Given the regressive impact of measures by the Argentine government

Weeks ago, the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) expressed its concern about the regressive impact of the measures adopted by the new government of Argentina, headed by Javier Milei, within the framework of the right-wing offensive in our region.

Having passed just over two weeks since Milei took office, we have verified the restrictive nature of the announced policies, which not only negatively impact the living conditions of the majority of the population, increasing levels of poverty and precarity, but also violate republican principles by encroaching from the Executive Branch on legislative and judicial powers.

Furthermore, the announced measures entail a reduction in resources for universities, the scientific, technological, and innovation system, and education in general, threatening their operation in the second half of 2024. This is in addition to the public attacks experienced by various scientists and intellectuals, especially those dedicated to the social sciences, humanities, and arts, and the downgrading of the Ministries of Education, Science and Technology, and Culture to the rank of Secretariats or Directorates, which reduces their functions and weakens their capacity to implement public policies in these fields.

Behind a discourse of supposed freedom lies an exacerbation of individualism, an attack on individual and collective rights, and a celebration of the market as a social regulator to the detriment of the public and the common good.

Faced with this complex situation, the CLACSO Steering Committee, 40 years after the restoration of democracy in Argentina, expresses its deep concern regarding the danger facing academic, scientific, and social institutions. It also urges the new Argentine government to give public investment in science, technology, innovation, and education the importance it deserves in order to build more just and democratic societies and achieve the long-awaited sustainable and comprehensive development.

CLACSO will always be a collective space for encounter and cooperation, from which to reflect on and act against situations of restricted rights and attacks on collective well-being. Once again, the Latin American Council of Social Sciences reaffirms its commitment to intellectual and academic freedom, the strengthening of the public sphere, and the expansion of rights for all.

CLACSO Steering Committee
December 27th 2023