Buenos Aires: Thousands protest against education cuts

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires on Tuesday to demand increased funding for public universities.

Argentina's President, Javier Milei, came to office in 2023 after vowing to take a chainsaw to public spending.

He's tried to justify the cuts by calling state-run universities centres of socialist indoctrination.

But top universities are struggling, with one warning that it could be forced to shut down.

Ricardo Gelpi, rector of the University of Buenos Aires, says that the institution may have to close within three months unless it receives more funding.

The right-wing government has kept university funding this year at the same level as in 2023, despite inflation reducing the real value of the budget by as much as 80%.

Mr Milei blames decades of overspending by left-wing governments for Argentina's economic decline.

He has previously said that "shock treatment" would be needed to drag the country out of its economic crisis, and added that those who opposed him would usher in "a social catastrophe of biblical proportions".

Speaking at the protests, the president of Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Franco Bartolacci, said the funding cut would be hugely damaging.

"If there is no reasonable updating of the operating budget, it is impossible to envisage the whole year with normal activities", Mr Bartolacci said.

Pictures from the demonstrations show tens of thousands of marchers dancing, playing instruments and holding banners, including one that reads: "Always in defence of public university".

The Argentine president is infamous for his colourful language and even wielded a chainsaw at campaign rallies to symbolise his plans to slash public spending.

He recently called Colombian President Gustavo Petro a "murdering terrorist", said the Mexican president was "ignorant", and attacked Pope Francis last year, calling him "an imbecile who defends social justice".