Argentine judge orders government to fund universities within five days

Federal judge Martín Cormick gave the Argentine executive a five-day deadline to fully comply with a standing injunction that mandates updating university staff salaries and restoring student scholarships under Law 27.795. The judge ruled that the government has not yet demonstrated total compliance with the court order.

If the administration misses the deadline, Cormick said he will impose daily fines that may increase over time and are linked to the amount owed. The injunction covers a 33 percent salary increase for teaching and non-teaching personnel retroactive to December 2023 and the recomposition of scholarship budgets.

“We expect the National Government to do what it must do and comply with what the judge ordered within the stipulated deadlines.”

The National Interuniversity Council (CIN) had requested the enforcement measure, arguing the government failed to meet its obligations. CIN president Franco Bartolacci welcomed the ruling and urged the executive to act within the stipulated period.

Weeks earlier, the same judge rejected a government petition to lift the injunction, finding that a June agreement did not resolve the dispute. He then ordered the Ministry of Human Capital to document compliance within three days; Cormick now says the information provided by Minister Sandra Pettovello's office remains insufficient.