Senator Patricia Bullrich met with the family of Jeremías Monzón, killed by minors in Santa Fe, and renewed her push to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13. She sharply criticized Governor Axel Kicillof for opposing it, accusing him of always siding with criminals. The debate is straining relations between the national government and Buenos Aires province.
The head of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate, Patricia Bullrich, recently met with Romina, the mother of Jeremías Monzón, a 23-year-old youth stabbed to death by minors in an abandoned shed in Santa Fe. The case, involving over 20 stab wounds and filmed by the attackers, has shocked Argentine society. Bullrich described the incident as 'one of the most brutal cases' and stressed that 'minors kill and return home as if nothing happened'.
During the meeting, Bullrich reiterated the Milei government's push to reform the Juvenile Penal Regime, replacing the 1980 decree-law signed by Jorge Rafael Videla, deemed outdated by both sides. She announced the bill will be addressed in February's extraordinary sessions, promoted by legislator Rodríguez Machado, and assured: 'It will be law in the short term'. However, she clarified there would be no retroactivity for the Monzón case, though legal consequences are being sought.
The meeting provided the basis for Bullrich to confront Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof, who rejected lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 13, arguing it 'will not solve the root problems' and that 'an integral effort among the three branches of government, serious work, and planning' is needed. Bullrich accused him on social media: 'It is clear that neither security nor victims matter to him. Always on the side of the criminals'. She challenged Kicillof to face victims' families, asking if he would tell them that 'it doesn't bother him that they are at home, free and without consequences'.
Provincial Security Minister Javier Alonso backed Kicillof, calling the debate 'sterile' and presenting data: a 20.8% drop in homicides committed by minors in Buenos Aires, from 24 cases in 2024 to 19 in 2025, thanks to the 'Entramados' program and the Juvenile Criminal Responsibility Court in place since 2007, which allows preventive detention. Bullrich also criticized Kicillof for posting on X with comments blocked, suggesting he avoids dialogue with society.
The national officialdom supports 13 years, inspired by models like Brazil and Uruguay, while PRO allies prefer 14. This clash deepens the rift between the Nation and the Province on youth security.
