Around 1,000 students are calling for the approval of a law that increases funding for public universities by 2025
Students occupied the campus UBA (University of Buenos Aires), in Argentina, on Monday night (October 7, 2024) in a demonstration against President Javier Milei’s (La Libertad Avanza, right) veto of the law that provides for increased funding for public Universities to 2025.
According to a statement from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters on its X profile (formerly Twitter), “the worrying situation of Universities reaffirms our demand to deputies: the approval of this law”. The topic will be debated in a Congress session on Wednesday (Oct 9).
More than 1,000 people are taking part in the protest, including workers at the Laura Bonaparte Hospital and Garrahan, which is on strike over budget cuts.
“The authorities of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters will remain attentive to the care of the property and the protection of teachers, non-teaching staff and students”they concluded in the statement.
According to information from the newspaper La Nationthe general secretary of the Center for Students of Philosophy and Letters, Luca Bonfante, explained that the demonstration is expected to last 48 hours and that classes will be held over the next 2 days.
In addition to seeking the rejection of the veto in Congress, the students ask for:
- summoning teachers to discuss their salaries;
- increase in scholarships for higher education students.
University funding law
Even with protests on the issue, Milei vetoed on October 3 a law that would increase funding for Universities for 2025, approved by both Houses of Congress. Here’s the complete publication in the Official Gazette (PDF – 87 kB, in Spanish).
The president’s argument is that an increase in university budgets “would seriously harm the sustainability of public finances”.
On October 2, the Presidency of the Republic issued a statement which informs you to remain firm in your decision. He defined the law in question as “an irresponsible project to increase public spending on universities”.
In the text, Casa Rosada also said that “it is time for legislators to understand that they can no longer practice demagogic populism with the resources of those who pay taxes”.
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