Tens of thousands of Argentines, first and foremost students, demonstrated this Tuesday April 23 against the austerity of the ultraliberal government of Javier Milei, in “defense of free public universities”. This march supported by the opposition was described as “political” by the executive.
3 mins
Students, parents, teachers, university agents, but also unions and members of opposition parties, paralyzed the center of Buenos Airesnear the Parliament, before reaching the Plaza de Mayo, seat of the presidency of Javier Milei. Other gatherings were planned in the provinces, mobilizing the country’s sixty public universities, which were joined by private institutes.
It could be the most important mobilization since the election of the new head of state. Gatherings are planned throughout the country, especially because the free public university is a marker of identity and a source of pride for a large majority of Argentines, whatever their political opinions, reports our correspondent in Buenos Aires present at the demonstration, Théo Conscience.
Many people present say they are not used to demonstrating, in addition to the rectors of all the country’s public universities, student unions, teachers and numerous political parties, from the right to the left. The anti-blockade protocol was put in place to prevent demonstrators from blocking traffic in the Argentine capital. This anti-blockade protocol has repeatedly given rise to violent repressions in recent months. In addition to the Buenos Aires city police, federal personnel were deployed.
Threat of paralysis for universities in Argentina
Universities have been mobilized since the government decided to maintain, for the 2024 academic year which began in March, the 2023 budgets, despite inflation of 288% over twelve months. This measure aims to “ zero deficit » at the end of the year, and to tame inflation, within the framework of all-out budgetary austerity.
For several establishments, it is a threat of paralysis, and certain sections of the prestigious University of Buenos Aires (UBA) have recently implemented emergency savings by not lighting common areas, restricting the use of elevators and by reducing, for example, library hours.
The Faculty of Exact Sciences of the UBA, which notably trained the 1984 Nobel Prize winner in medicine and physiology Cesar Milstein, has set up an online countdown until the day its 2024 budget is exhausted. On Tuesday, at the time of the demonstration, he had 37 days, nine hours, fifteen minutes left.
Also listenArgentina: faced with Javier Milei’s austerity, the social climate is tense
Universities, a place of left-wing “indoctrination” according to Milei
The attitude of the government and the Argentine president has raised the temperature in recent days. The major CGT union center joined the protest, giving way to the accusation of “ political demonstration » from the executive. Javier Milei added fuel to the fire, accusing certain universities receiving public funds of being places of “ indoctrination » from the left, from « ideological persecution ”, and even “ brainwashing “.
On Monday evening, he announced an audit of all public universities, implying that their financial difficulties were not due to his austerity policy, but to poor management, even corruption. 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 will be president, public money that goes to universities will be audited (…) we are introducing an inspection and audit that did not exist “, he indicated on X.
Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni stressed Monday that Argentina’s 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 “.
He also recalled an agreement last week to increase the operating costs of universities in two stages: +70% in March, +70% in May. Far from inflation, but now it is a “ discussion settled “, according to him.
Javier Milei announces the first public surplus since 2008
Argentine President Javier Milei announced on Monday April 22 that the country had recorded its first quarterly public surplus since 2008, and welcomed a “ historic feat “. In the first quarter of 2024, the Argentine state recorded a surplus of around 275 billion pesos (around 294 million euros), Milei said on national television.
“ This is the first quarter with a financial surplus since 2008 “, he said, referring to the first year of the government of his left-wing political rival Cristina Kirchner. This is'” a feat of historic dimensions on a global scale “, even boasted the president, who came to power in December. “ If the State does not spend more than it collects and does not issue money, there is no inflation. It’s not magic “, argues Javier Milei, an ultraliberal economist who defines himself as a “ anarcho-capitalist “.
The head of state promised to reduce the budget deficit to zero, a more ambitious objective than that imposed by the IMF, with which Argentina concluded a loan agreement of 44 billion dollars. To this end, he launched a draconian austerity program which includes the paralysis of public works, the dismissal of civil servants, the closure of administrations, the reduction of subsidies and the freezing of the budget, while inflation reached 290%. per year and half the population lives in poverty.
“ Don’t expect a solution through public spending “, warned Javier Milei.