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- Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD)
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Dokument #2111637
USDOS – US Department of State (Autor)
fiscal benefits as the Catholic Church, including tax-exempt status, visas for religious officials, and the ability to hold public activities. To register, religious groups must have a place of worship, an organizational charter, and an ordained clergy, among other requirements. To access many of these benefits, religious groups must also register as a civil association through the Public Registry of Commerce.
Registration is not required for private religious services, such as those held in homes, but it is sometimes necessary to conduct activities in public spaces pursuant to local regulations. City authorities may require groups to obtain permits to use public parks for events, and they may require religious groups to be registered with the Secretariat of Worship to receive a permit. Once registered, an organization must report to the secretariat any significant changes or decisions made regarding its leadership, governing structure, size of membership, and the address of its headquarters.
The mandatory curriculum in public schools is secular by law. Students may request elective courses of instruction in the religion of their choice in public schools, which may be conducted in the school or at a religious institution. Many Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious groups operate private schools, which receive financial support contingent on registration with the government.
Foreign officials of registered religious groups may apply for a specific visa category to enter the country. The validity period of the visa varies depending on the purpose of the travel. Foreign missionaries of registered religious groups must apply to the Secretariat of Worship, which verifies the religious group is registered, authorized, and active. The secretariat, in turn, requests that immigration authorities issue appropriate documents.
The law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, and provides for penalties, including fines or jail time. Discrimination may also be an aggravating factor in other crimes, leading to increased penalties. The National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism (INADI) is a government agency under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. Its board includes representatives of the major religious groups. INADI investigates suspected and reported incidents of religious discrimination. INADI is not authorized to enforce recommendations or findings, but its reports may be used as evidence in civil court. The agency also supports victims of religious discrimination and promotes proactive measures to prevent discrimination. INADI produces and distributes publications to promote religious tolerance.
The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Representatives of several religious groups again emphasized that a government requirement for religious groups to register first with the MFA and then with the Ministry of Interior as a civil association was redundant, noting the Catholic Church faced no such requirement. The groups said these legal processes were prerequisites for seeking tax-exempt status, visas for foreign clergy, and permission to hold public activities. Religious group representatives reiterated their interest in having a unique registration process, separate from that for civil associations.
On June 14, CALIR published a statement expressing concern that some local governments were requesting an additional registration and new infrastructure requirements for religious groups at the municipal level. For example, in Las Heras, Mendoza, the municipal government created the Municipal Directorate of Worship in 2022, which registered religious groups and buildings used for religious purposes and had the power to deny or deregister a place of worship at the local level. Representatives of CALIR and the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches (ACIERA) expressed concern about the municipal ordinance, which stated that while freedom of religion was a right, the municipality had the right to dictate where religious groups may construct places of worship or religious service. The Catholic Church was exempt from this ordinance, which members of some non-Catholic religious groups said was unfair. During the year, other municipalities drafted similar ordinances, such as Puerto Madryn in Chubut, but the implementation and ratification of the regulations reportedly varied.
CALIR also continued to issue statements expressing concern from religious institutions related to the provincial and municipal registration of religious groups and organized and sponsored local conferences.
Representatives of some religious groups continued to criticize a 2020 Public Registry of Commerce (an agency of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights) resolution requiring all civil associations, including non-Catholic religious groups, to have gender parity on their administrative and oversight bodies. Several religious groups continued to state this requirement was unconstitutional and violated religious freedom. They also said the government still had not implemented the resolution and they knew of no religious organizations penalized for failing to comply with it.
During the year, INADI, in collaboration with the Federal Advisory Council of the Afro-Argentine Community and the Commission for the Historical Recognition of the Afro-Argentine Community, two government entities created in 2021, continued to work with civil society groups to address the Afro-Argentine community’s concerns, including respect for African derived religions.
Jewish community leaders again stated there was no progress in bringing to justice the accused perpetrators of the 1994 AMIA bombing. On July 18, the 29th anniversary of the AMIA bombing, AMIA president Amos Linetzky called “lack of justice [for the AMIA bombing] is one of the main debts of Argentine democracy.” Linetzky urged presidential candidates to prevent future attacks and seek justice, and he highlighted the importance of joint efforts to combat organized transnational crime and terrorism.
On June 23, the MFA appointed Ambassador Loguzzo as the country’s first special envoy to combat antisemitism. She held the special envoy role in addition to her role as the special representative to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
On May 9, President Fernandez announced the revocation of the Order of May merit award that the military dictatorship granted in 1979 to Maurice Papon, who was convicted in France for crimes against humanity during the Nazi occupation. According to the presidential decree, Papon was responsible for “acts incompatible with the spirit and purpose of the order,” including the deportation of Jews. AMIA, DAIA, and other religious organizations attended the press conference and applauded the government’s decision to strip Papon of the award.
Many religious organizations, including the Catholic Church and ACIERA, continued to criticize the law permitting abortions, and there were reports of medical professionals – especially in rural areas – who refused to perform abortions on religious grounds.
On July 1, a Muslim woman filed a complaint with INADI, stating airport security personnel had discriminated against her when they detained her for wearing her hijab and forced her to undress in front of two female officers. INADI and the Islam for Peace Institute assisted the woman in filing the complaint. Subsequently, airport security issued a formal apology and INADI, in partnership with Islam for Peace, trained 40 airport police officers on Islamic culture and how to prevent discrimination.
During the year, the National Congress took actions to promote religious freedom and interreligious dialogue. On July 6, it passed a law declaring July 18 as a permanent day of national mourning in remembrance of the AMIA bombing and its victims. On September 20, it passed a law declaring October 31 as the National Day of Evangelical and Protestant Churches, coinciding with the date in 1517 that Martin Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation. On March 16, the National Congress hosted an interreligious dialogue to promote peace, tolerance, and religious freedom. The event engaged Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim religious leaders, among others, and took place on the first anniversary of the UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia. MFA Secretary of Worship Guillermo Oliveri, who was a panelist, said, “Listening to the other and having a dialogue allows us to say that we are friends. We may have differences, but in the face to face we know that there is frankness and that each one has his truth and can be shared.”
Immediately after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, President Fernandez condemned Hamas and expressed his country’s solidarity with Israel, ordering increased security for Jewish institutions in the country.
During his December 10 inaugural remarks, President Milei invoked the Jewish story of the Maccabees. “It is not by chance that this assumption takes place in the holiday of Hanukkah, the festival of light, and that the same celebrates the true essence of freedom,” he stated. The same day, Milei participated in an interreligious service with leaders from the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, evangelical Christian, Anglican, Jewish, and Muslim communities. Later in December, Milei also participated in the opening event for the 2023 Pan American Israel-sponsored Maccabi Games.
Secretary of Worship Oliveri, Human Rights Secretary Horacio Pietragalla, Director of INADI Greta Pena, and other government representatives continued throughout the year to participate in religious freedom conferences, interreligious dialogues, Catholic services, and Rosh Hashanah observances, as well as other religious activities, including those held by Muslim, Protestant, and Orthodox churches. Activities included celebrations of Religious Freedom Day, Eid al Fitr, meetings with the Argentinian Islamic Center and international religious authorities such as the Orthodox Apostolic Catholic Church of Antioch, and events with youth to promote interreligious dialogue.
During the year, media outlets and other organizations reported incidents of antisemitism and other discriminatory acts based on religious affiliation. On April 4, DAIA published its annual report for 2022, citing 427 incidents of antisemitism, compared with 490 reported incidents in 2021, a decrease of 13 percent. Of the reported incidents, 86 percent took place on web sites and social media, compared with 26 percent in 2021. The Latin American Jewish Congress, together with AMIA and DAIA, published an annual report on online antisemitism to track hate speech and discrimination on websites and social media. Generally, social media users touted Holocaust denial, referred to the Jewish community in derogatory terms, and promoted conspiracy theories involving Jews.
On July 13, a candidate for the City of Buenos Aires legislature from the center-right Republican Proposal (PRO) party withdrew his candidacy after media released previous remarks that included antisemitic statements recorded on social media, including reference to alleged Jewish control of media sources critical of his party.
On April 21, federal police (PFA) discovered a private museum of Nazi and antisemitic books, artifacts, and materials denying the Holocaust during a raid at a law firm in Buenos Aires. DAIA expressed concern about the materials and formally requested the bar association revoke the professional registration of the firm and its lawyers for the possession of antisemitic materials, which are illegal under country’s antidiscrimination laws.
On September 13, the PFA raided and closed a bookstore with a printing press that was being used to publish and sell Nazi and antisemitic propaganda in the province of Buenos Aires. The store also operated an online storefront to print and sell antisemitic and Holocaust denial materials. “We are shocked by how profuse the material is,” said DAIA vice president Marcos Cohen. In 2021, DAIA submitted a complaint requesting the government investigate reports of the operation of a bookstore and publishing house with Nazi and antisemitic materials. DAIA said in an official statement, “The mere exhibition of this type of symbology constitutes an infraction as it justifies, vindicates, and even venerates the atrocities committed by the Nazi National Socialist regime against the Jewish community.” Police detained bookseller Pablo Giorgetti for violating the country’s antidiscrimination law.
During the year, marches were held in Buenos Aires in solidarity with both Israel and Palestinians. Leading Jewish organizations led a march in support of Israel on October 9; center-right political leaders attended. Civil society, in conjunction with Jewish organizations, continued to stage protests calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and other terrorist groups.
In October, the PFA arrested an individual who posted on social media a threat to “go to a Jewish school and shoot as many kids as I can.” In response to the arrest, Wiesenthal Center’s director for Latin America, Ariel Gelblung, stated, “Antisemitic violence in the world is unleashed and governments must be prudent not only to containing it but also not feeding it. We must recognize the reaction of the government and the security forces that duly protect their Jewish communities, as in this case has happened in Argentina.”
Some Jewish students at the University of Buenos Aires expressed concerns about antisemitism on campus due to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The students said they no longer felt safe in classrooms and reported that one campus was plastered with antisemitic posters and graffiti featuring swastikas.
Human rights organizations and Muslim activists reported several incidents in which individuals perceived as Muslims, especially women wearing headscarves, were verbally or physically attacked in public. According to some Muslim leaders, some media outlets demonstrated anti-Muslim bias in their coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. They said television news shows failed to invite Muslim guests and presented anti-Muslim views.
On July 11, Buenos Aires hosted the first Summit of Jewish and Muslim Leaders of Latin America, organized by the World Jewish Congress and the Islamic World League. The event brought together government and civil society representatives from Argentina and 11 other countries to promote interreligious dialogue and religious freedom. Claudio Epelman, commissioner for Interreligious Dialogue of the World Jewish Congress, stated, “Today, from Latin America, we are lighting a new light that we hope will shine in those places where the encounter between Jews and Muslims is an unthinkable event.”
According to the Islam for Peace Institute Observatory, which tracks discrimination against members of the country’s Muslim community, Muslims faced discrimination when they attempted to register complaints with local police or government and were afraid of losing their jobs or of facing other forms of retaliation. Additionally, there were reports of harassment of Muslim women at airports by security personnel; during the presidential election, there were reports of some election officials calling Muslim women voters “terrorists.”
On March 14, a provincial court in Mendoza ordered a company to pay a penalty fee as compensation to a Muslim woman who filed a discrimination claim in 2017 after the company prohibited her from swimming in a burkini in the Cacheuta hot springs.
On May 27, media outlets reported that an evangelical Protestant preacher named Ezequiel published a video of himself destroying the roadside altar of “Gauchito Gil,” an Argentine folk hero. Ezequiel referred to the altar as “idolatry” and stated he had destroyed several other such roadside displays. Gauchito Gil is not recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church but is honored by many Argentines. ACIERA and interreligious groups publicly condemned Ezequiel’s actions.
Interreligious groups such as the Interreligious Committee for Peace in Argentina, whose members included Catholic, Protestant, evangelical Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i Faith leaders, as well as Indigenous religious groups and CALIR, continued to work on increasing opportunities for interreligious action on societal challenges.
In meetings with government officials, including the MFA’s Secretariat of Worship and its human rights office, the Ambassador and other embassy officials discussed tolerance and understanding among religious groups, the country’s interfaith movement, and measures to counteract religious discrimination.
On April 12, the Ambassador hosted an iftar to engage with the Muslim community and to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding. Among the attendees were representatives from the Islamic Center, Islam for Peace Institute, and other Muslim organizations, other religions including the Catholic Church and the Jewish faith, the government, and other embassies.
On April 14, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State visited AMIA to honor the victims of the 1994 AMIA bombing, discuss religious freedom and antisemitism, and reinforce the United States’ “commitment to justice for victims, accountability for perpetrators, and transparency about the truth.” On July 18, the Ambassador and other embassy officials attended the annual commemoration to mourn the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack on AMIA.
On July 13, the Ambassador met with Special Representative to Combat Antisemitism Loguzzo. On August 25, the Ambassador and other embassy officials coordinated and hosted a virtual introductory meeting between Special Representative Loguzzo and the U.S. Department of State’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, in which they discussed joint efforts to combat antisemitism. The Ambassador urged the government also to create a special envoy for antisemitism.
On October 9, the Ambassador joined Jewish organizations in Buenos Aires to march in solidarity with Israel. The Ambassador also attended other solidarity events, including a candle lighting event in memory of the victims of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and to call for the release of hostages held by Hamas.
From November 30 – December 3, the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism visited the country and met with the Latin American Jewish Congress, members of AMIA and DAIA, local Jewish communities, and the MFA Secretariat of Worship. He also spoke to university students and the press on the rise of antisemitism in Latin America. During his press interview, the Deputy Special Envoy said, “Unfortunately, whenever there is a major escalation in violence in the Middle East, inevitably, there is a sharp rise in antisemitism. The antisemite is going to use the flag of disagreement with Israel’s policy to do their antisemitic acts because they look for any opportunity to spread their hate. For those people, this is no different.”
The Ambassador visited various religious communities throughout the country. On February 18, he visited Jujuy Province during Carnaval to attend religious ceremonies conducted by Indigenous communities. In July and August, the Ambassador met Jewish community leaders in Misiones and La Pampa Provinces and discussed methods and resources to combat antisemitism. Embassy officials also visited an interreligious site inaugurated by the provincial government of Santiago del Estero in 2021, aimed at promoting tolerance, peace, and interreligious dialogue.
Throughout the year, the Ambassador and embassy officials met with representatives of DAIA, AMIA, the Latin American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Argentine Episcopal Conference, the Church of Jesus Christ, ACIERA, the Islamic Center of Argentina, the Islam for Peace Institute, CALIR, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center to discuss the state of religious freedom in the country and ways in which the embassy could support communities of all faiths. The Ambassador attended the opening ceremony for the Israel-sponsored 2023 Pan American Maccabi Games. The embassy hosted U.S. religious groups such as the American Jewish Committee for receptions to foster deeper linkages between communities of faith in Argentina and the United States and to deepen respect for religious diversity. The embassy also promoted respect for religious diversity on social media by extending greetings on various religious holidays.
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