Show of the “lion” and portrait on the front page of Time magazine. Argentine President Javier Milei has once again made headlines this week. Small anthology of his latest shocking declarations…
IMAGO/ABACAPRESS
Javier Milei launched his book “Capitalism, Socialism and the Neoclassical Trap” this Wednesday during an event at Luna Park in Buenos Aires. We saw him singing and dancing with his supporters before strongly criticizing “cursed socialism” in an atmosphere of self-celebration.
The tone of his interaction with the public exacerbated diplomatic tensions, notably with Spain and Kirchnerism, while increasing the number of provocative statements.
His disturbing statements on stage:
- “When I read the book “Theory of Value”, I liked it almost more than my first Playboy magazine”
- “Most companies in free competition are going to go bankrupt and what’s wrong with that? There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s wonderful”
- “I wanted to do this show because I wanted to sing. I always did it a cappella, now I wanted musicians”
- “We must fight a cultural battle, in classrooms, in politics and everywhere. You can’t stop doing it, because otherwise the left will take us away.”
Javier Milei, “The Radical”, on the front page of Time
The Argentine president recently made the cover of the prestigious American magazine Time, under the provocative title “The radical: how Javier Milei shakes the world”. Milei, proud of this recognition, shared the image of the cover on his social media, captioning it “Neighborhood Phenomenon.”
Post-Marxism could lead the world to ruin
However, Time correspondent Vera Bergengruen’s article offers a less complimentary perspective on Milei’s policies, suggesting that his popular support may be quickly eroding.
Since taking office, Milei has taken drastic measures, including freezing infrastructure projects, devaluing the peso by more than 50 percent, and announcing mass layoffs of more than 70,000 public employees.
These actions reflect his anarcho-capitalist ideology, and integrate him into a global right-wing populist movement. “Our government is moving along three axes. There is an economic battle, a political battle and a cultural battle. We believe that post-Marxism is what defeats Western values and could lead the world to ruin,” Milei said.
From cake seller on Instagram to general secretary
The journalist also notes that, despite Milei’s promises to mainly hit “the political caste”, his austerity policies have hit the ordinary Argentine population hard, with an annual inflation rate approaching 300%.
The article also highlights the secretary general of the presidency, Karina Milei, who during the interview wore sequined flip-flops and who was previously a cake seller on Instagram.
“I said I didn’t talk to the communists”
He also addressed his views on international relations, notably with the United States by expressing unconditional support for Israel in its defense against attacks, saying that Israel’s actions are in line with international standards.
Finally, during the interview, the journalist reminded Milei that he had said during the campaign that dealing with China was “dealing with assassins.” “I said that I did not speak to the communists,” replied the president, specifying that “trade is a question linked to the private sector, (…) what I do not do are political strategies of ‘alignment with the communists’
With this coverage and statements, Milei continues to position herself as a controversial and polarizing figure on the world stage.
Argentina: Milei as a rockstar to present her latest book
Argentine President Javier Milei took on the appearance of a rockstar on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, during a performance in front of thousands of supporters for the launch of his new book.
05/24/2024
