Tens of thousands protest as Milei’s austerity measures hit Argentina’s public universities

The protests by students and alumni are among the biggest yet in a series of demonstrations that have rocked the capital since Milei came to power on a promise to introduce “chainsaw” cuts to public spending.

More than a hundred thousand protesters took to the streets of Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina Tuesday to demand President Javier Milei increase funding for public universities. The protests, organized by students, alumni, unions, and political parties, were among the biggest in a series of demonstrations that have rocked the capital since libertarian Milei came to power on a promise to introduce “chainsaw” cuts to public spending and deregulate the economy. The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) said in a statement that around 800,000 people took part in the protests in Buenos Aires, while Milei’s government claimed there were 150,000 protesters, according to local media. Milei’s government has defended its decision to freeze the 2023 budget for public universities, announcing increases only in operating expenses, which according to the UBA account for just 15% of spending needs. However, protesters argue that freezing the budget in effect means cutting spending, given Argentina in March registered the highest rate of inflation in the world, in double digits, for the third consecutive month. “I feel it’s a right, it’s like primary and secondary school, I feel education is a right we all should have,” said one of the protesters.