The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, ratified his decision to veto the increase in the budget for public universities, after the march that brought together thousands of people in the capital, Buenos Aires, and in various parts of the country. The demonstration held on Wednesday did not change Milei’s plans. The historic walk brought together thousands of students, teachers and their families, as well as opposition politicians.
It was the second demonstration in defense of public universities since Milei took office almost ten months ago. The difference is that now the participation of the opposition was more prominent, with the presence of former Minister of Economy and former presidential candidate Sergio Massa, defeated by Milei at the polls, members of Macrismo (linked to former president Maurício Macri) and of the Radical Civic Union (UCR), among others.
Former president Cristina Kirchner supported the protest by waving from the balcony of the Patria Institute, which is her political base, to the crowd. Milei reacted by defining the opposition as a ‘ghost train’.
Opinion polls show a drop in popular support for the president, who, however, maintains more than 40% support. Fragmented, the opposition continues to have a much lower positive image than Milei’s in the polls.
In a shift in his government’s foreign policy, Milei announced that he will travel to China in January. During his electoral campaign for the Casa Rosada, Milei had said that his government would have no relationship with the ‘communist country’. China is the main buyer of Argentine agricultural commodities, the country’s second commercial partner, and fundamental to our neighbor’s finances.