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On the third day of the diplomatic agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Latin America was the protagonist with the speeches of the presidents of Colombia and Argentina, who defended the protection of resources and the autonomy of the global south with respect to the north, Colombian side, and capitalism, on the part of the Argentine head of state. Corruption, the environment, the climate change crisis and poverty were the main topics they presented from the podium in Davos, Switzerland.
They traveled to the luxurious annual economic congress to represent Latin America and their positions revealed the ideological divisions that exist within the region.
In his first appearance on the international scene, the newcomer to the Argentine Presidency, The ultra-right Javier Milei made his debut at the Davos Forum with a speech in which he defended what he considers “anarcho-capitalism.” ensuring that “the West is in danger” and that the “only moral solution for this is to move away from the threats of socialism.”
Milei: “socialism is an impoverishing phenomenon”
Milei focused his speech on pointing out the great Western leaders for, as he assured, allowing themselves to be influenced by ideas “that lead inexorably to socialism and, therefore, to poverty” in an exhibition in which he said that these leaders have abandoned freedom. “in favor of different versions” of “collectivism.”
“Today I am here to tell you that the West is in danger. “It is in danger because those who are supposed to defend its values are co-opted by a worldview that inexorably leads to socialism and, consequently, poverty.”
President Javier… pic.twitter.com/3iAK7a8pPf
— Office of the President (@OPRArgentina) January 17, 2024
The Argentine economist and president did not skimp on mentioning figures and years in which, as he assured, socialism has led the world to poverty. He also said the free market could boost the world's economies.
He had the opportunity to talk about the model he wants to implement in Argentina to, as he promises, get the country out of the worst inflation it has had in 30 years (211.4% annually) and said that his Government is based on the principles of liberalism: “ “the defense of life, liberty and private property.”
“Far from being the cause of our problems, free enterprise capitalism as an economic system is the only tool we have to end hunger, poverty and destitution throughout the entire planet”: Milei.
The libertarian politician used the last minutes of his speech to attack feminism and the diversity quotas that different governments have replicated to form their presidential cabinets.
“The only thing that this radical feminist agenda has resulted in is greater intervention by the State to hinder the economic process, giving jobs to bureaucrats who did not contribute anything to society,” she said.
He ended his speech by attacking the discussions around the climate and the right to abortion and said that these should not prevent the normal functioning of companies.
“Another of the conflicts that socialists raise is that of man against nature. They maintain that human beings damage the planet and that it must be protected at all costs, even going so far as to advocate for population control mechanisms or the bloody agenda of abortion.” .
Petro criticized the “alms” that the north gives to the global south
On the other ideological extreme, the Colombian president used his speech to state the main problems that afflict his country and outline, in his opinion, how they should be solved.
The left-wing president emphasized deforestation and explained that livestock, as a criterion of wealth, prevents the good development of the Amazon rainforest, which he classified as “the sponge that partially absorbs the CO2” emitted by the north of the continent. “like a chimney.”
“Here we have two paths: (or we continue) in the paradox, and we separate ourselves more from an increasingly polluting North, with increasing levels of social and democratic inequality, or from the South, with so much potential, which is not being developed , poor, but with violence that is between criminal gangs with political influence,” Petro pointed out in his speech.
He asked to save the Amazon before the “point of no return” is reached, and commented that The South American country needs a flow of approximately 2.5 billion dollars annually to revitalize the already reforested space of the jungle.
Petro spent several minutes explaining that from his country they can save the natural resources that are in danger, he indicated that the commercial system should be changed and that the “handout” that is given to developing countries to get out of their problems would not be necessary. .
The Colombian president also spoke openly in favor of the Palestinian people regarding the war in Gaza and said that this year's Forum is in a “worse” scenario than last year, due to the worsening of conflicts in the world.
“Now we move on to bombing boys and girls,” he said, alluding to the war in Gaza, which the Israeli Army deployed after the Hamas attack on October 7.
With Reuters and AP
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