Government’s efforts to neutralize mass protests over UBA budget cuts

While the President’s focus was on interacting with the elusive business community at the forum Llao Llao Llao Bariloche, his chief advisor, Santiago Caputo exchanged messages with Vice-Rector of UBA, Emiliano Iacobiti on the struggle over the university budget. They have known each other since they were both active in the La Cantera organization of the Faculty of Social Sciences 15 years ago when the advisors were studying political science and they have a relatively fluid relationship. But later, when the Under Secretary for University Policies, Alejandro AlvarezCalled on the Academic Officer to put the matter to rest and formally circulate the proposal to increase the University’s budget, received a Clear rejection.

discomfort in public university for lack of Budget in the middle adjustment and inflation Increases as the hours pass. The government’s attempts to defuse the massive march organized on Tuesday by the houses of higher education and their student centers – belatedly – ​​did not succeed, while expressions of disapproval were repeated on social networks and some surveys began to show strong dissatisfaction with the cuts. public opinion

On alert for an explosive joint over a delicate issue, those at the headquarters of the national government keep a close eye and watch the escalating conflict with some concern. National Interuniversity Council (CIN) which instigated meetings, classes and protests on public streets, According to work by the consulting firm Adhoc, the conflict with the UBA and the increase in salaries paid by senators to themselves contributed to the negativity in the president’s digital reputation. And at Casa Rosada, although they said they did not have records of that style, they estimated the effect of bidding, and they assumed that Next week’s showdown will be huge and impossible to stop. so they stopped talking voucher And proposed privatization and increased funding.

The way the Ministry of Human Capital conducts itself sandra pettovello The announcement of his budget proposal – late at night, hurriedly, and with the word “compromise” in the title, even though it was not – caused unease in the university environment. It was an unexpected error that the second official of the Education Secretary, carlos torandale, Alvarez attempted to resolve today by calling Yacobitti to a face-to-face meeting. Despite not wanting, the discussion remained inconclusive.

Although willing to negotiate in the context of the crisis, those around the former deputy and hardline leader assured that the economic offer was “scarce”. “Overall, the increase means 105 in the year. And inflation was 300. Salaries of teachers and staff dropped 36 percent of their real value in four months, while those of the rest of the staff dropped 18 percent. The situation of workers is very serious, they start from 400 thousand pesos, ”he said to the university leadership.

Yesterday Capital Humano reported that the allocation sent by the Treasury has increased by 70% in March and they are ready to give the same increase in May, and they assured that it will be a “140% restructuring”.

At the national government headquarters he assured that at the moment he does not see any social discontent on the issue in his opinion research, despite the fact that difficulties in paying for public services led to dramatic power outages in some headquarters. He acknowledged that he had no way of neutralizing Tuesday’s march, which would also be attended by private students such as those from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE), and which was joined by many representatives of the more far-right opposition and allied forces. Which also includes Sergio Massa, former presidential candidate of the Union por la Patria.

At the university level, although they are concerned about the increase, they confirmed the opposition, but agreed to resume negotiations after Tuesday, after showing the firepower generated by funding public education. “Communication is good,” They slipped Meanwhile, from education, they formally convened the National Interuniversity Council on Tuesday, April 30, whose agenda included “audit and supervision procedures of universities as well as financing” and “officialization of the payment schedule for university hospitals. ” was focused on. ,

At Balchers 50, without any intention of deepening the discussions, he stressed that there are “good tendencies” on the other side, and even made a proposal, still informal, to evaluate the mechanism. Importance given so that the state continues to take charge of operations and current expenses but universities charge an alternative amount from graduates for academic development. “The ideal for us is to privatize everything, but there may be other options in line with reality”First slipped into the presidential environment.