IN PICTURES | Monster demonstration in Argentina to defend universities

Several thousand people, led by students and teachers, demonstrated on Wednesday in Buenos Aires to defend the university, the second mass gathering in six months challenging ultraliberal President Milei on this sensitive issue, against a backdrop of budgetary austerity.

A human tide filled the vast Parliament Square in the center of the capital at the end of the afternoon, to defend the “budgetary emergency” of the university, salary catch-ups for teachers, and a regular reassessment of budgets on inflation base at 236% interannual.

“Without education for the people, no peace for the government! » “The greatest victory: that the university was filled with the sons of workers! » “What “freedom” do we talk about without education? » proclaimed banners and signs, brandished in Buenos Aires in a diverse and peaceful crowd, facing an imposing security system and metal barriers blocking access to Parliament.

The demonstration, called by teachers and students, but supported by unions and social movements, aimed to reproduce the spectacular one of April, when hundreds of thousands of Argentines demonstrated in the capital and in the provinces.

“University in danger”

It was, then, to defend the university budget, frozen for 2024 at the 2023 level, despite out-of-control inflation. The executive had been forced to reverse course and make partial adjustments, in two stages for 2024, of operating expenses.

This time, the grievance concerned a catch-up in the salaries of higher education teachers – around 650,000 pesos for a beginner – and a law, approved in the Senate, declaring the university in “budgetary emergency”, and requiring a bimonthly reevaluation of its budget.

Javier Milei, in the name of the sacrosanct objective of “zero budget deficit”, promised a “total veto” to this law, a veto which was to be formalized between Wednesday and Thursday. Another reason for the protesters’ anger.

“I come from the village of Ameghino (400 km from Buenos Aires, editor’s note). My parents made a big sacrifice for me to come and study in the capital, at UBA (University of Buenos Aires). I would never have been able to be a professional without the free public university,” Ana Hoqui, 30, an intern at the hospital, spoke to AFP. “That’s why I came to defend her. Because I feel like she’s in danger.”

The presidential veto would however be pending, since it could be invalidated by a two-thirds majority in the Chamber of Deputies, where Milei’s small libertarian party, La Libertad Avanza, in the minority, has so far only managed to form alliances ad hoc.

But the standoff over public education, Argentina’s historic strong point, and a sensitive subject in public opinion, is also an opportunity to remobilize for the Peronist opposition (center left), distraught since its surprise rout in November facing the “anti-caste” and “anarcho-capitalist” outsider Milei, elected with 55% of the votes.

The “wolf” in the president

Hence the presence on Wednesday in the procession of union leaders and parties such as the opponent Martin Lousteau (center right) or Sergio Massa (center), unsuccessful candidate against Milei in November.

“A political question has been built around a law (on the university) which envisages a cost which the State has no means of meeting”, estimated the chief of staff (equivalent to prime minister) Guillermo Francos.

The demonstration comes against a backdrop of converging polls showing for the first time a shift in support for Milei, around 40-45% positive image, compared to around 45-50% two months ago.

Against the backdrop, too, of social indicators – poverty on the rise accelerating to 52.9% – betraying the impact of austerity and recession, despite the success in terms of inflation, reduced to around 4 % monthly, compared to 17% on average per month over the year 2023.

Wednesday at the time of the demonstration, Milei received as president Jordan Belfort, the former New York broker whose fortune and disgrace inspired the film “The Wolf of Wall Street”. “Two passionate defenders of free markets and individual freedom,” commented Mr. Belfort on his X account, complete with photos of the meeting.