Argentina's Senate turned the new Juvenile Penal Regime into law, lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 14, with 44 votes in favor and 27 against, after seven hours of debate. It also approved the labor reform with 42 affirmative votes and 28 negative, incorporating changes from the Lower House that removed a controversial article on sick leave. The ruling party celebrated the advances, while the opposition criticized the measures as harmful to workers and human rights.
In a marathon 11-hour session on February 27, 2026, Argentina's Senate approved two key government projects under Javier Milei's administration. First, the Juvenile Penal Regime received 44 votes in favor, 27 against, and one abstention, repealing the 1980 law and establishing that imputable adolescents over 14 for serious crimes face penalties up to 15 years, with conditional release possible. The Executive presented it as closing a 'historical debt' of four decades, highlighting pillars like victim protection and crime prevention. Patricia Bullrich, a La Libertad Avanza senator, stated: 'The State will no longer look the other way regarding criminals, no matter their age.' The Peronist opposition, like José Mayans, questioned: 'They want to send 14- and 15-year-olds to detention centers,' arguing it creates more criminals.
Later, the labor reform was sanctioned with 42 votes in favor and 28 against, ratifying the removal of article 44 that reduced salaries for sick leave, after its rejection in the Lower House. Mayans called it a 'gorilla project, against workers' rights,' while Bullrich defended: 'We must change an employment system that has led the country to a situation where hiring a worker could end with their company.' The project includes a Labor Assistance Fund and aims to modernize employment, according to the ruling party.
Outside Congress, protests against the labor reform led to incidents: the City Police used gases and water cannons, detaining five people, including one for throwing a molotov. The officialism, with provincial allies, consolidated majorities close to two-thirds, excluding Kirchnerism from authorities.
