Liberal Student Force (FEL) burst onto the university scene as the only liberal group that participated in the FUC elections. Organically linked to La Libertad Avanza, it brought Javier Milei's ideas to the political heart of the National University of Córdoba (UNC). In an environment traditionally dominated by leftist, Kirchnerist, and Radical structures, FEL decided to fight the cultural battle in the classrooms as well.
With an effective presence in five UNC faculties, these young libertarians marked a turning point. They managed to plant their flag in a territory historically hostile to liberal thought. We spoke with three of their leaders to learn how they experienced this first endeavor and why they believe their participation was a decisive political act.
"We're going to keep growing because we make people uncomfortable"
Maximiliano Rodríguez is a Law student at the National University of Córdoba. He was president of the La Libertad Avanza University Students list in the FUC elections.
What role does the FUC play in the university environment? Why is FEL's participation in these spaces important?
—The Córdoba University Federation is the highest student representative body at UNC. Its main role should be to defend the interests of students. However, for years it has been co-opted by groups that use it as a partisan tool and as a means of coercion against governments that don't align with their political color.
This is where our participation becomes essential. At FEL, we understand that it's necessary to fight the cultural battle within UNC to achieve a university free from indoctrination, audited, and of quality. We students deserve genuine representation, not a militant machine serving partisan interests unrelated to students.
What was the atmosphere like on FUC election day?
—Tense. We received insults, provocations, and even had water thrown at us. But nobody reacted: that shows there's a new type of activist, more convinced, more steadfast.
This demonstrates the paradigm shift, despite the aggressions from paid activists. Traditional groups can't stop more and more students from daring to raise their voices and defend the ideas of liberty.
What are your goals going forward?
—Our goal is clear: to consolidate and expand our presence in all UNC faculties. We aim to join the governing boards, and even the Superior Council.
Currently, we have an active presence in the faculties of Law, Economic Sciences, Exact Sciences, Social Sciences, and Medicine. We're going to keep working so FEL grows, fighting the battle in every academic sphere. The discomfort of the other groups shows us we're on the right path.
"The university is the mother of all battles"
Felipe Tapparo is in his fifth year of Law at UNC. He has been active in liberalism since 2019, and in 2022 he joined the university sphere alongside Jonathan Naselli, leader of the Fuerzas del Cielo in Córdoba. He was one of those who promoted the formation of FEL as the university arm of La Libertad Avanza.
Why is it important for FEL to participate in the FUC?
—With La Libertad Avanza's success in the national government and having a leader like Javier Milei, FEL's emergence is natural. As our president says, it's important to fight every battle, and the university is the mother of all battles because it's where we are educated. A university arm that represents the ideas and values of liberty was inevitable in a party that's growing by leaps and bounds.
The challenge is enormous, we're up against structures with decades of experience, millions in funding, and a system that keeps putting up obstacles.
Is there a change in mindset in the university environment? How do you experience it at FEL?
—Of course there's a change: students are starting to question certain issues that seemed already established and unchangeable. One example is the funding of student groups and their connections to their respective political parties, which they themselves try to hide. Where does all that money come from?
