Why scientists are leaving Argentina one year into Milei’s presidency
One year after President Javier Milei came to power in Argentina, the country’s scientific community is in crisis.
Many researchers are being forced to leave the country because of deep budget cuts, rising poverty, and government policies.
President Javier Milei, who promised drastic spending cuts to tackle Argentina’s severe economic problems, has made some rather massive changes to the science community in the country.
Cut on funding
He has slashed funding for science, a move which has affected the Innovation, Science and Technology Secretariat, which was previously a full ministry.
The secretariat under Milei now has one-third of the budget it had last year.
Scientists and researchers are panicking and have expressed pessimism about the future of science in the country if things continue like this.
Jorge Geffner, director of the Institute for Biomedical Research in Retroviruses and AIDS (INBIRS) in Buenos Aires said, “With six more months like this, there will be nothing left”.
About half of the staff at the institute are preparing to leave Argentina or are already taking steps to work abroad.
Many others say their salaries have dropped by up to 30%.
Luis Moyano, a physicist specialising in artificial intelligence, is leaving for Spain because his income in Argentina can no longer cover basic needs.
“As a scientist, I can say we were never in an ideal situation, but this is much worse,” he was quoted.
The National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Argentina’s main research funder, has also slowed down. Despite much of its budget coming from international donors, government restrictions have stopped projects from moving forward. In September, the agency’s president, Alicia Caballero, resigned after being blocked from using the funds.
President Milei’s has also called on scientists to compete in the private market instead of relying on government support, referring to those who depend on public funds as “scoundrels.”
Climate change
The president’s stance on climate change has further alarmed scientists. Milei denies human activity is causing global warming, calling it part of a natural cycle. His government pulled out of the COP29 climate talks and downplayed climate change in official plans to protect biodiversity.
The future?
As the country’s scientific infrastructure faces challenges, many are afraid Argentina will lose its ability to produce critical research and innovation.
“The government’s attitude towards science and nature has consequences,” Alejandro Valenzuela, a biologist at the National University of Tierra del Fuego was quoted as saying.
