At least tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday, protesting against proposed cuts to public university funding in Argentina.
Pictures from the vibrant protest captured a crowd of people marching and engaging in spirited displays of dance, music, and brandishing banners advocating for the protection of education funding.
The focal point of the protest lies in the policy trajectory outlined by Argentina’s President, Javier Milei, who assumed office last year vowing to overhaul the nation’s finances, primarily through substantial cuts to the public sector.
Despite fervent opposition, Milei’s administration has maintained university funding at 2023 levels, disregarding the significant erosion of the budget’s real value due to rampant inflation, estimated to have devalued by as much as 80%.
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Ricardo Gelpi, the rector of the prestigious University of Buenos Aires, sounded the alarm, cautioning that without urgent financial injections, the institution might shut down within a mere three months. The looming threat of closure has galvanized students, educators, and citizens alike, igniting widespread outrage and solidarity across Argentina.
President Milei has sought to justify the cuts by repeatedly describing state-run universities as centres of socialist indoctrination.
