Argentine President Javier Milei told Congress this Friday that he would give his all to his ultra-liberal reforms “With or without the support of the political leadership”in his opening speech to the legislative sessions.
“Our convictions are unchangeable, we will put the public finances in order with or without the help of the rest of the political leadership,” said the president, assuring that he will “use all legal means” if Congress again rejects his reforms of the national executive .” to put them into practice.
If they look for conflict, they will have conflict,” he added.
“If we encounter an obstacle, we will not turn back, but will continue to accelerate,” the President cheered.
President Javier Milei opened the 142nd period of regular sessions of the Congress of the Argentine Nation. pic.twitter.com/vQjFOa0e5c
– Office of the President (@OPRArgentina) March 2, 2024
Milei summed it up Actions he took in his first 82 days in office, in which he implemented draconian budget adjustments. The accelerated rise in food and drug prices was compounded by the elimination of subsidies in public services, which led to an abrupt adjustment in tariffs. In Buenos Aires, for example, train tickets increased by 250 percent from one day to the next.
“If we don’t change this economic model at its roots, Argentina has no future,” Milei said from Congress, where LLA lawmakers and supporters shouted “chainsaw,” alluding to the dramatic cuts promised by the current president during his presidential campaign.
To the Argentinians who suffer from aInflation of more than 250 percent year-on-year and poverty reaching more than 50 percent of the population“I ask for your patience and your trust,” the president said.
“It will take some time before we can see the fruits of the economic consolidation and the reforms we are implementing,” assured Milei. “We have not yet seen all the effects of the disaster we have inherited, but we are convinced that we are on the right track because for the first time in history we are attacking the problem for its cause: the budget deficit, and not because of his symptoms.
He also offered to meet with the political class, provincial governors, party leaders and former presidents to forge a new “social contract” for the country based on ten extremely liberal principles: “inviolable” private property, “non-negotiable fiscal balance” . and “labor reform.” modern.”
He called it the “May Pact” and proposed that it be signed symbolically in Córdoba on May 25, the anniversary of the 1810 revolution that led to Argentine independence in 1816.
The speech took place at 9:00 p.m. local time amid an intense security operation as hundreds of people protested against the adjustment measures outside the doors of Congress.
Milei closes Telam
The Argentine president used his speech to the Legislative Assembly to announce the closure of Parliament State news agency Télam.
“We will close the Télam agency, which has been used as a Kirchnerist propaganda agency in recent decades,” the president said, referring to former President Cristina Kirchner.
The president did not provide any information about the closing process Media that was created 78 years ago.
At the beginning of February last year, the ultra-liberal government ordered the intervention of all state media for a period of one year in order to “change the organic and functional structure”.
The action included public radio and television, the Télam agency, the educational portal Educ.ar, the Audiovisual Production Pole and the Argentine Audiovisual Bank of Universal Contents (Bacua).
With information from AFP.
ORP