BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina said Wednesday that it had cut 15,000 state jobs as part of President Javier Milei’s aggressive campaign to slash spending, the latest in a series of painful economic measures that have put the libertarian government on a collision course with angry protesters and powerful trade unions.
Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni announced the job cuts in a news conference, describing them as key to Milei’s promised shake-up of Argentina’s bloated public sector.
Click to Gallery
State workers, some who have been laid off, protest against the dismissal of state employees, inside the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
State workers, some who have been laid off, gather outside the Ministry of Human Capital and Health, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Demonstrators chant slogans during an anti-government protest after some workers were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
State workers, some who have been laid off, gather inside the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
State workers, some who have been laid off, protest against the dismissal of state employees, inside the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police stand at the entrance of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism, to prevent laid off workers from entering their workplace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
State employees enter their workplace after they were temporarily prevented from entering their workplace due to an anti-government protest in support of workers who were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Demonstrators chant slogans during an anti-government protest after some workers were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
State employees enter their workplace after they were temporarily prevented from entering their workplace due to an anti-government protest in support of workers who were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
“It’s part of the work we are doing to reduce state expenses,” he told reporters.
The dismissed workers “perhaps did not have a very defined job," he added. “Their salaries were being supported by a taxpayer.”
Hundreds of defiant employees — some notified of their termination last week and others before that — stormed their workplaces in Buenos Aires and nearby cities on Wednesday, beating drums, decrying their dismissal as unjust and demanding their reinstatement.
Despite the rain, crowds wearing the green T-shirts of the country’s biggest union, The Association of State Workers, or ATE, swelled outside national ministries. In some cases, scuffles erupted as police struggled to evict protesters from government buildings.
Workers at ministries that Mileli has vowed to close, such as the National Institute Against Discrimination, along with a range of state agencies — including the ministries for the economy, energy and social security — received the latest layoff notices.
“These layoffs have a face, they have a family, they have real needs in this context of great change and great poverty in Argentina,” Mercedes Cabezas, a secretary-general of ATE, told The Associated Press outside the Ministry of Labor as protesters pumped their fists and chanted around her.
“The impact runs very deep because it's combined with the reduction of social programs, so what we end up with is increasing poverty," she said.
Milei campaigned for president while brandishing a chainsaw — promising to fix Argentina’s long-troubled economy by chopping down the size of the state. Determined to balance the country's budget, he has slashed energy and transportation subsidies, halted public works, cut payments to provincial governments and devalued the peso by over 50% to close the gap between the official exchange rate and the black market rate.
However, that has hiked inflation, making it even harder for struggling Argentines to make ends meet.
Even before last week, when 41-year-old Hernán Silva still had his job at the National Road Safety Agency that paid a basic monthly salary of $250, he was stressed about not having enough money “for anything" as the prices of fuel, meat and medication surged.
“I was barely making it to the end of the month,” he said. After 14 years at the road safety agency, his boss called last Wednesday to tell him — and 20 of his colleagues — it was their final day.
Silva and his colleagues tried to force their way into their office on Wednesday — the first day back at work after a holiday week in Argentina — but gave up when managers threatened to call the police.
“My only plan right now is to fight for my job because this is unfair,” he said. Neither he nor his colleagues had received official termination notices.
Despite limited tussles with officers, Wednesday's protests were largely peaceful. Police were out in force downtown, a reminder of the government’s wider pledge to curb demonstrations that turn disruptive.
Those who burst into public buildings, spokesperson Adorni warned, “will suffer the consequences.”
Argentina’s trade unions — among the sectors most hurt by Milei's overhaul — appeared undeterred. Union officials pledged a mass general strike. Fired workers vowed to keep showing up at their offices.
“We will continue mobilizing” said Cabezas. “Our fight is just starting.”
State workers, some who have been laid off, gather outside the Ministry of Human Capital and Health, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Demonstrators chant slogans during an anti-government protest after some workers were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
State workers, some who have been laid off, gather inside the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
State workers, some who have been laid off, protest against the dismissal of state employees, inside the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Police stand at the entrance of the National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism, to prevent laid off workers from entering their workplace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
State employees enter their workplace after they were temporarily prevented from entering their workplace due to an anti-government protest in support of workers who were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
Demonstrators chant slogans during an anti-government protest after some workers were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. The union is calling for massive and simultaneous re-entry of dismissed individuals. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
State employees enter their workplace after they were temporarily prevented from entering their workplace due to an anti-government protest in support of workers who were laid off as part of state economic downsizing measures, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. According to the State Workers Association, more than 11 thousand dismissals of state employees have been carried out by Javier Milei’s government. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
NEW YORK (AP) — Travis Hunter turned every play into prime time — on both sides of the ball — and ultimately took home the Heisman Trophy.
Now he’s got a leg up on his celebrity coach at Colorado.
The two-way star won college football's most prestigious award Saturday night, punctuating a tireless performance all season by a dynamic player with a unique combination of skills.
“Never thought I would be in this position,” a tearful Hunter said as he thanked everyone from his fiancée to family members and former and current coaches. “It's crazy. Belief takes you a long way.”
While posing for countless photos with the iconic statue over the past two days, Hunter made a point not to put his hands on the Heisman. He said he didn't want to touch it unless it was his.
Once it finally was, he grabbed the trophy hard with two hands and let loose a happy scream: “Let's go!”
Next stop, a local spot he reserved to celebrate with teammates.
“I don't like to be out late, but I'm going to be out late tonight,” Hunter said, smiling.
A big-play wide receiver and lockdown cornerback, Hunter dominated on offense and defense for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, joining late running back Rashaan Salaam in 1994 as the only Heisman winners in school history.
Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points in a comfortable victory. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points, the closest margin since 2009.
Hunter garnered 80.14% of possible points, the 11th-highest in Heisman Trophy history, and joined Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson (1997) as the only full-time defensive players to claim the prize. Woodson also made some big plays at wideout, but didn't spend nearly as much time on offense as Hunter.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel came in third and Miami quarterback Cam Ward finished fourth in balloting for the 90th Heisman Trophy, presented annually since 1935 to the nation’s most outstanding player. This year’s ceremony was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, where Sanders was in attendance.
It marked only the fifth time this century a quarterback didn’t win. The last time no signal-caller placed in the top two was 2015, when running backs Derrick Henry of Alabama and Christian McCaffrey ran 1-2 in voting.
Hunter also won The Associated Press player of the year among a string of other individual awards this week. He helped spark an impressive turnaround at Colorado, from 4-8 in 2023 when he missed 3 1/2 games because of injuries to 9-3 this year in Sanders’ second season. The 20th-ranked Buffaloes got their first bowl bid in four years and will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
Hunter has pledged to play, rather than skip the game to prepare for the NFL draft and prevent any possible injury as many top prospects do. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior from Suwanee, Georgia, plans to pass up his senior season in Boulder and is expected to be a top-five pick by the pros — perhaps even No. 1 overall.
“He wants to be great at everything,” Sanders said. “He wants to have a commitment to excellence in everything he does — including fishing.”
Showcasing his blazing speed and explosive playmaking, Hunter rarely came off the field this year — making him an every-down throwback to generations gone by and the first full-time, true two-way star in decades.
On offense, he had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus a rushing score. On defense, he made four interceptions, 32 tackles, broke up 11 passes and forced a critical fumble that secured an overtime victory against Baylor.
With the Buffaloes winning games and challenging for a Big 12 title, he soared from a long-shot underdog in Heisman futures last summer to a heavy betting favorite this week.
All the while, striking the Heisman pose with teammates to celebrate big plays as it became more and more clear Hunter was the man to beat.
“I definitely can kick, (too). I’ve just got to practice,” he said. “I can’t stop moving when I’m not on the field.”
Hunter played nearly 700 snaps each on offense and defense — the only Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research.
It would seem an overly exhausting workload for any player these days, both mentally and physically, but not Hunter.
“I think I laid the ground for more people to come in and go two ways,” he said Friday. “It starts with your mindset. If you believe you can do it, then you’ll be able to do it. And also, I do a lot of treatment. I keep up with my body. I get a lot of recovery.”
Rated the country’s top recruit in the 2022 class, Hunter stunned many observers when he committed to play for Sanders at Jackson State, an HBCU that competes in the lower-level FCS, with the promise of playing both offense and defense.
“A lot of people told me I couldn't do it,” said Hunter, wearing white shoes and a light blue suit — his favorite color. "I always say I'm going to prove them wrong and I'm going to prove myself right."
After one season, Hunter followed Sanders to Colorado and was a consensus All-America selection as an all-purpose player last year despite sitting out three games with a lacerated liver caused by a late hit.
Following his recovery, a healthy Hunter finished strong in 2023 and then really took off this season, catching passes from Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son, and becoming Colorado’s first Heisman Trophy finalist in 30 years.
The 21-year-old Hunter, who plans to get married in May, is the sixth transfer to take the award over the past eight years and the first winner to begin his career in the FCS.
“Look where I'm at. It paid off,” Hunter said.
“I wanted to be different,” he added later. “Me being different makes me feel more comfortable than doing the norm.”
Deion Sanders, nicknamed Prime Time during his playing days — seemingly by himself — was a two-time All-America defensive back at Florida State and finished eighth in 1988 Heisman voting.
An electrifying kick returner, who also played major league baseball by the way, Neon Deion went on to a Hall of Fame career as an NFL cornerback but mostly just dabbled on offense besides a 36-catch season with the 1996 Dallas Cowboys.
Nothing quite like Hunter, who now has Heisman bragging rights on Coach Prime forever.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Colorado’s Travis Hunter reacts after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter reacts after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter gestures after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York.(Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter and his mom Ferrante Edmonds embrace after Travis won the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter gestures after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, in blue, is embraced by 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newtown after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York.(Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, right, and coach Deion Sanders embrace after Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Colorado’s Travis Hunter holds the trophy after winning the Heisman Trophy as the outstanding player in college football, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via AP, Pool)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, speaks speaks at a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Heisman Trophy finalists, from left, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and Miami's Cam Ward pose with the trophy during a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, speaks speaks at a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, left, pulls in a pass ahead of Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE- Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, front, is tackled after pulling in a pass by Oklahoma State safety Kobe Hylton in the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts as he warms up before an NCAA college football game against Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, speaks during a college football media availability, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) celebrates his touchdown catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, speak at a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown reception ahead of Central Florida defensive back Brandon Adams during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, speak at a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Heisman Trophy finalists, from left, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and Miami's Cam Ward pose with the trophy during a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass over Central Florida defensive back Brandon Adams (0) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) flies in for a touchdown past, from left, Utah linebacker Johnathan Hall, cornerback Smith Snowden and safety Nate Ritchie during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
FILE - Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts in the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Heisman Trophy finalist Travis Hunter, of Colorado, stands with the trophy during a college football press conference, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
