Argentine students expelled from Paris residence over Day of Memory protests

Thirteen Argentine master's, doctoral, postgraduate, and music students have been expelled from the Maison Argentine in Paris by its director, Santiago Muzio. They must vacate the premises by June 30.

The expulsions target students who were most active in the March 24th Day of Memory commemorations. These students had protested the removal of a plaque dedicated to those who disappeared during the dictatorship. The plaque had been removed from the entrance of the mansion, a 75-room residence donated to Argentina by Otto Bemberg and currently managed by the Subsecretariat of Education and the Ministry of Sandra Pettovello in Paris.

The expelled students, along with former residents and authorities of the Maison, have sent a letter to Argentine officials, including Minister Sandra Pettovello, the Cité Universitaire in Paris, and Argentine Ambassador Ian Sielecki. They are demanding Director Santiago Muzio's resignation or removal, a full audit of the current management, finances, and works at the residence, and the reinstatement of the expelled students. Following the expulsions, the residence's capacity has dropped from 75 to 30 students.

Muzio, described as an ideological ally of President Javier Milei, has been linked to far-right politics in Spain and France. He reportedly lives in the official residence with his family and is a lawyer for Marion Maréchal Le Pen. The Cité Universitaire has previously clashed with Muzio over his refusal to sign the institution's charter of values or promote integration with other international student houses. The Cité has housed the expelled students in its own rooms, and other residences have severed ties with the Maison Argentine, creating an educational and diplomatic discomfort for Franco-Argentine relations.