Hundreds of thousands of Argentina people took to the streets across the nation to denounce President Javier Milei’s austerity measures particularly targeting the cuts to public education funding. The protests included university students, alumni, trade unions, and political parties.
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The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) reported a turnout of approximately 800,000 participants in Buenos Aires alone, while Milei’s administration contested the figure, a count of 150,000 protesters by local media.
Milei’s government has defended its decision to freeze the 2023 budget for public universities, opting instead to augment only operational expenses, which, according to UBA estimates, cover a 15% of the essential funding requirements.
The freeze effectively translates to a reduction in spending amid Argentina’s inflation spiral with March marking the third consecutive month of double-digit inflation rates the highest globally.
Protesters voiced opposition to the austerity measures, that education is an inherent right to primary and secondary schooling essential for societal progress and mobility.
Disproportionately burden the already marginalized segments of society, exacerbating Argentina’s poverty rate which exceeds 50%.
Milei contends that the austerity measures are pivotal in addressing Argentina’s economic woes attributing them to past instances of government overspending particularly under left-wing administrations.
Milei’s administration has implemented a series of austerity measures including the closure of the Argentina national press agency Télam downsizing ministries and curbing aid to impoverished areas.
Plans to lay off 70,000 government employees making worse societal tensions the already palpable discontent.
University rectors warn of an impending catastrophe with Ricardo Gelpi, rector of UBA, cautioning that the institution may face closure within three months without adequate funding.
The protestors among the largest since Milei ascended to power, through Buenos Aires and other major cities, with aerial footage capturing a sea of protesters inundating the urban landscape for hours. Organizers estimated that over 500,000 people converged in the capital alone.
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Milei’s government libertarian in its approach has implemented budget reductions for public universities slashing funding by a 71%. This austerity with soaring inflation rates nearing 290%, has placed strain on educational institutions.
Ricardo Gelpi rector of the prestigious University of Buenos Aires (UBA), sounded the alarm, cautioning that the institution may face closure within three months without urgent financial injections.
Such a scenario would disrupt the academic pursuits of hundreds of thousands of students and puts Argentina’s tradition of free and accessible higher education in trouble.
The protests voiced a collective outcry against Milei’s characterization of public universities as bastions of socialism and his assertion that students are being indoctrinated.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Porez Esquivel defended the fundamental right to dignified education. President Milei defended his austerity agenda as essential for addressing Argentina’s economic crisis.
He heralded the country’s first quarterly fiscal surplus since 2008 as evidence of the efficacy of his policies, despite facing resistance from various quarters including political adversaries, labor unions, and media outlets.
Milei’s ascendancy to power in 2023 was by the promises of radical economic reforms and a commitment to dismantling entrenched government structures.
His confrontational rhetoric and unorthodox methods epitomized by brandishing a chainsaw during campaign rallies have brought both support and opposition within Argentine society.
Some contend that Milei’s austerity measures disproportionately burden the most vulnerable segments of society, exacerbating the already poverty rate exceeding 50%.
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