Argentina nuclear agency CNEA faces mass dismissals, protests erupt

The Argentine government under President Javier Milei dismissed 62 workers at the Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) nationwide, part of a broader reduction that has cost the agency roughly 500 staff members and slashed its budget by more than 55 percent. Unions, notably the Asociación de Trabajadores del Estado (ATE), and scientific bodies say the cuts target highly‑skilled researchers and technicians, threatening the country's nuclear research, reactor projects (CAREM, RA‑10) and radio‑isotope production.

Protests were staged at the Bariloche Atomic Center and other CNEA sites, with workers forming a symbolic “hug” and a popular soup kitchen, while Gendarmería forces blocked entry. The demonstrators demand immediate reinstatement of the dismissed staff and denounced what they call a systematic dismantling of Argentina’s scientific‑technological system. The Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, the CONICET, the INTI and other institutions issued statements of concern, warning of a loss of strategic sovereignty and a brain‑drain. An International Atomic Energy Agency delegation visited Bariloche days earlier, highlighting the contrast between international cooperation and the domestic crackdown.