Trump ally faces massive protests amid corruption scandals

Tens of thousands of Argentines took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against cuts to public universities championed by right-wing President Javier Milei.

As reported by The Associated Press, demonstrators in Buenos Aires marched on the Plaza de Mayo toward the Casa Rosada to demand the government implement funding for public universities that was passed by Congress last year but that Milei’s administration is challenging in court.

The AP reported that university professors’ salaries have declined by roughly one-third since Milei came to power in 2023 due to the rising cost of living in the country, and education unions have rejected the government’s proposals for marginal funding increases as woefully insufficient.

A report from DW noted that “public university budgets been slashed by 40% since 2023 when Milei took power.”

Sol Muñíz, a law student at the University of Buenos Aires, told the AP that Milei’s cuts to the education system aren’t about saving the government money, but are part of a broader ideological project.

“It’s very clear this government is determined to defund public education,” said Muñíz. “University is a source of pride for us. It is the best thing we have.”

Student Renata López said in an interview with Agence France-Presse that Milei’s attacks on education reminded her of the society depicted in Ray Bradbury’s classic book Fahrenheit 451, in which government agents systematically burned their citizens’ books.

“Defunding education isn’t something alien, it isn’t dystopian,” said López. “It’s something that’s happening.”

A demonstrator identified only as Marcelo, a student at the University of Quilmes, told El País that he was demonstrating to “defend our public university, which isn’t a privilege but a right of all Argentinians.”

According to a report from Bloomberg earlier this month, Milei’s popularity in Argentina has been sinking in recent months, as his government has been beset by corruption scandals and economic setbacks that have harmed the image he has tried to cultivate as an anti-establishment reformer.