Argentina's universities demand funding law compliance amid President Milei's budget cuts

Professors and researchers at the private University of San Andrés issued an open letter during President Javier Milei’s campus visit, urging the government to fully implement the University Financing Law passed by Congress. The letter stresses that public universities are essential for national development and that dialogue between public and private sectors requires adequate state funding.

At the National University of the Center of Buenos Aires Province (UNICEN), rector Marcelo Aba warned that recent budget reductions total roughly 2.5 trillion pesos, halting major infrastructure works, including the expansion of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The National University of Córdoba (UNC) scheduled elections for its rector and council representatives, a process marked by an allegation from the opposition that a university official improperly shared a graduate’s private voting data to solicit support, raising concerns over the transparency of the remote voting system.

Meanwhile, the federal government prepared a financing proposal aiming to end a judicial injunction over the law. The offer would transfer funds from an alternative budget project in exchange for dropping the injunction, but it only covers salary adjustments for 2025 and omits the full compensation demanded since 2023, potentially costing the state about 2.5 trillion pesos.

These developments reflect a broader conflict between the Milei administration and Argentine public universities over the enforcement of the financing law, budget allocations, and the governance of university elections.