22/07/2026 04:05 - Actualidad
On July 20, 2026, the Executive Power of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, located in the vast Patagonia region, formalized through Decree No. 0660/2026 the salary increase for the provincial police and security forces, after failing to reach an agreement in the Salary Council. This measure, which according to the government positions the institution among the three best paid in the country, establishes a starting salary of over $1,700,000 Argentine Pesos (ARS), marking a hopeful advance in the sector's compensation.
The regulation ratifies Ministerial Resolution MS-N° 342/26 and updates the point value, creating two new bonuses: the remunerative 'Compensador' (Compensatory) and the non-remunerative 'Cumplimiento Efectivo del Servicio' (Effective Service Compliance). In turn, it cancels supplements created in 2022 and 2023, restructuring income to achieve a real and sustainable improvement.
The legislative block 'Por Santa Cruz' (For Santa Cruz) released a statement on July 21, 2026, backing the Executive's decision. According to ruling party deputies, 15 salary proposals were presented and rejected, leading the government to act responsibly by prioritizing the balance of public accounts.
The statement indicates that the situation was normalized in almost the entire province, leaving the protest focalized in El Calafate and some divisions of Río Gallegos (the provincial capital). Lawmakers suggested that the continuation of the strikes might respond to political interests and highlighted the debts that the municipalities of Río Gallegos and El Calafate maintain with the Social Security Fund and the Social Services Fund. Specifically, Río Gallegos owes approximately $66,944,860,951.58 ARS to the Social Security Fund and $41,979,176,336.63 ARS to the Social Services Fund, while El Calafate owes $322,761,262.12 ARS and $5,615,829,043.26 ARS respectively, emphasizing that these resources belong to all workers in Santa Cruz.
For their part, representatives of the autoconvocados (a term used in Argentina for self-convened groups that organize outside traditional union structures) held a meeting on July 21, 2026, with councilors (Martín Chávez and Aravena) and deputies (Eloy Echazú and Moira Lanesan Sancho) to make their situation visible and seek a negotiated way out.
According to sources from the protest, the strikes would also continue in localities such as El Chaltén, Tres Lagos, 28 de Noviembre, Río Turbio, and Julia Dufour. The officers requested legislative mediation to manage an urgent audience with the governor, seeking to unblock the conflict through collective bargaining. The present authorities committed to carrying out the corresponding procedures.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
