Argentina’s President Javier Milei has dismissed the budget crisis at public universities as politics, but students and professors at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) are feeling the impact.
Last week, halls went dark, elevators froze, and air conditioning stopped working in some buildings at UBA. Professors taught lectures without microphones or projectors, and the university couldn’t cover its electricity bill.
“This is an unthinkable crisis,” said Valeria Añón, a 50-year-old literature professor protesting Milei’s austerity measures last week. “I feel so sad for my students and for myself.”
Milei is slashing spending across Argentina to reach zero deficit, including cutting subsidies and laying off state workers. On Monday, he announced Argentina’s first quarterly fiscal surplus since 2008.
“We are making possible the impossible even with the majority of politics, unions, the media and most economic actors against us,” he said.
Thousands of university students and professors walked out of class Tuesday to protest the cuts. They were joined by members of trade unions and left-wing parties.
“The university will defend itself!” students shouted. “We are trying to show the government it cannot take away our right to education,” said Santiago Ciraolo, a 32-year-old student in social communication. “Everything is at stake here.”
Milei has accused his political enemies of fomenting discontent at universities, which he describes as bastions of socialism where professors indoctrinate their students.
Since last July, UBA has received just 8.9% of its total budget from the state, while annual inflation hovers near 290%. The university says that’s barely enough to keep the lights on and provide basic services in teaching hospitals that have already cut capacity.
UBA has declared a financial emergency and warned that without a rescue plan, it would shut down in the coming months, stranding 380,000 students mid-degree.
“I’ve been given access to a future, to opportunities through this university that otherwise my family and many others at our income level could never afford,” said Alex Vargas, a 24-year-old economics student. “When you step back, you see how important this is for our society.”
Critics of the university system say the budget cuts are also an attempt to raise efficiency and increase fiscal transparency. Some want foreign students to start paying dues. Public universities are free not only for Argentines but also for international pupils.
The government said late Monday it was sending some $24.5 million to public universities and another $12 million to keep medical centers operating. University authorities disagreed, saying the promised transfer covers just a fraction of what they need.
For UBA, that means a 61% annual budget cut, when accounting for inflation. It also won’t help the income of teachers who have seen their salary decline in value more than 35% in the past four months.
“This has a major impact on our research, on the projects and academic activities we’re able to do,” said Ines Aldao, a 44-year-old literature professor at UBA. “We’ve had funding and salary freezes under previous right-wing governments but these cuts are three times worse.”
The angry laborers, professors and students snaking through the capital’s streets just hours after Milei declared economic victory from his presidential palace put the government’s precarious balancing act on vivid, split-screen display Tuesday.
