Center3 min read
Tens of thousands protest across Argentina over Milei's university funding cuts
Primary region South America
Tags Protest · Policy · Economy
Regions South America
France24 / AFP · The Independent · Buenos Aires Herald·
Primary region South America
Tags Protest · Policy · Economy
Regions South America
Tens of thousands of Argentines took to the streets on May 12 in the fourth major demonstration since Milei took office to protest deep cuts to public university budgets. The Buenos Aires protest culminated at Plaza de Mayo, with large crowds also marching in Cordoba, Mendoza, and Tucuman. The protest called for implementation of a university funding law approved by Congress in 2025 but vetoed by Milei, who argued it contradicted his fiscal austerity program. The government has challenged the law in the Supreme Court. Teaching salaries have fallen 40% since Milei took office, and the university budget has dropped to 0.428% of GDP, its lowest level since 1989.
The protests represent a growing backlash against Milei's austerity that unites students, faculty, unions, and opposition parties across ideological lines. The university funding issue has become a symbol of Milei's broader state-shrinking agenda, and large turnout signals that his political capital may be eroding even as he maintains fiscal discipline.