Macri's Worst Move Yet? Human Rights Program Cut by Half

The government of Mauricio Macri in Argentina will cut about 50 percent of the budget to fund a human rights program to provide legal support for victims of crimes against humanity in the country.

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The measure will affect the state's budget for the Ministry of Justice for 2017. The program was intended to protect survivor and relatives of victims of crimes against humanity and to offer them legal support in trials.

"We know what we are talking about and it's very worrying what will happen if a budget of these features is approved because it confirms the underfunding of public policy," said Augustine Cetrangolo, member of the human rights organization, Children.

"This means fewer rights and less information," he added.

The announcement also means that the Human Rights Secretariat will have to work with a budget that is 15 percent lower than what they had been assigned this year, including the budget for transportation inside the country.

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"If there is no budget for travel, there is no way to reach the provinces and localities outside the city of Buenos Aires, and help them during trials, assist witnesses or in the application of any other program," said Cetrangolo.

The activist also referred to the current government's policy of not preserving memorial sites in memory of the abuses committed during the dictatorship, which were built by the former leftist Kirchner presidencies of Nestor and his wife Cristina.

"The policy is clear: to eliminate the promotion and protection of human rights," said Cetrangolo.