Hundreds of thousands of Argentinians take to the streets against university cuts | Abroad

Free public higher education has been made impossible by Milei’s new budget. The government is making major cuts to higher education.

Universities say they will only be able to function for a few months, because the money will then simply run out. According to a recent survey, about 2.2 million people study in the country’s public universities.

Police said around 100,000 people protested in the capital Buenos Aires alone, while organizers estimated the number at half a million. A teachers union reported a million demonstrators across the country.

Trade unions, opposition parties and private universities supported the protests in Buenos Aires and other major cities such as Cordoba.

It was one of the largest demonstrations yet against the austerity measures introduced since Milei came to power in December. His government has cut subsidies for transport, fuel and energy, among other things.

As a result, Argentines have lost a fifth of their purchasing power. Nearly 60 percent of the population now lives below the poverty line. In the first half of 2023, this was still 40 percent.