In Argentina, strong mobilization against budgetary austerity in public higher education

This is probably the most important mobilization in Argentina since the start of Javier Milei’s presidency. Hundreds of thousands of people, students in the front row, demonstrated on Tuesday April 23 throughout the country to defend “free public university” and denounce the austerity policy of the president’s ultraliberal government which took office in December 2023.

In the capital, Buenos Aires, the mobilization brought together “between 100,000 and 150,000” people, according to a police source, and half a million, according to the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). A teachers’ union reported a million demonstrators across Argentina. The rallies in the provinces mobilized around sixty public universities in the country, which were joined by private institutes. In Cordoba (center), seat of the oldest university in the country, founded at the beginning of the 17th century^e century, the procession brought together tens of thousands of people.

Students, parents, teachers, university agents, but also unions and members of opposition parties, paralyzed the center of Buenos Aires all afternoon, near the Parliament, all the way to May Square. , packed with people at the end of the day, noted Agence France-Presse (AFP).

In a festive atmosphere, many students symbolically brandished a book at arm’s length, denouncing “a brutal attack” against the university, as Pablo Vicenti, a 22-year-old medical student, deplored to AFP: “They want to cut off his finances by claiming there is no money. There is, yes, but they choose not to spend it on public education”.

Threat of paralysis

Public universities, which welcome more than 2.2 million students, say they “in budgetary emergency” since the government decided to maintain the 2023 budget for the 2024 academic year (which began in March), despite inflation of 288% over twelve months. And this within the framework of all-out budgetary austerity, to aim for “zero deficit” at the end of the year, the objective of the Milei government, and to tame inflation.

For several establishments, this is a threat of paralysis, and certain sections of the prestigious UBA have recently implemented emergency savings: unlit common areas, restricted use of elevators, reduced library hours, etc. The Faculty of Exact Sciences of the UBA, which notably trained the 1984 Nobel Prize winner in medicine César Milstein, has set up an online countdown until the day its 2024 budget is exhausted. At the time of the protest on Tuesday, he had 37 days, 9 hours and 15 minutes remaining.

The major union center CGT joined the protest, as well as radical left organizations and opposition politicians, giving way to accusations of “political demonstration” of the executive. Mr. Milei added fuel to the fire, accusing certain public universities of being places of“indoctrination” from the left.

The Undersecretary of State for Universities, Alejandro Alvarez, warned the demonstrators and their supporters. “Let them do what they want, but as long as Javier Milei is president, public money that goes to universities will be audited (…) we are introducing inspection and control that did not exist”he said on X.

“Our plan is working,” says Javier Milei

The presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, stressed, Monday, that Argentine public education has in the past been “an educational beacon in America” but that “for decades the university has had serious problems (…) and plunging study completion rates ».

“We cannot question 200 years of history. Even with a very low budget, UBA is among the three best universities in Latin America”protested the dean of the UBA Faculty of Medicine, Luis Brusco.

Mr. Adorni also recalled the conclusion of an agreement, a few days ago, to increase the operating costs of universities in two installments – i.e. + 70% in March then + 70% in May. Far from the rate of inflation, but now a “discussion settled”according to him. “Don’t expect a solution from public spending”for his part warned Mr. Milei on Monday evening, trumpeting a budget surplus in the first quarter, without precedent since 2008, thanks to austerity. “Our plan is working”he boasted.

“All our problems are solved with more education and public universities (…) Education saves us and sets us free. We call on Argentine society to defend it”read a student to the crowd, Place de Mai at the end of the rally.