Infobae reports the testimony of Emanuel Fernández, a footwear manufacturer who once employed 120 people and now has just 15. “The situation is desperate, almost terminal”, he says. “Footwear factories are closing every day. We hope the government will listen to us; otherwise, there will be no industries left in operation”. But it was not only the footwear sector that joined the protest on 20 August — described by the national press as an unusual mobilisation of businesses in Buenos Aires. SMEs from across Argentina’s leather supply chain joined the protest against Prime Minister Javier Milei, whose liberal economic policies are accused of having brought manufacturing to its knees.
The protest against Milei
Of course, the economic climate is difficult — particularly for the leather supply chain — across the world, and not solely because of Milei’s policies. But according to statistics, the number of businesses operating in Argentina has fallen from 512,357 in autumn 2023 to 481,724 today, with manufacturing recording one of the most significant declines (-13.81%). According to ILM, companies from the textile and leather supply chains joined the demonstration on 20 August. The slogan of the day was “Las Pymes también son argentinas” (“SMEs are Argentine too”), echoing the banner asserting Argentina’s claim to the Malvinas archipelago displayed by the national football team at the World Cup. Small and medium-sized business owners are calling for a special law to support businesses, including access to credit, energy subsidies and social policies.
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