In Argentina, students protest against Miley’s shock therapy

Hundreds of thousands of Argentines, especially students, took to the streets of Buenos Aires on Tuesday, April 23, to protest once morest President Javier Miley’s budget cuts in the higher education sector.

In one of the biggest demonstrations once morest Miley since he came to power last December, students, parents, teachers, university staff, as well as union members and opposition parties, swarmed the center of the Argentine capital and marched to the president’s residence.

Miley’s austerity measures

The student protests are sparked by the government’s decision not to increase university budgets for the 2024 academic year – despite inflation reaching 288 percent over the past twelve months. It was decided to freeze university budgets as part of the “shock therapy” for Argentina, which Miley announced upon taking office. First of all, it involves a massive reduction in government spending. In this way, the new president hopes to curb inflation. Thanks to these measures, the country recorded a budget surplus for the first time in 16 years, although economists doubt that it will be sustainable.

Some faculties at the Free University of Buenos Aires have already introduced extraordinary cost-saving measures, including reducing lighting in common areas, limiting the use of elevators and reducing library opening hours. Latin America’s largest university fears it faces closure due to austerity measures.