The President of Argentina, Javier Mileitold this Wednesday before the world elite gathered at the Davos Forum that “the West is in danger” from the tendency of world leaders to embrace “socialism” that leads “to poverty” and warned against “collectivist experiments , which they never do.” the solution to problems.” The ultraliberal argued that the values ”are co-opted with a worldview that leads inexorably to socialism.”
Milei was expected in Davos with curiosity and interest after he issued a decree introducing a series of aggressive measures in an inflation-hit Argentina. It was his debut on the international stage since taking office on December 10th. Your opinions on some topics may conflict with those expressed in this forum. And Milei, for example, denies that human activities are responsible for climate change.
The Argentine president presented his libertarian ideas against the so-called “political caste” that wants to “preserve its privileges” at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine resort. He also said that “radical feminism has contributed nothing to society” as it has led to “major state intervention to hinder the economic process and create jobs for bureaucrats.” He also referred to the “tragedy of abortion.”
In his speech, he added that social justice is “inherently unjust” because “the state is financed by taxes and taxes are collected compulsorily,” and ended with a message to those present: “Do not be fooled by the political Caste is still intimidated by the parasites” who live off the state. They are social benefactors, heroes, creators of a period of prosperity the likes of which we have never experienced.
Before his intervention, Milei held an “excellent” meeting with the British Foreign Secretary. David Cameron, with whom he discussed the issue of the Malvinas Islands, a group of islands in the South Atlantic that was the scene of a 74-day war in 1982 that left 649 Argentines and 255 British dead. “We talked about deepening trade relations and put the Malvinas on the agenda,” said the Argentine president.
In 2013, 99.8% of voters voted to remain under British control in a referendum in the territory with a population of just 2,000. For the United Kingdom this is a settled matter, but Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the islands since 1833.
Meeting with Georgieva
The ultra-liberal and right-wing extremist economist said before his departure that he had received more than 60 requests for a meeting in Davos. “I have no way of physically responding to such a demand,” he said. However, he has arranged a meeting with the director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Kristalina Georgieva.
Argentina owes $44 billion to the IMF, which has welcomed Milei's decision to remove price controls on some goods.
The purpose of this meeting is to “continue to talk and make clear the conviction that we have in this change of course that the new government has initiated,” Milei himself noted from the plane. Georgieva said this at an event on Tuesday Bloomberg In Davos, he said the Argentine government was making progress and was moving “very aggressively” to address the country's “shortcomings.”
Protests and general strike
Meanwhile, in Argentina, social movements are protesting almost daily against the measures imposed by the Milei government in light of a general strike called for next Wednesday in Argentina by the General Confederation of Trade Unions (CGT), the country's largest trade union federation, amid a tense environment due to skyrocketing prices. Inflation in December reached 25.5%, bringing the annual rate to 211% in 2023
In his little more than a month in office after taking office on December 10, Milei suspended public works, did not renew state labor contracts, reduced ministries by half, devalued the peso by more than 50%, and lifted fuel price controls abolished the law that regulated rents and freed imports. His two major projects, divided into a mega-decree with 366 articles and a so-called “omnibus law” with 664, are currently being analyzed by Congress.