Argentina’s liberal president, Javier Millay, is as usual trying to dismiss the worsening financial crisis at public universities as a matter of politics and a fight with left-wing political opponents who have influence on liberal campuses.
Many students at the elite University of Buenos Aires, where hallways went dark, elevators froze and air conditioning stopped working in some buildings last week, don’t feel that way. Professors at one of Latin America’s top public universities held lectures to 200 people without microphones or projectors because they couldn’t cover the electricity costs.
“This is an unthinkable crisis,” said Valeria Añón, a 50-year-old literature professor who joined thousands of others in downtown Buenos Aires to protest against Millais’ austerity measures on Tuesday. “It’s very sad for the students and for myself.”
Javier Millay crushes Argentina’s left and becomes the world’s first liberal head of state
Millay has slashed spending across Argentina in an effort to eliminate the budget deficit, closing ministries, cutting funding to cultural centers, laying off state employees and cutting subsidies. On Monday, he had something to show for it, announcing Argentina’s first quarterly budget surplus since 2008.
Students protest against increased funding for public universities and austerity measures proposed by President Javier Millay, depicted on a billboard, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The poster said in Spanish: “Fascism has no rights.” Center: “Why are you so afraid of educating the people?” (right) “Protecting the university is protecting the country” (left). (AP Photo/Natasha Pisarenko)
“Despite the fact that the majority of political, trade union, media and economic actors are against us, we are making the impossible possible,” he said in a televised address.
On Tuesday, crowds of university students and professors walked out of class in a massive show of defiance and joined thousands of demonstrators pouring into the city center. Several private schools were closed in solidarity. Protests also occurred in other Argentine cities. “We will protect the university ourselves!” the students shouted.
“We are trying to show the government that they cannot take away the right to education,” said Santiago Ciraolo, 32, a student participating in the social communication movement protesting on Tuesday. said. “Everything is at risk here.”
In a sign of a larger ideological struggle, members of trade unions and left-wing parties also filled the streets. Millais described universities as bastions of socialism where professors indoctrinate students and accused political opponents of fomenting discontent. “The cognitive dissonance that brainwashing causes in public education is enormous,” he says.
Since the fiscal year began last July, the 200-year-old University of Buenos Aires (UBA) has received only 8.9% of its total budget from the state, with annual inflation currently hovering near 290%. The university says this is barely enough to keep the lights on and provide basic services at its teaching hospital, which is already at reduced capacity.
Last week, UBA declared a state of economic emergency and warned that without a rescue plan, schools would close in the coming months, leaving 380,000 students halfway through their degrees stranded. This is a shock to Argentines, who consider free, high-quality university education a birthright of their citizens. UBA has a proud intellectual tradition, having produced five Nobel laureates and his 17 presidents.
Alex Vargas, 24, an economics student, said, “Through this university, I have a future and an opportunity that my family and many other people at many other income levels would never have had.” Told. “When you step back, you realize how important this is to our society.”
President Milai took power last December, inheriting an economy in tatters due to years of chronic overspending and choking international debt. During his campaign, brandishing a chainsaw as a symbol of budget cuts, he repeated his simple catchphrase: “There’s no money” to his compatriots upset over budget cuts and the 50% devaluation of the peso.
Overall, Argentina invests approximately 4.6% of its gross domestic product in education. Critics of the university system argue that the budget cuts are also an attempt to increase efficiency and improve fiscal transparency. Some people want foreign students to start paying dues. The public university is free to Argentine and international students, and attracts students from all over Latin America, Spain, and further afield.
“Where I come from, unfortunately, quality education is a privilege, not a fundamental right,” says Sofia Hernandez, a 21-year-old medical student at UBA from Bogotá, Colombia. “Argentina has a model that more countries should have.”
The government announced late Monday that it would send about $24.5 million to public universities and another $12 million to keep medical centers open. Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni said on Tuesday that “the discussions are over and settled.”
University officials disagreed, saying they had not yet received the promised transfer fee, but it only covered a small portion of what was needed. For UBA, this means a 61% reduction in the annual budget, taking into account inflation.
UBA Treasurer Mathias Ruiz also said it would not help the incomes of teachers, whose salary value has fallen by more than 35% in the past four months. Staff salaries can be as low as $150 per month. Many teachers are juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet and wondering if they’ll get paid for the next month.
“This has a huge impact on our research, projects and academic activities,” said Ines Aldao, 44, a professor of literature at UBA. “There have been funding and pay freezes under previous right-wing governments, but these cuts are three times worse.”
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The government’s precarious balancing act was vividly shown on a split screen on Tuesday as angry workers, professors and students snaked through the capital’s streets just hours after Mr Milais declared economic victory from the presidential palace.
“We are building a new era of prosperity for Argentina,” Millay said in a national address. Boasting that Argentina had recorded a quarterly budget surplus of 0.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), the president assured the people that the pain would be worth it.
