"Scientific murder" in Argentina caused a huge protest from researchers

Hundreds of activists in gas masks took to the streets to remark their government for reducing funding for science.

More than 1,000 scientists yesterday took to the streets in Buenos Aires and other cities of Argentina in gas masks, as in the Argentine Netflix series "Ethernaut". Playing on the theme of a post-apocalyptic TV show - that oppression can be overcome by unity - they protested against the collapse of science, or "scientific murder" in the country, which, according to them, was initiated by the administration of President Javier Miley.

Since Miley took office at the end of 2023, he has significantly reduced public spending, partly to reduce the deficit in the country and reduce inflation. As a result, many scientific activities in Argentina have been suspended due to lack of pay, about 1,300 employees in the scientific sector have been laid off, and researchers have gone to work abroad due to low wages.

Research funding has been completely stopped, said Nature Fernando Stefani, a physicist from the University of Buenos Aires, who participated in the protest march. "It has not been done in any way - zero," even for research contracts that have already been approved and were in progress, he said. The National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development and Innovation, which is the main sponsor of research projects in Argentina, has also not issued any calls for new projects since the end of 2023.

Argentina's main scientific agency, the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), which funds about 280 research institutes across the country and hires most of its scientists, pays salaries and not much more, the sources say. Some researchers who spoke to Nature are not sure if they will be able to feed laboratory animals in the coming weeks. And even though salaries are paid, they have decreased by about 40% since Miley took office. "The salaries of young researchers are on the verge of poverty, and the salaries of senior researchers are insufficient for a decent life," Stephanie said.

Although Milei's actions have led to the fact that inflation on an annual basis has fallen to the lowest level in the last three years, food and commodity prices have increased. And the reduction in public spending has left people without many basic services. "The research system is simply allowed to destroy inaction and underfunding," Stephanie said.

Miles promised to completely close CONICET during his presidential campaign, but so far he has not done so (he expressed hostility towards scientists, suggesting that they are dismissing the government). Nevertheless, "it's like dying of hunger," said Nature Lydia Szczupak, a neurobiologist from the Institute of Physiology, Molecular Biology and Neurology, funded by CONICET at the University of Buenos Aires, who also participated in the march yesterday. "Our salary is very low - we continue for the sake of love" to science, she added.

CONICET did not respond to Nature's request for comment by the time this story was published.

Chainsaw government

Yesterday's protest was organized by the Network of Authorities of Scientific and Technical Institutes (RAICYT), which includes heads of research institutes throughout Argentina, and others.

The law adopted by the Argentine Congress in 2021 prescribes that the funding of science in the country should gradually increase, reaching 1% of Argentina's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2032. Instead, Milei reduced the state scientific budget to 0.15% of GDP this year compared to 0.30% in 2023. Congress did not push back the legality of these actions.

Miley, who often poses with a chainsaw to illustrate his cost reductions, has also significantly reduced the role of science in government since taking office, downgrading the ministries of science and environment to secretariat and deputy secretariat respectively. And he advocated that science should be used less when making government decisions. For example, he ordered civil servants to avoid using the term "climate change", which he called "socialist mystification", and, following the example of U.S. President Donald Trump, began the process of his country's withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

"We are currently facing an attempt to destroy the scientific and technical sector as a generator of knowledge and a source of public policy support," says Carolina Vera, a climate researcher at the CONICET-funded Research Center for the Sea and Atmosphere of the University of Buenos Aires. "The best people leave for the national private sector or emigrate, and this can be seen in all disciplines," she adds.

These changes will make it difficult for Argentina to solve big social problems, Vera continues. "We see the threat of storms, fires and droughts. This will affect ordinary people," she adds. "It will take decades to restore or create a risk management system" that can respond to these threats.