The proposal to ease rural land acquisition for foreign investors was pulled following opposition and public pressure.
Argentine President Javier Milei has withdrawn a legislative project that aimed to lift restrictions on the sale of rural land to non-Argentine citizens.
The proposed measure would have removed limitations on the acquisition of rural land by foreign investors, a scope that included strategic lands.
The decision to retract the project follows pressure from the opposition and public opinion. Protests and mobilization centered on the defense of national sovereignty contributed to the withdrawal.
Although the land sale bill was withdrawn, security forces clashed with thousands of demonstrators in Buenos Aires, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons after some protesters threw stones, according to AFP and EFE; the protest, led by left-wing and labor groups, opposed the now-suspended 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill, which aimed to raise foreign land ownership limits from 15% to 25% — a cap already exceeded in some districts, per a 2025 University of Buenos Aires study.
Though the land sale bill was withdrawn, security forces clashed with thousands of demonstrators in Buenos Aires, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons after some protesters threw stones — an escalation noted by AFP, though EFE described the protest as peaceful until police intervention; the bill, which aimed to raise foreign land ownership from 15% to 25% and alter eviction rules, had drawn criticism over claims that foreign ownership already exceeds the current cap in some areas, according to a 2025 University of Buenos Aires study.
Though the land sale bill was withdrawn, security forces deployed tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons against demonstrators in Buenos Aires after some protesters threw stones at police, according to AFP and EFE, with thousands rallying against the proposed 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill — which aimed to raise foreign land ownership from 15% to 25% and ease evictions — even as a 2025 study found foreign ownership already exceeded the cap in some districts.
Although the foreign land ownership provision—aimed at raising the cap from 15% to 25%—was removed following pressure from provincial leaders, security forces clashed with thousands of demonstrators in Buenos Aires on Thursday, using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons after some protesters threw stones, according to EFE and AFP; the protest, organized by major labor unions and tied to Saint Cajetan’s Day, targeted Milei’s broader property bill, which still seeks to accelerate evictions and limit expropriations, even as critics warn it threatens land sovereignty and deepens inequality.
Despite withdrawing the provision that would have raised foreign land ownership from 15% to 25%, the Argentine Senate passed the remaining version of the 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill with 37–33 votes, approving measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen sales of state assets — while also dropping a separate plan to deregulate wildfire land use.
Despite withdrawing the foreign land ownership provision, the Argentine Senate passed the revised 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill with 37 votes to 33, approving measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen sales of state assets — while also dropping a planned deregulation of wildfire land use; protests in Buenos Aires turned violent after police used tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators, leading to at least 26 arrests, even as organizers maintained the rally began peacefully.
Despite withdrawing the provision that would have raised foreign land ownership from 15% to 25%, the Argentine Senate passed the remaining 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill with 37–33 votes, advancing measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen sales of state assets—while also dropping a separate deregulation of wildfire land use; protests turned violent after police used tear gas and rubber bullets following stone-throwing by some demonstrators, leading to at least 26 arrests.
Although the government withdrew the provision raising foreign land ownership limits from 15% to 25% amid public pressure, the Argentine Senate passed the broader 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill on Thursday with 37 votes to 33, approving measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen sales of state assets — while also dropping a separate plan to deregulate wildfire land use; protests turned violent after police used tear gas and rubber bullets following stone-throwing by some demonstrators, leading to at least 26 arrests.
Despite withdrawing the provision that would have raised foreign land ownership from 15% to 25%, the Argentine Senate passed the broader 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill with 37 votes to 33, approving measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen sales of state-owned companies — a move that followed violent clashes in Buenos Aires where security forces used tear gas and rubber bullets against demonstrators, resulting in at least 26 arrests.
Despite withdrawing the provision that would have raised foreign land ownership limits from 15% to 25%, the Argentine Senate passed the remaining version of the 'Inviolability of Private Property' bill with 37–33 votes, approving measures to expedite evictions, restrict expropriations, and strengthen state asset sales—while the government also dropped a separate plan to deregulate wildfire-affected land; protests in Buenos Aires turned violent after police intervened, resulting in at least 26 arrests, three injuries, and widespread condemnation, with the bill now awaiting approval by the Chamber of Deputies.
