In a bid to win over businessmen, far-right Javier Milei emerged Thursday as a candidate for Argentina’s presidency capable of helping them grow and improve the country by keeping the state out of the way admits what he did is accused of promoting “parasites” with their generous policies.
“This dispute, which industries that portray employers as the enemy of workers are trying to foment, is a mistake. “When business people are doing well, workers are doing well and Argentines are doing well,” Milei said during a conference organized by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) to discuss the economic outlook.
The ultra-liberal economist, who emerges as the favorite in the Oct. 22 election in which Peronism is jeopardizing its hold on power, claimed, “The only ones who are going to go bad are the political thieves who made the country.” , heck it is” and vowed that if elected he would put up “a current cannon for companies to invest in”.
The chairman of La Libertad Avanza pointed out that the change he is proposing – which includes drastic spending cuts and dollarization of the economy – is impossible “with the same people as always who have never set foot in the private sector and have done so.” have spent their entire lives parasitizing the state.”
“You are the ones who have to get Argentina going, I promise you will get rid of the state,” the deputy said.
Milei, who entered politics two years ago and combines support for discontent with inflation and uncertainty, questioned the “caste model” of traditional politicians who “say that where there is a need there is a right”. In this regard, he argued that “the problem is that needs are infinite and if there is a right someone has to pay for it and resources are finite.”
Other policies he defended included privatization of public companies, reducing the budget deficit to zero by reducing the state, minimal state intervention in the economy, and labor market reform.
In order to bring down inflation, he pointed out that the abolition of the central bank was necessary as it was a machine for issuing pesos.
The most important figures in Argentina’s business community attended the 20th Conference of Latin American Cities (LACC, Conference of Latin American Cities), held in collaboration with the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services, to discuss the economic outlook and exchange views on the proposals of the Argentine Chamber of Commerce and Services Chamber of Services to inform candidates.
Patricia Bullrich, presidential candidate of Argentina’s main opposition coalition, also defended the need to reduce the deficit and promised a country based on order and austerity. He also warned that if he took power, he would annul his country’s incorporation into the BRICS bloc announced by President Alberto Fernández.
Bullrich criticized that Fernández, “who, as we all know, is in a situation of enormous weakness … has just threatened Argentina’s entry into the BRICS.”
The country was invited on Thursday to join the developing world bloc from 2024. In a speech recorded in the presidential residence, Fernández stressed that this accession is “a new opportunity” that strengthens the country and “does not exclude other cases of integration”. .
Other countries called to join include Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Ethiopia, according to a summit of the group made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Johannesburg. The five emerging economies that make up the bloc – which accounts for about 40% of the world’s population and contributes more than a quarter of gross domestic product – agreed to its expansion after two days of talks.
Bullrich criticized the fact that Argentina is integrating this bloc with Russia “while the invasion of Ukraine is taking place” and with Iran, a country “with which it has a deep, open wound due to anti-Semitic terrorist attacks,” citing the attacks against the Israeli embassy and a Jewish center in Buenos Aires in 1992 and 1994, which the Argentine judiciary attributes to the Iranian regime as the intellectual authors.
Fernández responded to these questions by expressing his wish that the former security minister did not win the elections. “He doesn’t understand what he’s saying. “The problem is when foreign policy starts to get ideological,” the president told Radio Perfil.
Bullrich also accused Fernández of political inaction, citing the looting of businesses in various cities over the past few days, which has seen more than a hundred people arrested. Authorities have not yet determined who funded them.
The events occurred when poverty affected nearly 40% of the population and the annual inflation rate was 113.4%, as last measured in July.
