Argentina sees vast protests against Milei's university cuts

"Massive crowds of protesters marched in cities across Argentina, including the capital Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza and Tucuman, on Tuesday. The protesters called for the government of libertarian President Javier Milei to implement a university funding law at the center of a lengthy political standoff. In Buenos Aires, the march culminated at the Plaza de Mayo, where the presidential palace is located, and spilled onto surrounding streets."

"Organizers estimated that some 600,000 students, university staff, union members and opposition supporters attended the protest in the capital with 1.5 million taking part countrywide. "It's very clear this government is determined to defund public education," Sol Muniz, a 24-year-old law student at the University of Buenos Aires at the march, told the Associated Press. "University is a source of pride for us. It is the best thing we have.""

"Protesters want Milei's government to comply with laws on funding higher education. "I'm here to defend public education," 18-year-old literature student Renata Lopez told the AFP news agency. She held a copy of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, a novel that depicts a future dystopian society that has outlawed books. The novel "speaks to our current reality," Lopez said."

"Congress approved two laws, one in 2024 and one in 2025, to fund public universities' operational costs and raise teacher salaries in line with high inflation. But Milei later vetoed the legislation, arguing that it contradicted his government's fiscal policy. The parliament then overturned Milei's veto but his government still refuses to implement the laws."

Large crowds protested in multiple Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, and Tucuman, calling on President Javier Milei’s government to implement a university funding law. In Buenos Aires, the march ended at Plaza de Mayo near the presidential palace and extended into surrounding streets. Organizers estimated hundreds of thousands of participants in the capital and about 1.5 million nationwide, including students, university staff, union members, and opposition supporters. Protesters said the government is determined to defund public education and that universities are a source of pride. Congress approved laws in 2024 and 2025 to cover operational costs and raise teacher salaries, but Milei vetoed them and the government later refused to implement the overturned legislation.

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