Massive Demonstration Planned Against Budget Cuts in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s public universities are set to hold a significant demonstration on Wednesday, supported by unions and opposition parties, in response to substantial public spending cuts introduced by President Javier Milei.

The protests were sparked after Milei’s administration indicated it would veto a law passed weeks ago by Congress intended to secure university funding. This comes as Argentina grapples with an economic crisis characterized by annual inflation nearing 240% and over half the population living in poverty.

“The government has a systematic, methodical and gradual plan to destroy public education,” said Ricardo Gelpi, the rector of the University of Buenos Aires, which is the largest university in the country and ranks among the top 100 globally according to QS rankings.

Milei’s libertarian government has consistently defended its budget cuts by asserting that public universities are centers of “socialist” indoctrination. Nevertheless, the strong reputation of higher education institutions among Argentines has led to widespread social resistance.

“This government is going to veto a financing law that would represent a very small percentage of the country’s GDP,” Gelpi claimed, emphasizing that Milei’s administration shows indifference toward education, science, and the universities’ societal roles.

In April, a protest that attracted hundreds of thousands of students and teachers compelled Milei to reconsider budget cuts to universities; however, leaders from prestigious, mostly tuition-free universities later asserted that the government failed to follow through on promised improvements.

Milei argues that his economic plan aims for fiscal balance in Argentina’s struggling economy, yet his opponents argue that his adjustments are neither careful nor fair, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and critical sectors like health and education.

The Argentine Ministry of Human Capital, in response, stated, “Public university education was never defunded. The government’s commitment to public universities has remained firm,” while noting a demand for greater clarity in resource management.

According to the University of Buenos Aires, which boasts five Nobel laureates among its alumni, university faculty and staff have seen around a 40% reduction in purchasing power since December, a trend that continues to worsen and remains beneath the poverty line.