Buenos Aires. On Wednesday, the announced demonstrations in favor of state universities took place in Buenos Aires and other cities. The protest was directed against the President’s veto of the funding bill passed by Parliament (America 21 reported).
Estimates result went More than 2 million people took to the streets across the country. In the capital itself almost a million. There were demonstrations and rallies in many provincial capitals and also in smaller towns. Student organizations (Federación Universitaria Argentina), the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and the unions of lecturers and staff called for the event. The call was supported by trade union associations and political parties.
Numerous personalities from politics and society took took part, including members of political parties close to the government, such as the former mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, or the deputy and leader of the Radical Party (UCR), Martín Losteau. Of course, members of the opposition also marched. The defeated presidential candidate Sergio Massa took part and even ex-president Cristina Kirchner was seen when one of the parades passed in front of her office at the Fundación Patria foundation. Under your government, 18 new state universities were founded foundedeight of them in the greater Buenos Aires area and the rest in the provinces, with the express aim of providing previously neglected areas with better access to higher education. The Mileis government already had five as soon as it took office decided new university projects canceled.
President Javier Milei was apparently unimpressed by the demonstration. The evening after the demonstration, he vetoed the financing bill publish. He argued similarly to the veto of pension adjustments. There would be no funding for it in the budget, it would involve technical problems that would make orderly implementation impossible and it would have a negative impact on the government’s political and economic goals.
The opposition has already announced that they will veto this next Wednesday chickens wants. This requires two thirds of the votes of the parliamentarians present. In contrast to the vote against the veto of the pension adjustment, it currently looks like they could get these votes. The “friendly opposition” of the Union Cívica Radical and even parts of the Propuesta Republicana party, which is allied with Milei, also have announcedthat they will be there. The government is therefore considering challenging the law on judicial channels.
In recent days, circles close to the government have tried to answer the call discreditas media reported. Numerous reports were spread about alleged misuse of taxpayers’ money, excessive salaries, alleged “ghost students” and universities’ refusal to be audited. President Milei himself also had his say on Twitter participated and claims the protests are part of an attempted coup and the obtaining of unlawful privileges.
This issue is of great concern to the public: Argentine society is very proud of its public universities, which represent a strong factor in social mobility. The most recent surveys carried out in this context show the support of a large majority for the funding bill and over the President’s veto. The parties close to the government are also aware of this, especially the UCR, which is strongly represented in the student representatives. However, their proximity to the government has already had an impact and in the recent elections in the University of Buenos Aires, several representations that were traditionally dominated by the Radical Party have gone to the Peronists or to representatives of left-wing parties gone.
