Hundreds of thousands of Argentines marched in defense of public education yesterday, pushing back against budget cuts to public universities. An estimated 500,000 gathered in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo, and tens of thousands in cities around the country. (Infobae)
It is the largest protest yet against President Javier Milei, and a strong challenge to his austerity measures. While the protest was organized by public universities, along with labor unions and supported by leftist parties, many conservative politicians, private university administrators, and right-wing commentators joined the march in defense of public education, seen as the lynchpin of social progress in the country. (Associated Press, Reuters)
Milei seems to have failed to take into account the umbrage his comments of indoctrination in public universities would cause in the general population where education is considered a necessary underpinning to class mobility. Yesterday the president retweeted messages from accounts that mocked or attacked protesters.
“In a country wracked by economic crises and political discontent, free public higher education is one of the few pillars still standing,” reports El País, noting the outsize impact of images of professors teaching in the dark after the University of Buenos Aires ran out of funding to cover the electricity bill (increased after subsidies were cut as part of the broad ranging austerity measures). The government sought to defuse the march at the last minute with a funding increase — though the universities say operation past July is uncertain.
Former presidential candidate Juan Grabois warned Milei that his attack on the public university system has led to unprecedented backlash. “What happened in every corner of the country only happens when something moves the tectonic plates of a society. Today was the reaction of a people who, if there is one thing that is clear to them —something that neither the most fiery libertine rhetoric nor their undeniable talent for insults can obscure — is that public education is an inalienable right,” Grabois wrote on social media. (El País)
Brazil
Thousands of Indigenous people protested in Brasilia yesterday to demand the demarcation of their lands. Lula so far has set up 10 new officially recognized Indigenous areas, but the demonstrators who were out Tuesday want him to do more, reports AFP.
The New Republic reports on Elon Musk’s sudden lionization among Brazil’s far right. (See yesterday’s briefs.)
Colombia
Colombian senators passed President Gustavo Petro’s pension reform, yesterday, a rare legislative victory for the unpopular administration, reports Bloomberg. The measure, which now passes to the lower house, would make the government the manager of around 70% of all worker contributions, while private pension funds would receive the rest.
Honduras
A human rights group filed a petition with the UN human rights committee challenging Honduras’ draconian total abortion ban, which campaigners say violates women’s fundamental rights and the country’s international commitments, reports the Guardian. Honduras is one of five Latin American countries – along with Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic – where abortion is prohibited in all circumstances, even in cases of rape, incest, or when the pregnant woman’s life is at risk.
Peru
Press advocates say accusations against renowned Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti distort the ordinary and constitutionally protected practice of investigative journalism — and critics fear they are an indication that the Boluarte administration is taking aim at the Peru’s independent media, reports the Washington Post.
Mexico
Mexican presidential frontrunner, ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, increased her lead, according to a new Mitofsky Tendencias poll that gives her 51.4% support ahead of the June vote. (Reuters)
Venezuela
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro invited UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to reestablish an office in the country, months after suddenly expelling UN human rights staff in February. “Let's overcome our differences, the conflict that we had," he said yesterday. (El País, AFP)
Maduro spoke alongside Karim Khan, head of the International Criminal Court, who he met with yesterday and who requested Venezuela permit the return of the UN human rights office. (El País, AFP)
“After years of fits and starts, Venezuela is setting the stage for one of the largest and most complex debt restructurings in decades — unwinding a $154 billion web of defaulted bonds, loans and legal judgments owed to creditors from Wall Street to Russia,” reports Bloomberg.
Regional Relations
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said diplomatic pressure exerted against Venezuela has paid off, in that the Maduro administration has moved discursively to collaborate with the investigation of a dissident living in Chile, and to receive Venezuelans deported from Chile. (El País)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva applauded the Venezuelan opposition’s decision to back a unity candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, despite the obstacles presented by the Maduro government, reports Bloomberg.
Eastern Caribbean leaders are in Caracas for the XXIII ALBA-TCP Summit. (Telesur)
Jamaica recognized the state of Palestine. (Jamaica Observer)
The U.S. Biden administration sent supplies to Haiti yesterday, “weeks after notifying the U.S. Congress it would be providing millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and ammunition to help Haiti National Police officers take on ruthless gangs,” reports the Miami Herald.
Argentina has asked Interpol to issue an arrest notice for the Iranian interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi. (BBC)
More Argentina
An Argentine male news anchor who shared his story of childhood sexual abuse has challenged gender stereotypes and pushed more people to seek help, reports the Washington Post.
Regional
Latin America had a 140% increase in heat related deaths over the past 20 years.