Tens of thousands of Argentines have participated in protests across the nation in response to funding cuts to the public university system enacted by President Javier Milei’s administration. Large crowds marched in central Buenos Aires towards the presidential palace, voicing concerns over budget shortfalls that they claim threaten the integrity of higher education. Argentina has maintained a tuition-free public university system since 1949, which has produced five Nobel laureates. Despite Congress approving a law to finance universities’ operating costs and increase salaries in line with inflation, the government has resisted implementing it and is contesting the legislation in court. President Milei has criticized universities for promoting “woke” ideologies and has significantly decreased education spending as part of a strategy to reduce what he describes as an oversized state budget resulting from previous administrations. The recent demonstration attracted individuals of various ages and political affiliations, coinciding with declining approval ratings for Milei amid a backdrop of economic recession, diminished real wages, and rising unemployment. Additionally, public discontent has been fueled by allegations of corruption, including investigations into the discrepancies in spending by Milei’s Cabinet Chief, Manuel Adorni. Alejandro Alvarez, the undersecretary for university policy, dismissed the protests as politically motivated, asserting that the government has adequately compensated universities for increased costs, although unions argue these increases are insufficient. Since Milei’s inauguration in late 2023, real salaries for university professors have reportedly decreased by approximately a third when adjusted for inflation, according to the leading teachers’ federation.
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