Argentine President Javier Millay said last night again that there will be no intention to close public universities in the country, five days after the largest demonstration in the sector against the austerity policy of his government, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
"We have never thought of closing public universities, we have never thought of stopping their funding," Milley emphasized on the TV channel Ele Ene Plus. "Our opponents have invented a lie and are criticizing us based on that lie," the president said.
"Given that public universities are funded by taxpayers, we demand audits. There haven't been any for ten years. Who doesn't want a cost audit? "The thief," Millay thinks.
Javier Millay is an ultra-liberal economist who became Argentina's president in December on a promise to reduce triple-digit inflation, which in March stood at 287.9% on a 12-month basis, according to Argentina's statistics institute.
On Tuesday, April 23, hundreds of thousands of people, mostly students, graduates and scientists, demonstrated in the capital Buenos Aires and the main cities of the country. They were also supported by the trade unions and opposition parties, AFP recalls.
Argentine universities have announced they are in a budget emergency after the government decided to give them the same funding in 2024 as in 2023, despite inflation.
According to the presidency spokesman, the embattled Millay agreed to "increase operating costs by 70% in March and another 70% in May" and to give emergency funds to university hospitals.
Javier Millay, whose policy is based mainly on spending cuts, estimated that monthly inflation in Argentina could fall to below 10% in April.