The rector of the UBA: “I would never have imagined marching for what corresponds to us”

The rector of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Ricardo Gelpi, said today that he attended the Federal University March “anguished” and said that he “would never have imagined” having to claim for the budget that corresponds to the house of higher studies. “Personally, I go to this march today in a sad and anguished way, it is not a march to which one goes happy. I would never have imagined having to march for a budget that corresponds to us by law,” said Gelpi.You may also be interested in: “Universities from all over the country march against the defunding of Javier Milei’s public university””I don’t know that there is corruption in the UBA. We have regular reports and internal and external audits. And the indoctrination, with all due respect, seems a bit ridiculous to me, because the UBA is a monster with more than 300,000 students and very heterogeneous faculties,” he said. That is our forte, plurality. I don’t know how you can indoctrinate 300,000 students, I don’t understand it. There is no indoctrination at the UBA, because there cannot be,” Gelpi emphasized.The rector of the UBA pointed out that it is “very difficult to know” the annual budget, but stressed that the number is below that of other countries in Latin America and North America.Currently, the universities have the 2023 budget extended, since it was not sanctioned for 2024: the UBA has allocated funds for 121,623,653,981 pesos, which at the exchange rate of Banco Nación represent 136,349,389 million dollars.” The money they are giving us is 60% below the budget they have been giving us, it is a lot. There’s going to come a time when the money is going to run out, and if you don’t like the word ‘close’, I can tell you we can’t function. With this money we can function for two or three more months,” said Gelpi.And he added: “I don’t know if they have already deposited or if they will deposit next week, but that money is already outdated, it comes with last year’s budget. It comes with a 70% increase that they gave us in March, which still hasn’t been collected, and they say 70% for May. That’s why I say that if they don’t update the silver issue, we’re going to have to close.” Under the slogan: “In defense of the public and free university”, multiple mobilizations will be held throughout the country in repudiation of the cuts that will soon prevent the functioning of the national faculties and in defense of public education. The epicenter of the Federal University March will be the City of Buenos Aires and the call is made for 3:30 p.m. in front of the Congress and will end in Plaza de Mayo with an act. Rectors, students and unions warn about the critical situation of the institutions.

Original source in Spanish