“We have become a strategic partner of the United States,” declared today the president-elect of Argentina, Javier Milei, upon his return to Buenos Aires from a mini-tour to New York and Washington, where this Tuesday he met with the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government of Joe Biden.
“We are not going to be with those who are against freedom and liberal democracy, (we are not going to be) with the autocrats and communists,” said Milei, who yesterday held a meeting at the White House with advisors. of Homeland Security, Jake Sullivan, and for Latin America, Juan González.
The ultraliberal leader – who obtained a resounding victory in the elections on the 19th against the Peronist candidate and outgoing Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa – explained in statements to radio Rivadavia that the trip of the Argentine delegation to the United States has not yet concluded, since the designated Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, and the future chief of staff, Nicolás Posse, still remain in the federal capital.
“Caputo is in charge of defusing the bomb that the Government (of Alberto Fernández) is leaving so that we avoid what is proposed, which is the worst crisis in Argentine history“, stressed the president-elect, who will take office on December 10.
Javier Milei highlighted the Biden Administration’s intention to support its future cabinet, “a Government,” he said. that promotes the values of freedom, and that immediately brings about international alignment.”
“Our position was very well received, because we became a strategic partner (of the United States) of great value,” said Milei, who reproached previous governments for “the twenty years of obscurantism in foreign policy, except for the four years of President (Mauricio) Macri (2015-2019).”
Regarding the economic and financial support received from the IMF and the US Government, Milei especially highlighted the meeting with Jack Sullivan, “because he was even much stronger and more emphatic in trying to accompany our country with financial and investment support, both motoring those of the private sector and directly of the US Government.” “We were truly surprised,” she confessed.
“Are we going to continue counterfeiting money?”
After emphasizing his “strong position in favor of fiscal balance and solving the problem of the remunerated liabilities of the central bank”, Milei stressed: “the more successful we are in putting the fiscal numbers in check and solving the monetary problem, the faster the fall in the interest rate will be and the less painful the adjustment process will be.”
Asked about the demands for resources that governors and legislators are making, Milei responded bluntly: “And how do I give them what I don’t have? Or are we going to continue counterfeiting money to scam the most vulnerable? Aren’t we a federal country? Are the finances of the provinces not the responsibility of the provinces? What am I to blame for the misdeeds that the previous Administration has had and what the different governors have done? It’s not my fault”.
“It is time to be honest and tell things as they are. We can’t continue like this. We entered the 20th century being the richest country in the world, and from that moment until today, in 113 years we had a fiscal deficit and 22 crises,” recalled the president-elect, who alluded to the commitment made at the polls.
“There is a mandate,” he said, “this is the first time in the history of Argentina in which a candidate wins by telling the truth, saying that adjustments must be made. Today the adjustment is accepted within the society of more than 80 percent, People understand that the adjustment must be made, and that this adjustment has to fall mainly on the items where politicians steal,” he said.
“I take this as a job and I am going to do everything in my power to do it in the best possible way (…) I exude pragmatism,” he concluded.
