The Partido Obrero denounces the raid that took place today at its central office in Bartolomé Mitre 2162, Buenos Aires, as part of an escalation of political persecution against the opposition sectors that reject and fight against the anti-worker and austerity policies of the national government.

It is public and notorious that our party was a front runner in denouncing the repressive protocol of Patricia Bullrich [Security Minister], it played a leading role in the demonstration of December 20 [popular aniversary of 2001’s revolt], in calling for protests against the Bases Law [Ley de Bases/ Ómnibus], and for its active participation in supporting and promoting all the popular struggles, from those led by the piquetero movement, to the workers’, students’ and women’s protests.

As this is a leap in this political persecution, we will go to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to denounce the National State, understanding that the democratic freedoms guaranteed in the national constitution are at stake. This persecution has been escalating, starting with the attack of the President of the Nation against the combative sectors and particularly against Eduardo Belliboni [Piquetero leader], whom he called to exterminate in a publication made in his own social networks. Publication that we denounced and that the Federal Justice never investigated. Then, the intimidation to prevent the demonstration on December 20, the opening of the “Line 134” to mount complaints [to the police] against the piquetero movement and later almost 30 raids and phone tapping against the Polo Obrero, the FOL and Barrios de Pie.

The court accepted as a prosecutor in the case against the piqueteros’ organisations, which triggered this raid, was none other than the Minister of Human Capital, Sandra Petovello, who must be held accountable in court for the scandalous acts of corruption for which she is directly responsible, through the signing of fraudulent agreements with the Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI) and the basic refusal to distribute the food that the Ministry possesses, among others.

The raid was carried out with the alleged aim of seizing documentation from Editorial Rumbos and from work cooperatives, which do not operate at that address and which have already been raided. This is a clumsy excuse because neither the judge nor the Federal Police, who for weeks have been carrying out intelligence work around the offices, are unaware that it is a public and open place that is a real centre of organisation for all kinds of popular demonstrations: from the Encuentro Memoria, Verdad y Justicia for the 24th March [Human Right’s movement against 1976 coup d’etat], to workers, piquetero movements, youth and women’s sectors have gathered there.

Therefore, we call to repudiate this raid and we call for a press conference tomorrow 4 June 2024 in our local of Mitre 2162 at 12 noon.

Partido Obrero

Gabriel Solano
Romina Del Plá
Nestor Pitrola
Vanina Biasi
Guillermo Kane
Eduardo Belliboni