Wave of protests in Buenos Aires against education cuts

Wave of protests in Buenos Aires against education cuts

In Buenos Aires, hundreds of thousands of Argentines protested against the government of President Javier Milei's controversial austerity measures in the education system. The demonstrators, including students, professors and representatives of various organizations, gathered in front of the Casa Rosada government headquarters to protest against the government's decision not to increase the budget for the 2024 academic year. This decision came despite an inflation rate of 288 percent in the last twelve months.

The protests were initiated by the country's public universities, student organizations, opposition parties and trade unions. The cuts to education are having a significant impact, with universities already facing a 71 percent budget decline. If funding is not increased, many institutions such as the University of Buenos Aires would no longer be able to cover salaries and ongoing costs.

The dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Ana Arias, showed that the budget had fallen by two thirds compared to the previous year. The financial support is not enough to cover basic expenses such as electricity, water and gas. Measures have already been taken, such as turning off lights in rooms and temporarily shutting down elevators, to reduce costs.

The government under President Milei defends its austerity policies as a necessary step to combat the country's economic crisis. Despite the announced budget surplus, opponents of the government criticize that these measures are leading to worsening poverty and an uncertain future for the country's education system. The protests in Buenos Aires show the dissatisfaction and concern of many Argentines about the impact of austerity on education.