Updated

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentina has approved new anti-terrorism laws despite wide concerns that they will be misused to attack the government's political opponents.

The Senate gave final approval early Thursday to a package of laws doubling the penalties for crimes committed with the goal of terrorizing the people or pressuring authorities to take some action. Human rights groups are concerned it will be used to crack down on social protest.

The laws also toughen penalties for tax evasion, money laundering, insider trading and acts that provoke a run on the banks or otherwise disrupt the country's economic order.

Supporters of the crackdown say they're only doing it because the United States pressured them to.