With public universities threatened, massive protests against austerity shake Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina — Holding high their books, diplomas and posters, hundreds of thousands of Argentines filled the streets of Buenos Aires and other cities on Tuesday to demand greater funding for the country’s public universities, in a demonstration of anger at the government’s harsh austerity measures. libertarian president Javier Milei.

The scale of the demonstration in central Buenos Aires appeared to exceed other massive demonstrations that have rocked the capital since Milei came to power.

Students and faculty coordinated with the country’s powerful anti-government unions and left-wing political parties to respond to budget cuts that forced Argentina’s most venerable university to declare a financial emergency and warn of imminent closure.

In a sign that unrest was growing in response to Milei’s policies, even conservative politicians, private university administrators and right-wing television personalities joined the march, defending the common cause of public education in Argentina that has underpinned social progress. of the country for decades.

“It’s historic,” said Ariana Thiele Lara, a 25-year-old recent graduate protesting. “It seems like we were all united.”

Describing universities as bastions of socialism, where professors indoctrinate their students, Milei tried to dismiss the university budget crisis as politics as usual.

“The cognitive dissonance that brainwashing generates in public education is tremendous,” he said.

At the University of Buenos Aires, or UBA, hallways went dark, elevators froze and air conditioning stopped working in some buildings last week. Professors gave lectures to 200 people without microphones or projectors because the public university was unable to pay the electricity bill.

“It’s an unthinkable crisis,” said Valeria Añón, a 50-year-old literature professor at the university known as UBA. “I feel very sad for my students and for myself as a teacher and researcher.”

In his effort to reach zero deficit, Milei is cutting spending across Argentina – closing ministries, withdrawing funding from cultural centers, laying off civil servants and cutting subsidies. On Monday, he had something to show, announcing Argentina’s first quarterly fiscal surplus since 2008 and promising the public that the pain would be worth it.

“We are making the impossible possible, even with the majority of politicians, the unions, the media and the majority of economic actors against us,” he said in a televised speech.

On Tuesday, the footsteps of protesters resounded in the city center. “Why are you so afraid of public education?” asked flags. “The university will defend itself!” the students shouted.

“We are trying to show the government that it cannot take away our right to education,” said Santiago Ciraolo, a 32-year-old media student protesting on Tuesday. “Everything is at stake here.”

Since last July, when the fiscal year began, the state has provided the University of Buenos Aires with only 8.9% of its total budget, as annual inflation is now around 290%. The university says this is barely enough to keep the lights on and provide basic services at university hospitals that have already reduced capacity.

The university warned last week that without a rescue plan, the school would close in the coming months, leaving 380,000 high school students. It comes as a shock to Argentines who consider free, quality university education to be their birthright. UBA has a proud intellectual tradition, having produced five Nobel Prize winners and 17 presidents.

“I got access to a future, to opportunities through this university that my family and many other people at our income level would never otherwise have been able to afford,” said Alex Vargas, a 24-year-old economics student. “When you take a step back, you see how important this is to our society.”

President Milei came to power last December, inheriting an economy in shambles after years of chronic overspending and suffocating international debt. Brandishing a chainsaw during his campaign to symbolize the budget cut, he repeats a simple slogan to his compatriots who suffer from budget cuts and the 50% devaluation of the peso: “There is no money”.

Overall, Argentina invests 4.6% of its gross domestic product in education. Public universities are also free for international students, attracting legions of students from across Latin America, Spain and beyond. Critics of the system want foreign students to pay fees.

“Where I come from, high-quality education is, unfortunately, a privilege, not a basic right,” said Sofia Hernandez, a 21-year-old from Bogotá, Colombia, studying medicine at UBA. I wish more countries could have it.”

The government said late Monday it was sending about $24.5 million to cover maintenance costs at public universities and another $12 million to keep medical centers operating.

“The discussion is resolved,” said presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni.

University officials disagreed, saying the promised transfer — which they have not yet received — covers a fraction of what they need. For the UBA, this means an annual budget cut of 61%.

Teachers also need attention, said Matías Ruiz, UBA Finance Secretary. They have seen the value of their income decrease by more than 35% in the last four months. Employee salaries can reach $150 per month. Teachers juggle multiple jobs just to survive.

“We had funding and salary freezes in previous right-wing governments, but these cuts are three times worse,” said Ines Aldao, a 44-year-old literature professor at UBA.

Angry workers, teachers and students snaked through the streets of the capital just hours after Milei declared economic victory at his presidential palace.

“We are building a new era of prosperity in Argentina,” Milei said in his national address, boasting that Argentina recorded a quarterly fiscal surplus of 0.2% of gross domestic product.

A huge banner hanging in the center of Buenos Aires presented the option: Milei or public education?

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