Milei on march: ‘Using a noble cause to defend caste interests’
President Javier Milei unleashed his ire on his political opponents on Wednesday as he reacted to massive demonstrations against cutbacks to the budgets of state universities.
Milei, 53, used his social media accounts to unload once more against the “caste,”accusing them of using a “noble cause” like education to “defend their caste interests.”
“Yesterday we saw once again how those who seek to continue living at the expense of Argentines used a lie to promote their interests,” he posted in a statement on his X account. “Beyond any discussion as to what model of higher education is desirable for a country where six out of every 10 kids aged under 14 are poor, the eternal wise guys have used the shield of a cause which sounds noble to defend their caste interests.” In that sense he explained: “At no point has the national government insinuated the intention to close down the national universities.”
In his daily press conference, Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni recognised that the march was “genuine” despite highlighting the “members of the regular cast” of rallies in allusion to the political and trade union leaders present.
“We respect all those who wanted to demonstrate and congratulate them on being able to do so in peace and without violence or public disorder,” said the spokesman.
At his Casa Rosada press conference, the official affirmed that “much still lies ahead” regarding reform plans, indicating that the meeting with university chancellors “has still not been confirmed” but pointing out that it will “probably arise.”
“The channels of dialogue are open,” highlighted Adorni. “The public universities will not close. That is not on our agenda. We are the greatest guardians of public universities, defending them like nobody.”
Along the same lines, Adorni presented university education as part of the government’s libertarian vision, reiterating the need to advance with audits to make academic accounts more transparent.
“Part of the defence of the public university has to come from those audits. We both want the same thing,” he remarked.
Consulted about the possibility of charging foreign students fees, Adorni replied: “That is a discussion which the universities will need to start.”
Lastly, he accused opposition leaders of deliberately installing the idea that the libertarian administration sought to close down the universities.
Vice-president Victoria Villarruel posted her own remarks on her social networks to criticise the march. In an exasperated, mordant and ferociously critical tone, the Senate head described ex-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, former Economy minister Sergio Massa and the human rights leaders Tati Almeyda and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel – all of whom supported the rally – as “political corpses.”
“Yesterday when I saw the mass march, I thought that it is fine to fight for the university but one of quality and liberty and for everybody, where you can think without being blacklisted for what you think and where you can study without having to see posters of the infamous ‘Che’ Guevara, [Karl] Marx or the ladies with white headscarves who enriched their pockets through a tragedy,” Villarruel blasted.
“I want a Public University which is the pride of students, not a racket of the left, I want a UBA where you can talk and think as you like without the impositions of the thought police.”
She prefaced her social network outburst by commenting that she had studied at UBA and the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. “I am the daughter of a public university recognised worldwide which educated three Argentine Nobel Prizes in science and which is a synonym of progress and upward social mobility,” highlighted the founder of CELTYV (Centro de Estudios Legales sobre el Terrorismo y sus Víctimas).