculine default that has historically overlooked women’s participation in leadership spaces. She adds that a portion of the population has frequently remained nameless and unseen in the nation’s political life.
Even though views on inclusive language vary and reach academic circles and the Real Academia Española, the ban on its use within government circles seems tied to the broader pressures facing Argentina. Mercedes D’Alessandro, a former national director of Economy, Equality, and Gender, contends that the far-right aims to shift attention away from pressing social and economic problems. Her assessment is straightforward: distractions aside, the state should focus on providing for people rather than policing language. Critics argue that the move gives followers symbolic victories while denying real policy results that communities need.