Fifth university march, incidents and shielding of DNU 70/2023: chronology of a key week

The week of October 15, 2026 left two events that mark the political and economic agenda. On the one hand, the fifth federal university march, which brought together a crowd outside Congress and ended with incidents. On the other, the ruling party managed to shield DNU 70/2023 with the help of governors, while the opposition did not reach quorum to move forward with a mega-session. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) updated its projections of Argentina’s payments to the organization, with maturities exceeding 2,000 million SDR in 2026.

The fifth federal university march and the incidents

On Thursday, the fifth federal university march took place, bringing together students, teachers, unions and organizations outside Congress. According to La Nación, the protest demanded that the Government comply with the educational financing law. The situation got out of control before the main event ended: people with covered faces and backpacks broke benches and threw stones near the fence protecting Congress. After 4 p.m., while some protesters continued with the riots, police responded with water cannons and tear gas. La Nación reported ten injured and at least 31 detained, including two minors.

The Ministry of National Security reported that they are working on a criminal complaint against those involved for resistance and attack on authority, constitutional order and aggravated damage. The Casa Rosada sought to link the universities’ demand to a move orchestrated by the opposition and blamed violent groups for the disturbances. The source does not offer independent confirmation of that attribution.

The shielding of DNU 70/2023 and the frustrated session

The national ruling party had the help of several governors to shield DNU 70/2023, although some names changed at the last minute. The absences of legislators who respond to Osvaldo Jaldo (Tucumán), Carlos Sadir (Jujuy) and Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe) were crucial, according to La Nación. Also surprising were the absences of two deputies from Unión por la Patria who respond to Gustavo Melella from Tierra del Fuego and Elías Suárez from Santiago del Estero: Agustín Tita and Estela Neder. In the case of Córdoba, Alejandra Torres was not present.

Despite last-minute attempts to gather support, the opposition failed to gather the necessary quorum to move forward with the mega-session convened to bring down DNU 70/23 and address the extension of the disability emergency and a bill to address growing delinquency and household indebtedness. The critical blocs reached 121 votes: they were eight short of being able to open the chamber. Among the notable absences were the three legislators from Independencia aligned with Osvaldo Jaldo and the members of Provincias Unidas Gisela Scaglia and José Núñez, close to the governor of Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaro. The help of the governors of the north and center was key for the Government, which obtained some breathing room with a view to two issues that especially interest the Casa Rosada: the suspension of the PASO and the 2027 Budget.

Argentina’s projected payments to the IMF

The IMF published an official TSV download with Argentina’s projected payments to the organization, updated as of June 30, 2026. The amounts are expressed in SDR (Special Drawing Rights). For 2026, the projected total amounts to 2,082,529,842 SDR. For 2027, the total is 5,650,460,371 SDR. For 2028, 7,004,829,747 SDR; for 2029, 7,792,755,072 SDR. The series continues in 2030 with maturities that include basic charges, level and time surcharges, and repurchases of the extended service (EFF).

The IMF document does not include an SDR exchange rate or a conversion to another currency. Nor does it offer an economic growth projection. The secondary source (La Nación) mentions that the IMF expects a “very positive acceleration of economic growth for 2027,” but that phrase does not appear in the official document provided. The SDR is not converted to dollars or pesos because the exact exchange rate is not available in the material.

Chronology of a week

1. Thursday, October 15, 2026: the fifth federal university march takes place outside Congress. The protest demands compliance with the educational financing law. The situation gets out of control before the end of the main event. There are ten injured and at least 31 detained, according to La Nación. The Ministry of Security announces a criminal complaint.
2. Wednesday, October 14, 2026 (or previous days): the ruling party and the opposition negotiate support for the session convened to address DNU 70/23, the extension of the disability emergency and a bill on delinquency and household indebtedness. The opposition fails to gather quorum. The Government has the help of governors from the north and center.
3. Thursday, October 15, 2026 (later): it becomes known that the ruling party shielded DNU 70/2023. The opposition is left with 121 votes, eight short of those needed to open the chamber. The Casa Rosada celebrates what happened and aims for the suspension of the PASO and the 2027 Budget.
4. June 30, 2026 (update date of the IMF document): the IMF publishes the TSV download with Argentina’s projected payments. The total for 2026 is 2,082,529,842 SDR. For 2027, 5,650,460,371 SDR. For 2028, 7,004,829,747 SDR. For 2029, 7,792,755,072 SDR.

Between the first and second milestones, the university protest went from being a massive mobilization to an event with incidents and detentions. Between the second and third, the opposition went from trying to open the chamber to being left without quorum, while the ruling party consolidated the shielding of the DNU. The fourth milestone is independent of the previous ones: it corresponds to the IMF payment update, which is not mentioned in La Nación’s coverage.

What data should be followed

The contrast between the sources is limited. La Nación is a secondary source that covers domestic politics and mentions the IMF only indirectly. The IMF is a primary source that provides a table of projected payments in SDR, without political or economic context. There is no thematic coincidence between the two: one focuses on the university march and the DNU; the other, on financial maturities. The statement about the “very positive acceleration of economic growth for 2027” attributed to the IMF is not supported by the official document provided. It is advisable to follow the evolution of the criminal case for the incidents, the final text of DNU 70/2023 and the payment schedule to the IMF, especially the 2026 and 2027 maturities, which concentrate the highest amounts in SDR. It also remains to be confirmed whether the Government manages to move forward with the suspension of the PASO and the 2027 Budget, issues that La Nación mentions as priorities for the Casa Rosada.